HIV Duo Test

Better2Know offer a HIV Duo test that can detect an HIV infection from 28 days after exposure. The test detects antibodies to the HIV 1 and 2 strains of the virus, and also detects the p24 antigen. This antibody / antigen detection is why it is called a “Duo” test.

An antigen is a foreign substance that triggers the body to create antibodies. During a HIV infection, the foreign substance is the p24 antigen released into the body by the HIV virus. This antigen will trigger the creation of antibodies that will try to fight the infection. The p24 antigen becomes detectable in the infected persons blood during the first two to three weeks after exposure. The p24 antigen is the first marker of HIV being present in the body. Because of its ability to detect the p24 antigen, this test is used for diagnosing HIV much earlier in the course of an infection, as it can detect signs of an infection before any antibodies appear.

Better2Know's HIV Duo test is a fourth generation test and is considered to be 99.8% accurate at 28 days, and this accuracy increases to 99.9% at 90 days after any potential exposure.

Our clinician will send your blood sample to our laboratory and the results are usually available the same day as the sample is received in the laboratory.