Rapid Network

Is fast always better? Maybe not when sitting back on a tropical beach, Corona in hand, gazing at a gorgeous sunset, but it surely is when you're waiting for the results of a medical test. Rapid HIV testing isn't brand new, but it is more and more available at an affordable rate. In years past, it was only porn stars who'd choose the rapid HIV testing route and only because time-is-money on any kind of film set. If you've ever been tested before-especially that unforgettable first time-you know how stressful the time can be from the drawing of the blood to the in-office yay or nay.

Many new things are common place in the doctor's office these days and many even newer things loom right over the horizon ready to be implemented when they are polished or cost effective. If you are currently engaging in sexual activity of any kind, it is time to begin visiting a certified STD clinic. Let's face it, sex outside of marriage with more than one partner-whether considered fun or not-is akin to rolling the dice when it comes to your health. No morality need come into play when one looks at the statistics. One merely should thank the industrious medical field for the option of rapid testing-especially for a harmful disease such as HIV.

HIV (or AIDS) is still a big threat to many segments of society. In fact, it is still a threat to all segments of society, at least those segments having sex or engaging in drug use via needles. Unfortunately, some segments of society seem to have forgotten just how serious this disease is and even the fact that it is still out there infecting people at a startling rate! Just twenty years ago-that's only two decades for you youngsters-HIV was feared by all. It seemed that HIV testing was being administered to everyone engaging in sexual activity-and rightfully so. Even before the rapid testing option, we were lining up on the street and taking this disease as seriously as it should have been taken-and still should be.

Before we care-free Americans became so laissez faire regarding HIV, it seems there were concerts and ribbons, and speeches made each and every day. There were the stars and the poster children, the make-you-cry human interest stories, the news flashes, and the multi-million dollar Hollywood blockbuster movies (with no less a star of Bruce Springsteen's magnitude belting out the sympathetic verses and choruses over the Philly street-hardened faux-beat box beats). It was a serious time, with serious-minded individuals galvanized over a serious disease. Hopefully, with the advent of rapid HIV testing more and more people will take it upon themselves to once again engage in testing.

What are the benefits of the rapid HIV testing procedure over the more common variety? The answers are many but seem obvious. The most important ones are the relief of all those stressful days wondering what your status is. (Anyone who is sick knows that stress is a contributing factor to making you sicker. Stress is never recommended for those who are ill in anyway.) Then there is the fact that treatment can only begin once your results are in. Hence, if your results are quicker to come in, the faster your treatment can begin-and the healthier you shall be.

What does a rapid HIV test consist of? Well, like other testing procedures, it begins with a simple pain-free blood test. The beauty of a rapid test is that the results are in during the same appointment. One face-to-face meeting with your doctor and you will finally know your status regarding HIV! Results from rapid testing are as accurate as with other methods. That is, over 99 percent accurate.