Testing Options at Waverley Care
To mark European Testing Week (21-28 November), we want to highlight the testing options we provide for you!
At Waverley Care, our teams are trained to provide testing for HIV and hepatitis C to anyone who wants to know their status. Testing is quick, easy, and confidential. It's also free!
We offer three types of tests, point of care testing for HIV, dried blood spot testing for hepatitis C, and rapid HIV testing for select communities across Scotland.
If you're thinking about getting an HIV or hepatitis C test, you can speak with a member of our team to find out what options you have available. Get in touch. If you’ve got any worries or concerns you can read our guides to HIV testing here and hepatitis C testing here.
Point of Care Testing
A sample of saliva from your mouth or a few drops of blood from your finger is taken and tested for HIV. The result is available to you within a few minutes. We provide point of care testing in Glasgow, Edinburgh, Inverness, Argyll & Bute, Lanarkshire and Forth Valley.
If the test does not find HIV in your blood, the result is ‘negative’. If a test finds HIV in your blood, the result is ‘positive’.
If you have a ‘positive’ result, you will be asked to take a second blood test to confirm the results. This is because some tests may not give you a reliable result for a longer period after infection. If the second test is also positive, you will be referred to a specialist HIV clinic.
Rapid HIV Testing
Your finger will be pricked, and a few drops of blood will be taken to be tested for HIV. The results will be available immediately.
We provide HIV rapid tests for:
- People from African communities in Aberdeen, Edinburgh, Forth Valley, Glasgow, Lanarkshire
- Gay, bisexual, and all men who have sex with men in Argyll and Bute, Edinburgh, Forth Valley, Highland. This service is provided by our SX project.
- People at risk of HIV, who are homeless or in temporary accommodation in Glasgow
If the test does not find HIV in your blood, the result is ‘negative’. If a test finds HIV in your blood, the result is ‘positive’.
If you have a ‘positive’ result, you will be asked to take a second blood test to confirm the results. This is because some tests may not give you a reliable result for a longer period after infection. If the second test is also positive, you will be referred to a specialist HIV clinic.
Dried Blood Spot (DBS) Testing
A small amount of blood is taken from your finger and blotted on a filter paper. This is then sent to a laboratory, where the blood is screened for hepatitis C. You will usually receive results from this test in 2-3 weeks. We provide DBS testing in Glasgow and Edinburgh.
If the test does not find hepatitis C in your blood, the result is ‘negative’. If a test finds hepatitis C in your blood, the result is ‘positive’.
If you have a ‘positive’ result, you will be asked to take a second blood test to confirm the results. This is because some tests may not give you a reliable result for a longer period after infection. If the second test is also positive, you will be referred to a specialist hepatitis C clinic.
