Your result is private, confidential and voluntary.
With just a tiny drop of blood, the BioSURE HIV Self Test will tell you your status within minutes.
BioSURE is the world’s first approved HIV self test to use blood. The test actively looks for antibodies, and the results are very accurate.
Those reluctant to go to the clinic to be tested can get a free self test at Campus Health Services on Stellenbosch main campus, or at Tygerberg.
The BioSURE self-test is similar to a home pregnancy test or diabetic test; very simple to perform and can be done whenever and wherever is most convenient for you.
Dr. Lynne Julie, medical officer at the Campus Health Service, emphasised the importance of knowing your status, “especially if you are sexually active.”
“I like the idea of putting the responsibility in people’s hands because you have to know your status. This is just another way of getting people to test.”
How does it work?
To draw blood you prick your finger with a single-use lancet provided in the package. When you touch your blood with the tip of the test vial, it automatically sucks up the necessary amount of blood needed for the test. Then you firmly press the vial into the provided buffer solution, and you’ll have your result after 15 minutes.
Your result is private, confidential and voluntary.
How to use the HIV self-test:
Window period
The test may not detect recent infection. If you have been exposed to HIV within the last three months, the negative result may not be accurate.
“If patients do the test right after an incident takes place and get a false negative, they might get a false sense of reassurance. If they come to us or the Equality Unit to be tested we will warn them of the importance of the window period,” said Julie.
What if I need to talk to someone?
The test can be completed in the presence of a friend, a loved one, or a partner, said Brigette Bard, World Advocate on HIV Self Testing and CEO of BioSURE.
The packaging of the BioSURE test includes instructions to reach out for counselling and treatment in the case of a positive result.
Julie explains that a traditional HIV test, performed in the clinic, takes 15 to 20 minutes to complete properly, and that this provides an opportunity for counselling.
“I feel it’s important because even though you might know you are not positive, you don’t really know. In my opinion, there should be a bit of counselling, even though some people don’t want it.”
How do I know the test won’t give me a false negative?
Look for the CE mark on the packaging. A test with the CE mark means people with no medical background and from a variety of backgrounds can perform the test and read the result accurately.
The CE mark also means that a diagnostic test has been checked and is suitable for private use. BioSURE is currently the only CE marked HIV test on the South African market. A false negative from an unapproved test may prevent you from getting treatment.
Products with the CE mark means it has been tested and conforms to health, safety, and environmental protection standards. PHOTO: Ané van Zyl
What should I do if the test is positive?
The BioSURE test is 99.7% accurate, however, if you get a positive result you must get your result confirmed by a healthcare professional.
Where else can I get one?
The BioSURE test is stocked by DisChem pharmacies nationwide and is priced from R159 each.
BioSURE HIV Self Test is available for free at Campus Health Services in Stellenbosch and Tygerberg. PHOTO: Ané van Zyl
Self-testing is encouraged by the World Health Organization. The WHO has been working on HIV self-testing since April 2013, and published their first global recommendations and guidelines for HIV self-testing in 2016.