Getting tested hasn’t always been easy, for one reason or another. Fortunately, this is no longer the case. There is bound to be a suitable solution for each and every one of you.
How to Get Tested?
Today there are many methods of home std test and, above all, accessible to everyone, regardless of your geographic, financial or psychological situation.
Screening Methods
If you feel you have been at risk of infection, have any doubts about having sex, or simply have never been tested, there are several methods available to you.
Four Possible Screening Methods Depending On Your Situation or Your Preference
The “TROD”: Rapid Diagnostic Orientation Test
The test will be performed by a healthcare professional. You can do it free of charge at a free information, screening and diagnostic center, or in some cases on your campus. Ask the preventive medicine department or the university health center for more information. If the rapid test is positive, however, it should be confirmed by a standard screening test.
The “TROD” is completely reliable three months after taking an HIV risk. It allows having a result in 20 minutes.
The Classic Test: A Blood Test
The major difference compared to the “TROD” lies in the screening method since it is a classic blood test, which you can once again take in a care center, free of charge. The wait times for your results may be longer but are also more reliable if you test positive for HIV. The test blood test screening can be made from the 15 th day after the risky situation. The TROD being faster, it will therefore be more suitable for a first screening.
The Laboratory Test
Be accompanied by professionals, near you. The advantage of the laboratory is that there is necessarily one near you. Beyond the proximity of the screening site, you also benefit from support by professionals, unlike the self-test. You must however advance the costs, but they are 100{416884046d3933214dec3c1580a6941592980a979dea792582bcd8e299e32c2d} reimbursed by Social Security.
Self-test
You buy a test in a pharmacy to do it at home, for example. This test is the fastest. You are the one realizing it, using a lancing device to take a drop of blood. The self-test is reliable if you feel you took a risk more than three months ago. You will find it in all pharmacies, for a cost between 25 and 28 euros, and you will get the result in 15 minutes. Be careful, however, the self-test is not reimbursed by Social Security and its reliability is not yet perfect.
The condom
It is still the best protection against HIV but not only. Whether male or female, the condom is the only complete tool for sexual health since it protects against HIV, STIs, STDs, hepatitis, but also unplanned pregnancies. Rather than long speeches, here is the tutorial on condoms produced by health relay students from the University of Bordeaux health center.
If you have any concerns, whether it’s a forgotten or broken condom, professionals are at your disposal wherever you are, including on your campus, in your university or at your school If you have been exposed to a risk transmission of an STI, do not hesitate to look for a screening center, using the app, which geo-locates the screening centers but also the places where you can get condoms. You will also have access to a lot of reliable information on HIV testing methods, on STIs, not to mention a calendar of events related to testing and prevention near you.
