This HIV test can detect the virus from 28 days after infection and is called a "Duo" test because it combines an antibody test for the HIV antibody 1 & 2 strains of the virus, with an antigen test for the p24 antigen.
An antigen is a foreign substance that triggers the body's creation of antibodies. With an HIV infection, the p24 protein is the antigen that most commonly triggers the body's antibody response. During the first few weeks after someone becomes infected, their body quickly produces p24 which is detectable in their blood. So the antigen is the first marker of HIV being present. So this test can detect an infection before the antibody test on its own can, it is used for diagnosing HIV much earlier in the course of infection. Together with an antibody test, the p24 antigen is very accurate in determining early on whether an individual has been infected with HIV.
This Better2Know HIV test is extremely accurate at 28 days and is now the test recommended by South Africa's current Guidelines on HIV testing. The Better2Know test is a fourth generation test.
Your blood sample will be sent to our laboratory and the results are usually available the same day as the sample is received in the laboratory. The Better2Know test, is considered 99.8% accurate at 28 days, this accuracy increases to 99.9% at 90 days after any potential contact.