What is the Newfoundland HIV Self-Test Kit?

It is a rapid home testing kit that screens for HIV using a small finger-prick blood sample, with a result you read yourself after 15 minutes. It is one of a small number of HIV self-tests CE marked for use by a layperson in the UK. It is a screening test and does not provide a definitive HIV diagnosis.

How does the test work?

The test detects antibodies to HIV-1 and HIV-2 – the proteins your immune system makes in response to the virus, rather than the virus itself. Your blood sample travels along a strip inside the cassette, and if those antibodies are present a coloured line appears beside the T marker. A separate line beside the C marker confirms the test has run correctly.

How accurate is this test?

The manufacturer states the test is over 99% accurate. Accuracy depends on testing outside the window period and on following the instructions exactly. A negative result does not rule out HIV if you tested too early, and a reactive result is not a diagnosis – it always needs confirming with laboratory testing.

When should you use it?

After exposure to HIV it can take 6 to 12 weeks for your body to develop the antibodies this test detects. This is called the window period. A test taken inside that window can be negative while infection is present, so if your possible exposure was within the last three months, test again afterwards before treating the result as final.

Who is this test kit for?

The kit is intended for adults aged 18 years and over. People commonly use it after a new or unprotected sexual encounter, as part of a regular sexual health routine, or if a partner has been diagnosed. If you are taking PrEP or PEP, or you have been diagnosed with HIV before, speak to your clinic rather than relying on a home test.

What should you do with your result?

A result with two lines is described as reactive, which is the laboratory term for a positive screening result. Contact a sexual health clinic or your GP promptly for confirmatory testing. HIV is a manageable long-term condition when it is diagnosed and treated, and NHS sexual health services are free and confidential. If the result is negative but there has been recent exposure or ongoing risk, still speak to a healthcare professional.

How to use the Newfoundland HIV Self-Test Kit

These steps are for the Newfoundland kit with a green sterility tab, a grey finger-prick button and an attached blood tube. Read the instructions supplied in your own pack before you start, and follow them where the parts differ.

• Get ready: Have a timer and a tissue nearby. Check the expiry date and that the foil pouch is intact. Wash and dry your hands, and open the pouch only when you are ready to test.
• Position the test: Put it on a flat surface as shown in the leaflet, then massage your chosen finger for 5 to 10 seconds.
• Prick your finger: Turn the green sterility tab and pull it out, then press the grey button firmly against your finger. The lancet works only once.
• Collect the blood: Squeeze firmly behind the prick site and touch the blood drop to the tip of the attached blood tube until the tube is completely full. Do not put blood directly into the test well.
• Transfer the blood: Keep the test flat and flip the filled blood tube over to the well. Check that the blood moves from the tube into the well.
• Add the test fluid: Put four drops of the supplied fluid into the well, on top of the blood, and start your timer.
• Read the result: Read at 15 minutes. Do not read it before 15 minutes or after 20 minutes.
• Interpreting the lines: A line beside C with no line beside T is a negative screening result. Lines beside both C and T is a reactive result, however faint the second line. No line beside C means the test is invalid and should be repeated with a new kit.

If your result is reactive

Contact a sexual health clinic or your GP promptly for confirmatory laboratory testing. A reactive home result is a reason to seek care, not a diagnosis, and confirmatory testing is the only way to establish what it means.

If your result is negative but the exposure was recent

Antibodies take 6 to 12 weeks to develop. If your possible exposure was inside that window, arrange repeat testing rather than treating the result as final.

If no line appears beside C

The result is invalid and cannot be interpreted either way. Repeat the test using a new kit.

Testing in person is the more thorough option

A home test is a convenient check rather than a replacement for testing in person. NHS sexual health services are free and confidential and you do not need a referral. If you have symptoms, a known exposure, or any doubt about your result, we would recommend arranging testing through a sexual health clinic or your GP.

There are no side effects from using the Newfoundland HIV Self-Test Kit in the way a medicine has side effects. It contains no medicinal ingredients and nothing is taken into the body.

What you may experience

• The finger-prick: The fingertip may feel briefly sore and can bruise slightly. This settles within a day or two.
• Bleeding: Light bleeding from the puncture site is normal and stops with gentle pressure.
• Waiting for the result: Many people find testing for HIV stressful. The result appears at 15 minutes, and support is available from sexual health services whatever it shows.

If your result is reactive

Contact a sexual health clinic or your GP for confirmation and support. Modern HIV treatment is highly effective, and people diagnosed and treated early can expect a normal life expectancy.

Contact a sexual health clinic or your GP promptly if you develop any of the following

• A flu-like illness a few weeks after a possible exposure: Fever, sore throat, rash or swollen glands can occur in early HIV infection and are easy to dismiss.
• Night sweats, unexplained weight loss or persistent diarrhoea: These should be assessed in person.
• Any concern after a known exposure: Emergency treatment to prevent HIV (PEP) works best within 72 hours, so do not wait for a test result before seeking advice.

This test is for self-testing purposes only and does not replace professional medical diagnosis or advice. Follow all instructions exactly to avoid false results.

Before you use the kit

• Confirming a reactive result: A reactive result must be confirmed by a sexual health clinic or your GP with laboratory testing before anything is concluded from it.
• A negative result: A negative result does not rule out HIV if you tested inside the 6 to 12 week window period after exposure.
• Recent exposure: If you think you were exposed in the last 72 hours, contact a sexual health clinic or A&E immediately about PEP rather than waiting to test.
• Previous diagnosis: If you have already been diagnosed with HIV, or you are taking PrEP or PEP, discuss testing with your clinic rather than using a home kit.
• Other infections: The kit tests only for HIV. If you are concerned about other sexually transmitted infections, arrange a full screen through a sexual health clinic or your GP.
• Bleeding risk: If you take anticoagulant medication or have a bleeding disorder, speak to a pharmacist or your GP before using a finger-prick test.
• Single use: Do not reuse the test or the lancet, and do not use the kit after the expiry date printed on the packaging.

Testing in person is the more thorough option

A home test is a convenient check rather than a replacement for testing in person. NHS sexual health services are free and confidential and you do not need a referral. If you have symptoms, a known exposure, or any doubt about your result, we would recommend arranging testing through a sexual health clinic or your GP.

Storage and disposal

• Where to keep it: Store the kit in a cool, dry place away from direct sunlight, and out of reach of children.
• Keep the pouch sealed: Leave the cassette in its foil pouch until you are ready to test.
• The used device: The lancet is built into the device. Seal the whole kit in a plastic bag before putting it in your household waste so that it cannot injure anyone.
• Do not flush: No part of the kit should be flushed down the toilet.