Uni gold hiv test

Survey staff administered the household and the adult questionnaires during a face-to-face interview with participants using Google Nexus 9 tablets. The household questionnaire collected data on household assets and access to food. The adult questionnaire included questions on lifetime and recent sexual behaviors, as well as questions on the HIV continuum of care for those who reported being HIV positive. Only one female participant aged 15 years or older in each household was randomly selected to answer questions about experiences with sexual violence, to mask the nature of the questions to other members of the household. Any female younger than 18 who reported being sexually exploited was referred to support services for counseling and further management.
Rapid HIV testing was conducted using point-of-care (POC) tests—Determine HIV-1/2 Rapid Test (Alere)—and confirmed with a Uni-Gold HIV Test (Trinity Biotech), as per the national algorithm. Laboratory verification of all HIV-positive results was done using the Geenius HIV-1/2 Supplemental Assay (Bio-Rad). Viral load testing was done preferentially on plasma, or on dried blood spots (DBSs) if necessary, at a central lab on an automated platform.

HIV-1 serology was determined by rapid HIV tests performed in the community by certified laboratory technologists and EIA confirmation in the laboratory at Uganda Virus Research Institute. In the rapid HIV testing algorithm blood samples were first tested with Determine HIV assay (Alere Medical Co., Ltd., Chiba, Japan), and if negative, results were reported as negative. Determine positive samples were then tested with HIV 1/2 Stat-Pak assay (Chembio Diagnostic Systems, Inc. Medford, NY, USA), and if positive too, results were reported as positive. But if negative on Stat-Pak, Uni-Gold HIV test (Trinity Biotech plc, Bray, Ireland) was used as a tie-breaker. All positive rapid results were confirmed using 2 parallel enzymelinked immunosorbent assay (EIA) tests: Vironostika (HIV Uni-Form II plus 0 microelisa system, Biomerieux, SA, Marcy l'Etoile, France); and Murex HIV-1.2.O (Diasorin S.P.A, Dartford, United Kingdom). Concordinant EIA positives were taken as positive but discordant EIA results were comfirmed using HIV RNA PCR (COBAS AmpliPrep/COBAS TaqMan HIV-1 Test, v2.0 from Roche Molecular Diagnostics, Pleasanton, CA, USA).

CHiP participants were initially screened for HIV infection by fingerprick using the Alere Determine HIV-1/2 test (Alere International). Participants with a non-reactive test had no further testing. Participants with reactive results were further tested with the Uni-Gold HIV test (Trinity Biotech). If results were concordant, the participant was referred for care. If results were discordant, the testing was repeated. If the results were still discordant, the CHiPs would return 2 wk later for follow-up testing. If results were discordant again, a venous blood sample was collected and sent to the laboratory for further testing using the rapid tests and, if indicated, testing using the Abbott Architect HIV Ag/Ab Combo Assay. This test algorithm is in keeping with Zambian national guidelines.