Tuesday, July 10, 2012

FDA Approves First At-Home HIV Test

This past May an FDA advisory panel unanimously approved a test for HIV that people can perform at home. Relatively easy to use, the at-home test could greatly increase the number of people being tested for HIV, and thus enable treatment for many who would otherwise remain undiagnosed. The test, called OraQuick and made by Pennsylvania-based OraSure Technologies, works by detecting antibodies generated as part of the body’s response to HIV-1 or HIV2 viruses. A testing stick includes a flat pad at the end which the user uses to swab the upper and lower gums. The pad is then placed in a developer vial for 20 to 40 minutes after which, like a pregnancy test, one or two lines are formed: one line is negative, two lines indicates the presence of antibodies to HIV-1 and/or HIV-2.