A new type of HIV test is being offered in San Diego County. Researchers hope that the new advancement in testing will not only help people who may test HIV-positive find out and seek treatment sooner, they also hope it will reduce the spread of HIV amongst those who are at higher risk.

The Procleix test, known as “The Early Test,” essentially closes the window on the “window period,” by detecting the actual virus and not antibodies, which can take up to six weeks to become detectable.

“This is important for people to know because this is also the time when they are the most infectious and have the greatest likelihood of giving the infection to someone else,” said Dr. Davey Smith, at the Antiviral Research Center for University of California San Diego.

Recent estimates say that letting someone know they may be infected during this time can keep one to three other people from being infected, according to Smith.

“It also is good for the person to know since they may want to start treatment early or at least know how their immune system is handling the new infection,” he said.

The test is being offered for free at four sites in the San Diego region as part of a joint research effort by UCSD’s Antiviral Research Center and the county’s Health and Human Services Agency. Typically, the procedure would cost about $20 per person.

Health experts launched the Procleix research program in San Diego County about a year ago at The Center. They recently broadened the project to two other clinics, in addition to the Antiviral Research Center, thanks to a state grant of about $150,000. Researchers are considering additional testing sites.

“We want this to be the testing of the future and this cutting edge testing program is only available a few places in the U.S.,” said Jack Degnan, outreach and education manager at UCSD.

Degnan said the goal is to gauge whether the Early Test program can be offered successfully at clinics throughout California.

Similar strategies using Procleix are already in place at clinics in Los Angeles and San Francisco counties, as well as Seattle and North Carolina, and have shown great results as part of a pilot project funded by the federal Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.

Researchers said that San Diego is an excellent place to evaluate a program like the Early Test, because the community has a long track record of participating in similar research programs.

According to health experts, there are many published studies showing that it is up to 12 times easier to transmit HIV when the source partner is very recently infected, especially in the “window” period. “This is because the viral load in the person is extremely high – higher than at any other time,” Smith said.

Research by investigators at UCSD has shown that just by letting someone know that they are infected with HIV, they are more likely be more careful and protect their partners through using condoms and self-disclosure.

“Mathematical modeling has shown that this change in behavior can on average keep two new people from being infected in the first year,” Smith added.

Historically, more than half of people who test HIV-positive do not return for their results, according to test counselors at Family Health Centers of San Diego. This has greatly been reduced with the use of rapid HIV testing where people get their results within 20-30 minutes. Health officials want to make the Early Test as user-friendly as possible.

The Early Test is also unique because people who test can obtain test results online or by phone.

“This is an important part of the Early Test paradigm,” Smith said, explaining that the viral load testing is offered in conjunction with antibody testing.

To do this, every person who receives an Early Test is first tested with a standard rapid test. During this process the client receives pre- and post-test counseling with their rapid HIV test results.

“Since we do not have this same turn around time for results with the Early Test, if someone is found to have HIV infection in the ‘window’ period, then we want them to know right away, so time is of the essence. Therefore, the Early Test requires confidential testing, not anonymous testing, where we collect contact information so the person can be notified right away,” Smith said.

This contact information is confidential and is only used to contact someone who is positive on the Early Test, or if the test needs to be re-run. If someone has a negative Early Test, officials want them to be able to obtain the information as easily as possible either through the secure voicemail or Web-based service.

While the program is a research project, officials said that early results look like it will be an important public health strategy to keep our community healthy and decrease HIV transmissions.

“Hopefully, the Early Test will help more people know their true HIV status so they can take better care of themselves and their partners,” Smith concluded.