Question
Was my HIV test in London a 3rd or 4th generation test?
1 March 2015. Related: All topics, HIV testing.
I went into a London GUM clinic and had a standard sexual health screening, part of this included a HIV test by blood sample.
The nurse did not inform me what type of test it was and I was wondering would it have been a fourth generation test or third? This was in 2014.
The results come back negative from two exposures at 6 and 7 weeks and I’m now waiting for the 3 month mark, but it would really help knowing what type of test it was please.
Answer
Hi
Most tests where you have a sample of blood taken in a test tube are 4th generation (antigen + antibody). A few clinics still use third generations tests though (antibody only).
Most ‘rapid’ HIV tests which just use a finger-prick blood sample or an oral swab, use 3rd generation technology (antibody only).
The only way to find this out is to ask the clinic.