Lab tests in Pattaya

[Guest]

There is absolutely nothing wrong with a rapid test. They use them in London in Harley Street (I was tested there once). Only takes 40 mins for results. If you have been told differently then it is wrong.

The rapid test is a screening test. It is highly sensitive. The main problem with the rapid test is that because it is so sensitive you get false positives ie people without hiv still test positive. These are usually due to human error in the testing. False negatives (ie you are positive but test negative) are very rare and usually due to the window period after initial infection before antiboies have developed which is usually about 3 weeks long.

Elisa tests are confirmatory tests. They are used to confirm the results of the rapid tests. This is where the false positives are identified. If you test positive with a Rapid test the doctor will immediately tell you that the result is not conclusive and that it can only be confirmed by an Elisa test.

PS I have a PhD and worked for years in desease diagnostics.

[Torurot]

I still want to know how our testing friends are going to handle their "partners" +ve test. Are you ready for that? What you going to do?

Crossing the road is even more dangerous for those that drive on the "right". Those of us that drive left really know what we are doing!

[jimslim]

A bit of a sticky situation that one , so some guy wants to go get tested with the teerak , obviously he plans to stay with her for the duration of his holiday (or he just loves needles and clinics )
She then tests positive , shit I wouldn't like to be in that situation , what's the next move

[D33]

(newatthis @ Jul. 22 2008,02:07) D33 Thanks for your input on HIV testing, you certainly have had more experience in these matters than I. The Bangkok Hospital in Pattaya probably has the newest and best lab in town. As mentioned in my original post I went to the PIC Hospital because it was more convenient for me that day. I paid 4000 baht for the HIV test and a Hepatitis A, B, and C testing including the MD consult. In my mind I thought it was relatively expensive for Thailand and the staff seemed a little disorganized. The Bangkok Hospital would probably have been a better choice and the same price.

I also am not a fan of the rapid test and I just called the lab and the owner assured me it was the ELISA test that was performed for 300 baht, it took several hours before he had the results. As for the cost, you're right, 300 baht is a great price and shows the profit margin the hospitals have on lab work. If I remember correctly he was a lab technician in the USA before he decided to come back in open a lab in Pattaya and he personally did the testing on the day I was there. You could check it out and give me your opinion, I would be interested in what you thought about it.

That being said, there is really no way to know what goes on in any lab in Thailand, Do they really do the test? If they do it, do they do it correctly? If they do it correctly, do they put the results next to the correct patient name? Who knows... In 1990 I took a long term GF to the Pattaya Memorial Hospital for a HIV test. The tech did a poor job of drawing the blood and I wondered if he was going to do the lab testing as well. I asked myself the above questions as I walked out. Anyway she was negative and we stayed together for sometime.

I originally posted this to give the BM's another choice for lab work in Pattaya, it may have been discussed in other posts before mine, I really didn't check.I have only tested 3 long term GF's in all my time in Thailand but for me it reassuring to know they were negative. Of couse, YMMV

Cheers

Good to hear it was legit. I guess I eat my words. heh

At 300b, that is a STEAL for a test. Lowest I have ever seen.

[D33]

(james654321 @ Jul. 22 2008,18:49) There is absolutely nothing wrong with a rapid test. They use them in London in Harley Street (I was tested there once). Only takes 40 mins for results. If you have been told differently then it is wrong.

The rapid test is a screening test. It is highly sensitive. The main problem with the rapid test is that because it is so sensitive you get false positives ie people without hiv still test positive. These are usually due to human error in the testing. False negatives (ie you are positive but test negative) are very rare and usually due to the window period after initial infection before antiboies have developed which is usually about 3 weeks long.

Elisa tests are confirmatory tests. They are used to confirm the results of the rapid tests. This is where the false positives are identified. If you test positive with a Rapid test the doctor will immediately tell you that the result is not conclusive and that it can only be confirmed by an Elisa test.

PS I have a PhD and worked for years in desease diagnostics.

Have you not seen the plethora of lawsuits against companies selling rapid tests that do not work?

You have a PhD and you don't know about this?

Hell, even the numb nuts doctors in Thailand have started to pull them from the clinics because they say they don't work.

There are 2 or 3 FDA approved rapid tests that were allowed for use in the USA. One of them is for medical personal only, the other you take have to send to a lab. Other than those, the FDA says they do not produce an accurate result. I'm not gonna argue with them for the sake of lying to myself so I can bareback a hooker in an HIV infested country.

[D33]

(james654321 @ Jul. 22 2008,18:49) Elisa tests are confirmatory tests. They are used to confirm the results of the rapid tests. This is where the false positives are identified. If you test positive with a Rapid test the doctor will immediately tell you that the result is not conclusive and that it can only be confirmed by an Elisa test.

A WESTERN BLOT is a confirmatory test.

This is what they give you if you fail an Elisa test or rapid test. Though I suppose they could do a Elisa test if you fail a rapid test, then a Western Blot once you fail that Elisa.

[Guest]

Have you not seen the plethora of lawsuits against companies selling rapid tests that do not work?

You have a PhD and you don't know about this?

Hell, even the numb nuts doctors in Thailand have started to pull them from the clinics because they say they don't work.

There are 2 or 3 FDA approved rapid tests that were allowed for use in the USA. One of them is for medical personal only, the other you take have to send to a lab. Other than those, the FDA says they do not produce an accurate result. I'm not gonna argue with them for the sake of lying to myself so I can bareback a hooker in an HIV infested country.

This is so wrong on so many levels. I am amazed that there is still so much misinformation around regarding hiv testing. There are six rapid HIV tests that are FDA approved.

http://www.cdc.gov/hiv/topics/testin...comparison.htm

They can all be conducted at the testing facility (that is why they are called rapid tests).

"Sensitivity is the probability that the test result will be reactive if the specimen is a true positive; specificity if the probability that the test result will be nonreactive if the specimen is a true negative. "

You can see how accurate the tests are according to the CDC website.

Please note I am not talking about home tests.

If you have any recent links to this plethera of lawsuits then I would be interested to see those.

[undertaker]

verry intresting posts here ..me i would never shag bareback again ..have done in the past and it too dangerous..got tested and my doc gave me a right mouthfull and a mini lecture of the dangers so after that i wont take any chances drunk or sober...

[D33]

(james654321 @ Aug. 01 2008,20:53) This is so wrong on so many levels. I am amazed that there is still so much misinformation around regarding hiv testing. There are six rapid HIV tests that are FDA approved.

Looks like you are right on more FDA approved tests. It's been a few years since I looked into it. When I did, there were only two I think. Uni-Gold and OraQuick were the two I remember.

The others I just checked on your list, not the ones they have in Thailand. The ones here are all Thai made. Many clinics have already pulled them because they admit to them not being accurate.

Google will be your buddy for looking up lawsuits. There have been plenty of them.