HIV screening test
Infection with the HI virus can only be ruled out 6 weeks after a risk situation. In the first 10–14 days after the risk situation, the HIV screening test may still be negative despite an infection. If the HIV screening test is positive, a second blood sample must be taken. Only if the HIV confirmation test from the second sample is positive is an HIV infection considered confirmed.
Lues screening test
Lues (syphilis) is a sexually transmitted disease and has an incubation period of 7–21 days. It can take up to 3 weeks or more from a risk situation to the onset of symptoms or until the laboratory tests are positive.
If symptoms are present and the syphilis tests are negative, the tests should be repeated in 1–2 weeks.
If a person has previously had syphilis, the screening test remains positive. In such cases, it is only possible to differentiate whether the patient currently has an active infection on the basis of the activity marker RPR.
Syphilis leaves no immunity. Reinfection can occur if the person comes into contact with the Treponema pallidum pathogen again.
Hepatitis C screening test
Hepatitis C is a viral infection in which liver cells in particular are destroyed. The most common complications are liver cirrhosis and liver carcinoma.
The hepatitis C virus (HCV) can be transmitted in various ways:
Intravenous drug use with syringe exchange, needle stick injury with contaminated blood, unprotected sexual intercourse (the risk is lower than with HIV) or birth if the mother is HCV-positive. In 30-40% of infected persons, however, the transmission route is unclear. The duration from infection to the outbreak of the disease is 2 weeks to 6 months.
The usual screening test for hepatitis C is the detection of HCV-lgG antibodies in the blood. However, it can take several weeks after infection before the test is positive. If the screening test is positive, further confirmatory tests must be carried out, e.g. HCV immunoblot or HCV RNA direct detection.
Chlamydia screening test
Chlamydia trachomatis is transmitted through unprotected sexual intercourse. The incubation period is not precisely defined and is usually one to several weeks.
If symptoms occur, a molecular biological test should be carried out using PCR (polymerase chain reaction). The first morning urine is best suited for this, as the concentration of chlamydia is highest in the morning.
Chlamydia trachomatis leaves no immunity. Re-infection can occur if the person comes into contact with Chlamydia trachomatis again.
Gonorrhea screening test
Gonorrhea is a sexually transmitted disease with an incubation period of 2–7 days. At the time of the onset of symptoms, molecular biological evidence of the gonococci can be provided by PCR (polymerase chain reaction).
If the test is carried out in urine, the first morning urine is best, as the concentration of gonococci is highest in the morning.
Gonorrhea does not leave any immunity. Reinfection can occur if the person comes into contact with gonococci again.
Mycoplasma genitalium screening test
Mycoplasma genitalium is considered to be the cause of both non-gonococcal urethritis NGU (inflammation of the urethra) in men and women and inflammation of the uterus or fallopian tubes in women. Transmission takes place via sexual intercourse.
Cultural detection takes several weeks and is therefore not suitable for routine diagnostics. Molecular biological detection using PCR (polymerase chain reaction) is very good, but not available in all laboratories.
We offer this analysis in our laboratory together with chlamydia and gonococcal PCR.