OraQuick® HIV Self Test
OraQuick® HIV Self Test
Just a simple mouth swab and your own result in minutes. No blood needed. No HIV test is easier.
20 minutes
Oral fluid
Proven >99.7% accurate
CE marked
HIV is a treatable condition - but only if you know your status.
Test on your own terms - wherever, whenever and with whoever you choose.
As accurate as blood, but without the prick
View full detailsThe OraQuick® HIV Self Test is a convenient, discreet and accurate way to test for HIV and know your status, wherever, whenever and with whoever you choose.
It is the same test used by many healthcare professionals worldwide and is the world's number one selling HIV self-test.
The OraQuick® HIV Self-Test uses oral fluid collected from a simple gum swab, to check for antibodies to both HIV-1 and HIV-2. It does not detect the actual virus.
It gives you your own results in just 20 minutes and has a proven accuracy of over 99.7%
If you get a positive test result it is always advised that you visit a healthcare facility and have a second test to confirm your result. This is the HIV testing algorithm around the world.
The OraQuick® HIV Self-Test should only be used to test for HIV and should not be used for other purposes. If you need to be tested for pregnancy or for a sexually transmitted infection (STI) or other infection, please contact your doctor or healthcare provider. They can help you get tested.
No HIV test is easier, more discreet or more accurate.
Your OraQuick test kit includes everything you need to perform your own test with no mixing or measuring required.
Simply remove the test device from the pouch and place the flat side of the against your gum and swab it against your top gums and your bottom gums once. Then place the swab into the tube containing the buffer solution, so that is touches the bottom and leave your test standing upright to run. Your easy to read result will take just 20 minutes.
No blood. No labs. No questions.
Just swipe, dip and you're done
Important to note:
DO NOT eat or drink for at least 15 minutes before you start the
test or use mouth cleaning products 30 minutes before you start the test.
After 20 minutes your test will be completed, and you will be able to read your result.
DO NOT read your result after 40 minutes.
It is helpful to think about how you may feel when you perform your test. For some people it suits them best to test on their own, wherever they feel most comfortable, for some people they prefer to have a friend or a family member with them. Either way you are in charge.
DO NOT eat or drink for at least 15 minutes before you start the test or use mouth cleaning products 30 minutes before you start the test.
After 20 minutes your test will be completed, and you will be able to read your own simple to read result. DO NOT read your result after 40 minutes.
Your OraQuick HIV Self Test detects the specific antibodies to HIV (not actual HIV). It detects the antibodies to both HIV-1 and HIV-2.
It is proven to be extremely effective at diagnosing HIV from multiple programmes conducted globally. It is also evidenced to be exceptionally usable and has a control line that can only appear if you have performed your test correctly, which means you can trust your result.
It has a proven clinical sensitivity (if a person has HIV how often the test result will correctly be positive) of more than 99.9%. This means that on average 999 in every 1,000 positive results will be correct.
It has a proven clinical specificity (if a person doesn’t have HIV how often will the test result be correctly negative) of 99.8%, this means that on average 998 in every 1,000 negative results will be correct.
If you are at all unsure of your result you must go and see a healthcare professional to perform another test.
You can test from 4 weeks after your possible exposure to HIV, but you must not rely on a negative result until 12 weeks after your most recent possible exposure. This is because your OraQuick test detects antibodies to HIV, not the actual virus, and everybody makes these antibodies at different times depending upon their own immune system.
The time from when HIV infection occurs to when a test can correctly give a positive result is called the ‘HIV window period’ or ‘HIV test window period’. During this period, someone who has been infected with HIV could still get a negative HIV test result because they may not have produced the antibodies that the test detects and needs to generate a positive result. This does not mean the person testing is negative and has not contracted HIV.
By 4 weeks after contracting the virus about half of people will make antibodies. By 6 weeks this goes up to about 95%, however some people don't make these antibodies until up to 12 weeks after infection.
So, after multiple evaluations, we say that you can test from 4 weeks after your exposure, but not to rely on a negative test result until 12 weeks after your most recent possible exposure. A positive test result is always a positive test result regardless of the window period.
A lot of people choose to test regularly and include it as part of their general wellbeing, especially if they have the possibility for more than one exposure.
The technology is very similar to a human pregnancy test and since the COVID-19 pandemic a lot of people have come to know this technology as lateral flow testing.
The OraQuick HIV Self Test does not detect the actual HIV virus but detects specific antibodies to
HIV in your oral fluid sample. Your body will only make these specific antibodies as an immune response to HIV infection.
