Category Archive Sexual Health

Rapid HIV Tests

In the Canary Islands there are many options for taking a rapid test.

Currently the Rapid HIV Test is performed for:

  • Men who have sex with men (MSM), transsexual women who work in prostitution, bisexual men, high-risk prostitution, injecting drug users (UDVP), serodiscordant couples and people living in extreme poverty.

Why should I take a test?

If the result is NEGATIVE, you have:

  • Peace of mind knowing that you do not have an infection.
  • The ability to protect yourself and avoid infections in the future.

If the result is POSITIVE, you have:

  • Health due to being able to treat yourself and prevent the infection from advancing and becoming more complicated.
  • Control of the situation and decision-making about your life.
  • Quality of life since the control and treatment of the infection allows to continue with the normal activities of life.
  • The ability to avoiding re-infections or transmitting the infection to other people.

How is the test done?

In Oral fluid: OraQuick Advance:

  • It is a single-use qualitative immunoassay to detect antibodies against HIV type 1 and 2 in oral fluid samples.

In Blood:

  • It is a single-use qualitative immunoassay to detect antibodies against HIV type 1 and 2 in samples of a few droplets of blood drawn from a finger.

How long will the results take?

The rapid tests will have results within about 20 minutes, depending on the type of test performed.

Where do they test?

Take the test in our own site in Maspalomas.

See here the network of detection points in the islands

Take a self test, buying it in the pharmacy network

¿How to take a rapid test?