WHAT IS VIRAL SCREENING?
Viral screens are a set of blood tests performed in order to rule out certain viruses, including HIV, Hepatitis B&C. These are infectious diseases that can have long-term effects on individuals if infected.
It is a legal requirement that all fertility clinics perform viral screens for patients where we are procuring or storing their tissues and cells to ensure that we are protecting all patients’ tissues and cells from infection.
HOW LONG DOES THE TEST TAKE?
The viral screening is a simple blood test and your appointment with the nurse is normally scheduled for a 15-minute slot.
These blood tests are typically valid for two years
WHERE IS IT CARRIED OUT?
We carry out these tests on site in your ReproMed clinic. We have to send these tests to an approved, ISO and INAB accredited laboratory therefore, in most cases, we are unable to accept results of these tests performed elsewhere.
HOW LONG DOES IT TAKE TO GET MY RESULTS?
We typically have the results within two working days, although sometimes there is a need for our laboratory to refer the tests to the main Irish National Reference Laboratory. This does not necessarily mean that one of your test results is positive for one of these viruses, but typically it means that the result from the sample was inconclusive, so a different test needs to be run.