When you take the OraQuick® HIV Self Test, you must swab both the left and right side of your upper gums and the left and right side of your lower gums.
Each gum should be swabbed only once. You must follow the test directions carefully to get an accurate result.
If you are not sure you swabbed your gums correctly, check for a line next to the letter "C" on the test stick. If a line appears next to
the letter "C" on the test stick, you will know your test is working because this line can only appear if you have collected your sample properly and your result will be accurate.
If you do not see a line next to the letter "C," after 20 minutes your test has not worked properly or you have not collected the oral fluid sample correctly, and you will need to get a new test and start again.
If you have tested within the 12 week window period, it is important that you test again at 12 weeks.
A lot of people choose to test regularly and include it as part of their general wellbeing. If you make choices that put you at an increased HIV risk exposure it is a good idea to test every 3 months.
We are pleased to offer a regular subscription service, where you can choose for a delivery every 3 months, 6 months or annually at discounted prices and so you don't have to remember to order and can regularly monitor your status.
Virtually all HIV tests detect the presence of HIV antibodies, not the virus itself.
When your body detects something harmful (like a bacteria or a virus) your immune system starts to produce antibodies to try and defend your body. Each type of antibody is unique, and everybody makes them at different rates.
In the case of HIV, the antibodies can't fight off the infection, but their presence will remain and can be used to tell whether a person has HIV in their body.
Oral fluid HIV tests are proven to be very accurate. Although there are far less antibodies in oral fluid than there are in blood, the sample size of the oral fluid collected is significantly bigger than the volume of blood required for a blood-based test and this is why the accuracy of both blood and oral fluid tests are comparable.
The OraQuick® HIV Self-Test is a great option for people who don't like blood and obviously also offers convenience and privacy.
It is absolutely confirmed through years of global research that you cannot catch HIV from saliva.
The OraQuick® HIV Self Test detects the specific antibodies produced by your body in response to HIV infection, not the virus itself.
Although there are more antibodies in a blood sample than in oral fluid, the volume of an oral fluid sample collected is much greater than the volue of blood that is required for a blood-based HIV test and this is why the accuracy of OraQuick oral fluid antibody HIV self-test is comparable to those of blood based antibody HIV tests.
Your OraQuick HIV Self Test detects antibodies to HIV, not the virus itself.
Everybody makes antibodies at different rates and there needs to be antibodies in your oral fluid sample to be able to detect them. At 4 weeks it is very unlikely that you wil have enough antibodies to give a true positive test result.
If you think you may have been exposed to HIV within the last 4 weeks, you should see your local healthcare professional who may be able to send a sample of your blood for a laboratory test or use a different type of test which can detect the actual virus.
PrEP is the abbreviation for Pre-Exposure Prophylaxis and is a medication you can use before having sex that will stop you from contracting HIV. In concept, it is very similar to female contraception that stops woman from becoming pregnant.
PrEP is now available on the NHS, so speak to your GP if you would like to know more.
There are also many fantastic organisations you can contact if you have trouble accessing PrEP.
HIV is now a completely treatable condition (if you know you have it!) Antiretroviral treatment (ARTs) are so effective, that as little as just one tablet per day means the virus can be suppressed to undetectable levels. And undetectable viral levels mean your own health is protected and very importantly, the virus cannot be transmitted. Even through unprotected sex.
The science is unequivocal.
So Undetectable really does equal Untransmittable - or in short U=U.
We have decades of experience, so if you have any questions about HIV self-testing or want to know more, then please feel free to get in touch.
You can message us on Whatsapp: 07763 489170 or email info@biosure.co.uk
We'll be more than happy to help.
All orders received before 2pm Monday to Friday (except Bank holidays) are dispatched on the same day via Royal Mail 24, which aims for a next day delivery. This is not a tracked or guaranteed service but more than 95% of orders are received next day. There is also a Guaranteed Next Day delivery service available.
You can have your order delivered to an address of your choice and we also work with HubBox who haveover 2,000 collection points at shops across the country.
Orders received after 2pm or at weekends will be dispatched on the next working day.
Standard Postage is free for all UK orders over £25 or £2.00 for orders under £25.
We understand that your privacy is important and every BioSure order is packaged in plain packaging.
There is no way of telling what is inside or who sent it.
BioSure Global Ltd or OraQuick will not appear on your credit card or bank statement.
HIV is a treatable condition. If you may have been at risk of exposure to HIV then it is always better to know and find out your HIV status.
