Gangnam Public Health Center

HIV Quick Test

What is Public Health Center quick test?

It is a method to conveniently and quickly give HIV test results with a droplet of blood within 20 minutes, adopted by the city of Seoul as the first among the municipal governments. Anyone can receive the test for free anonymously starting in March 2015.

Seoul Center for Infectious Disease Control - http://infectionseoul.or.kr

Public Health Center HIV test

All Public health centers in Seoul run both the conventional method (EIA method) and quick test as HIV anonymous test. Tell us which test you want at the registration desk.

Classification	Conventional method (EIA method)	quick test
How to test	Venous blood collection (5~10cc)	Fingertip (one droplet of blood)
Test results	Takes 3-7 days	Takes 20 minutes
Pros	Because the period in which the HIV appears dormant after test is one week shorter, it may be more accurate at the beginning of the infection.	You can check the results quickly.
Common features	It may show up as negative within the first 12 weeks of HIV infection. This is only a primary screening test, and you will need more detailed tests. (If your initial quick test results require more detailed exam, then your blood need to be collected)

Test results

We will tell you whether the test result came out to be “negative” or “need further testing.” If you are informed to need further testing, then your blood will be collected for confirmation test.

※ Because the testing result changes on the testing kit after 20 minutes, we will not show you the kit itself.

If the test result is negative, am I not infected?	If I am told to get urther testing, what should I do?
If the test result is negative, it mostly likely means you are not infected. However, within the first 12 weeks of infection, HIV antibody may not be detected and the test result come out as negative. If you did something that made you suspicious of being infected with HIV, then you should wait more than 12 weeks to get more accurate result. There is a chance that the result could not be verified because of not enough blood sample. In this case, we will call you to tell you to get quick test again.	If you are informed of needing further testing over the phone, then you need to revisit laboratory medicine room. Show the registration card and have you blood collected. Call laboratory medicine room to the number shown on the registration card 7 days after blood collection. There are many false negative results, so do not worry too much. If you need information about the tests or counseling, ask the HIV representative on the registration floor.

If the test result is negative, am I not infected?

If I am told to get urther testing, what should I do?

If the test result is negative, it mostly likely means you are not infected. However, within the first 12 weeks of infection, HIV antibody may not be detected and the test result come out as negative.
If you did something that made you suspicious of being infected with HIV, then you should wait more than 12 weeks to get more accurate result.

There is a chance that the result could not be verified because of not enough blood sample. In this case, we will call you to tell you to get quick test again.

If you are informed of needing further testing over the phone, then you need to revisit laboratory medicine room.
Show the registration card and have you blood collected.
Call laboratory medicine room to the number shown on the registration card 7 days after blood collection.

There are many false negative results, so do not worry too much. If you need information about the tests or counseling, ask the HIV representative on the registration floor.

What should I do if the detailed test (confirmation test) result comes out to be positive
- If the confirmation test result is positive, then call the HIV representative on the registration floor for more information and support.
- If you are diagnosed with HIV infection, then you need to be treated at a medical facility with infectious disease specialist.
- ※ The government subsidizes all of the medical costs incurred by HIV infection for healthier life of the infected individuals.

Things you must know!

We may need your blood sample depending on the quick test result.

Medical facility’s or Public Health Center’s HIV testing method is a primary test (screening test) to see the possibility of infection. If the results are abnormal, then you must get a confirmation test for accurate diagnosis of infection. Therefore, we may need to collect your blood for more detailed test.

Don’t be too shocked even if you are told to get a detailed test and follow the Public Health Center’s instruction. There is a high probability that you are not actually infected.

When the test at the Public Health Center comes out to be positive, in many cases, it is because of medications or other causes. This is inevitable due to the limitations of current screening test method, so don’t be too shocked and follow the Public Health Center’s instruction even if you are told to get a detailed test.

Public Health Center’s HIV quick test can be done on minors only if they have consent from their parent or guardian.

Because Public Health Center’s HIV test is done anonymously, it is difficult to confirm the age of the individuals being tested. Therefore, the responsibility of testing HIV infection on minor does not lie on the city of Seoul or the Public Health Center. But, if you are diagnosed with HIV as a minor, then call the HIV representative at the Public Health Center for more information and support.

※ Within the first 12 weeks of HIV infection, the test result may come out to be negative because HIV antigen is not detected.
※ If you have done something that make you suspicious of HIV infection, then you need to get tested after 12 weeks for more accurate results.

Q & A

What are the differences between conventional HIV test and quick test?
- The conventional test collects 5-10ml of blood and gives the results within 3-7 days whether you need more detailed test. However, quick test the result within 20 minutes.
Is conventional test method more accurate than quick test?
- There is no difference in the accuracy between the conventional test and quick test.
Why don’t you show me the testing kit when I receive test results?
- Current quick test result are given out to the tested individual exactly 20 minutes after the test. The reason we keep 20 minutes strictly is that the window that shows the test result changes depending on the reading time. If the tested individual visits the Public Health Center long after the test reading time, then the actual test result and the kit window showing result may differ that we throw about the test kit right after the reading.
Why is there discrepancy between quick test result and confirmation test result?
- The HIV screening test has high sensitivity, and having high sensitivity means, it detects HIV antibody or similar material accurately. If the result sometimes comes out to be positive even when you are not infected with HIV, then it is called false positive. The possible causes of false positive are tuberculosis and immune disorders among others. Therefore, if you receive abnormal result from the first screening test, then you need to get detailed test.
Do I need to get tested after 12 weeks of suspicious activities?
- There is a period when the test comes out to be normal at the beginning of HIV infection, and this period is called window period. Window period is a couple of weeks, and it varies by about 6 days depending on the test method. Because window period can have effect on test result, you should get tested after 12 weeks for more accurate results
Is it kept confidential after the diagnosis of HIV?
- Because testing procedure is done anonymously, no one can now the presence of infection
Anonymous test is available at all public health centers nationwide
- However, anonymous quick test is only done in 25 public health centers in Seoul, and anyone can get tested regardless of residency.
What kind of support is provided by the Public Health Center?
- We provide counseling service for living support and health care. If you are diagnosed with HIV infection, then the government pays for the treatment in its entirety.
Where can I get the information about quick test?
- You can get the information from the Public Health Center (infectious disease department).
- Seoul Center for Infectious Disease Control website (http://infectionseoul.or.kr) ‘HIV/AIDS information’

Seoul iSHAP Center

Counseling institutions

Seoul iSHAP Center is a homosexual AIDS prevention center run by the Korea Federation for HIV/AIDS Prevention (commissioned by Korea Centers for Disease Control and Prevention). For easier access for homosexual males, this center only have homosexual employees and provides HIV quick test and professional counseling (psychiatric counseling included) for free and anonymously.

※ Knowledgeable about Public Health Center’s quick test for associated counseling

iSHAP center website : http://ishap.org
iSHAP center hotline : 02-792-0083

AIDS Counseling Center

AIDS Counseling Center run by the Korea Federation for HIV/AIDS Prevention (commissioned by Korea Centers for Disease Control and Prevention) provides comprehensive service about AIDS information and professional counseling for adolescents, adults, infected individuals and their families.

※ Knowledgeable about Public Health Center’s quick test for associated counseling

AIDS Counseling Center website : www.aids114.or.kr
AIDS Counseling Center hotline : 1599-8105(09:00-18:00)