Dubai Forums Dubai Expat Forums Health and Medicine in Dubai

Hi,

An urgent one this......

Is there any where in Dubai that sells the self test HIV kits ?

Failing that, is there anywherethat can do the testing for you ?

Thanks...
Dave

Never heard of them here. Suggestion: Take a flight to India and get it done at any of the labs there

davemurray wrote:An urgent one this......

How can it be urgent? If you've just banged someone without the correct safety equipment I think it can lie hidden from tests for several months.

Correct, HIV can take anything from 2 weeks to 6 months to register in the system or for the anti-bodies that fight it, but everyone is different so the time frame can vary wildly. They normally do one test then ask you to come back for another, because you can get false results.

Anyway I wouldn't do it here, any positive result and you'll be hauled straight to the cop shop and dumped on the first flight out the country!

Chocoholic wrote:Correct, HIV can take anything from 2 weeks to 6 months to register in the system or for the anti-bodies that fight it, but everyone is different so the time frame can vary wildly. They normally do one test then ask you to come back for another, because you can get false results.

Anyway I wouldn't do it here, any positive result and you'll be hauled straight to the cop shop and dumped on the first flight out the country!

same for most of the other gulf countries and blood test is part of the visa process.

Just occured to me - so are all the labourers tested?

Earliest it can be detected now is at 9 days using NAT testing, very expensive for a single test.

lol I'd be using an anonymous user name to post a thread like this!

Searcaigh wrote:Earliest it can be detected now is at 9 days using NAT testing, very expensive for a single test.

Yes, but as I have already also said, every persons immune system is different, which is why you do two tests to make sure. Someone can test negative on the first test, because the haven't yet started producing anti-bodies to fight the virus, which is what the tests look for.

Everyone is required to have an HIV test for their visa, obviously people travelling in and out don't.

Roadtester wrote:

Chocoholic wrote:Correct, HIV can take anything from 2 weeks to 6 months to register in the system or for the anti-bodies that fight it, but everyone is different so the time frame can vary wildly. They normally do one test then ask you to come back for another, because you can get false results.

Anyway I wouldn't do it here, any positive result and you'll be hauled straight to the cop shop and dumped on the first flight out the country!

same for most of the other gulf countries and blood test is part of the visa process.

Just occured to me - so are all the labourers tested?

Every Visa / Work permit application has to have an HIV test.

Chocoholic wrote:

Searcaigh wrote:Earliest it can be detected now is at 9 days using NAT testing, very expensive for a single test.

Yes, but as I have already also said, every persons immune system is different, which is why you do two tests to make sure. Someone can test negative on the first test, because the haven't yet started producing anti-bodies to fight the virus, which is what the tests look for.

For sure this is true when using normal test methods (ELISA), but NAT testing is specific for presence of the virus similar to the p24 antigen tests used before NAT became available.

I know that some of the blood banks here in UAE are now using NAT testing and I think also the government labs if I am not mistaken as the distributor I use for UAE has sold a large quantity of equipment and kits for this purpose to the MOH.