If you have HIV then the earlier you are diagnosed the better because anti-retrovirals are now so effective that with correct, regular treatment someone living with HIV can expect to live a long healthy life and have a normal life expectancy. Most importantly, being on successful treatment also means that the virus cannot be passed on.
Knowledge is power. Because if you don't know, you can't treat.
Want to test routinely?
Discounted subscription packages available, so you can monitor your status regularly.
The OraQuick HIV Self has a special inbuilt sample control line, which means it must have the actual sample applied to the test in order for the control line to appear.
There are many HIV self-tests that do not have this special in-built feature and will produce a clear control line even if no sample has been added. You will see this as a negative result which may actually be incorrect.
Having a sample control line is the only way you can know that your test has been performed and run correctly. It is the only way to be confident in your result.
You can read your test result from 20 minutes after it has run, but do not read your result after 40 minutes as your result may not remain stable after this time.
There are two lines that can appear on your test - the 'T' which is the Test Line and the 'C' which is the Control Line.
The lines can vary in strength and it is super important that you read ANY LINE AS A LINE, no matter how faint.
The window period is very important when relying on a negative result. A negative result within 12 weeks of possible exposure is encouraging but should not be relied upon. This is because your test detects antibodies to HIV (not the virus itself) and it may take your body up to 12 weeks to make these antibodies. You should always test again at 12 weeks after possible exposure.
A positive test result is always a positive test result, regardless of the window period. If you have a positive test result you must get your result confirmed by a healthcare professional.
If you have any doubts about your result or have any symptoms, should visit your local healthcare professional.
Firstly, don’t panic, HIV is treatable - remember HIV is 3 letters, not a sentence.
Your OraQuick HIV Self Test is extremely accurate, but you must go and see a healthcare professional who will perform another test to confirm your result.
The earlier diagnosis is made, and treatment started, the better the outcomes.
You can phone the NHS on 111 or use the postcode searcher to
find your nearest Sexual Health Clinic.
Feel proud of yourself that you have taken control and now Know Your Status.
You must remember that from initial HIV infection it can take up to 12 weeks for your body to produce enough antibodies for your test to give a reliable result.
If you have any doubts about your result or have any HIV symptoms, you should contact a healthcare professional who can perform another test.
Don't put yourself or others at risk based on your test result. Using condoms is an effective and easy way to protect your own and others sexual health.
Choose to Stay Negative.
If your test device does not have any lines on it after 20 minutes, then your test did not work.
You can dispose of your test in usual household waste, there are no extra precautions necessary.
You will need to repeat with a new OraQuick® HIV Self Test kit.
Please make sure you read the instructions carefully before you
begin your test. It is important to understand how to take your sample and then place it in the tube of buffer solution for no less than 20 minutes and no more than 40 minutes before reading your test result.
It is extremely rare, but if your test has a line at the 'T' but not at the 'C' this also means your test has not work and your result is invalid. Please disregard your result, dispose of your test in normal household waste and retest again with a new OraQuick HIV Self Test kit.
A disposal bag is included with your test.
When you have finished you can put everything into this bag and throw it away with your usual household rubbish.
No special precautions are necessary.
If you think you have been exposed to HIV in the past 72 hours, you need to visit a specialist HIV clinic or A&E department as soon as possible, where you may be able to access a course of PEP - post-exposure prophylaxis drug (anti HIV medication).
Our test will not give you an accurate result only 72 hours after potential exposure.
A false positive is when an HIV test gives a positive result but the person does not have HIV.
A false negative is when a test result is negative when a person does actually have HIV.
Conditions that can lead to a false test result include:
- Incorrectly reading the test.
- Not following the Instructions for Use carefully.
- Not waiting 15 minutes after eating or drinking, or not waiting 30 minutes after using oral care products before taking the test.
- Having participated in a HIV vaccine clinical trial.
- Swiping each gum several times with the swab during the oral fluid collection.
A positive test result must always be followed up with a healthcare professional who will perform another test to confirm the presence or absence of HIV infection.
Yes it is safe to use the OraQuick® HIV Self-Test if you are pregnant and/or breastfeeding.
The test has been proven to work effectively on women that are pregnant and/or breastfeeding.
Yes it is safe to use the OraQuick® HIV Self-Test if you wear braces or a retainer.
Just make sure you carefully and completely swab your top gums and bottom gums once.
Yes you can still perform the test If you have dentures that cover your gums, but there are steps you have to take before starting.
You should:
- Remove your dentures.
- Wash any remaining paste off of your gums.
- Wait 30 minutes before your perform your test and follow the instructions carefully.
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