HIV Screening
What is HIV?
HIV stand for human immunodeficiency virus
HIV is an AIDS-causing virus that attacks the body's immune system, making the body unable to fight infection.
Infection with HIV occurs by the transfer of blood, semen, vaginal fluid, pre-ejaculate, or breast milk. Within these bodily fluids, HIV is present as both free virus particles and virus within infected immune cells. The four major routes of transmission are unsafe sex, contaminated needles, breast milk, and transmission from an infected mother to her baby at birth. Screening of blood products for HIV has largely eliminated transmission through blood transfusions or infected blood products in the developed world.
(http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/HIV)
What are the symptoms?
Initially, blood testing is the only way of finding out if you are infected with HIV as the disease usually shows no symptoms. However if infected, symptoms can occur two to four weeks after infection and it is during this time that a carrier is most infectious to others.
Symptoms can include:
- Headaches
- Cold Sores
- Aching Muscles
- Fever
- Rash
- Sore throat
- Loss of appetite
How can Gordon Laboratory Group help?
GLG aim to help prevent the spread of HIV by undertaking a HIV screening process. Using specialised software, GLG can detect the HIV strain in a patient's serum.
If tested positive, the sample is referred to another laboratory for a confirmation test.
Our rapid turnover of results mean that clients receive results within a few hours on receipt of sample.
If you would like more information on our HIV Screening, please don't hesitate to email or give GLG a call.
