Testing can be done at your doctor's office or at a health clinic. The Western blot results are usually available in one to 14 days, depending on such factors as the laboratory they are sent to and their current workload. Though it produces results in 5 to 30 minutes, positive results must be confirmed by the Western blot before a diagnosis of infection is given. To use it, you prick your finger with a special device, place a few drops of blood on a chemically treated card, then mail the sample to a licensed laboratory for analysis. You obtain test results by phone after giving your identification number.
Results are available seven calendar days after mailing, or three days with the express option.
Phone counselors are available throughout the process if you have questions or other concerns. Deb Levine, MA, is a health educator and social worker as well as author of The Joy of Cybersex. All rights reserved. Before you submit a question, please keep in mind that our experts receive hu ndreds of queries every day, so yours may not be answered directly. Or try our Medical Library , which contains tho usands of articles on nearly 300 health topics.