Skip to main content

First At-Home HIV Test




The FDA has approved the first at-home, over-the-counter HIV test, which could potentially inform thousands of Americans about their HIV status.

The OraQuick In-Home HIV Test can detect antibodies of the virus from a saliva sample. It can provide results without a laboratory in 20 to 40 minutes.

About 1.2 million people in the U.S. are infected with HIV, and an estimated 20% of those infected are unaware that they are HIV-positive, according to the CDC.

The outcome of the test isn't definite or absolute, especially when exposure may have been within the past three months. Clinical studies expect one in 12 tests to read a false negative and one in 5,000 tests to read a false positive. At an FDA Advisory Committee meeting in May, officials said they thought an additional 45,000 people would learn they have HIV through the test.

FDA officials said the test will offer a different testing method for many unknowingly HIV-positive Americans that are unlikely to get tested at clinics and other screening centers.

"The availability of a home-use HIV test kit provides another option for individuals to get tested so that they can seek medical care, if appropriate," Karen Midthun, MD, director of the FDA's Center for Biologics Evaluation and Research, says in a news release.

An estimated 50,000 Americans are infected with HIV each year, and the resulting AIDS condition claims 14,000 lives annually, according to the CDC.

The test is made by OraSure Technologies and will be available in October. The company will have a consumer support center available to help users with using the kit and understanding the results. Although no price has been set, a company official said in May that he expected the price to be lower than $60.

Comments

Post a Comment

Popular posts from this blog

Final lunar eclipse of 2010 set for early morning of December 21

Skygazers hoping to catch the last lunar eclipse of 2010 on Tuesday morning best be ready to stay up late (or wake up very early) to watch the full moon as it goes through a range of dramatic color changes. The December 21 lunar eclipse is expected to last about three-and-a-half hours from its start as a partial eclipse at 1:33 a.m. ET to its finish at 5:01 a.m. ET, according to NASA. The previous lunar eclipse occurred June 26 . During a lunar eclipse, the moon, the Earth, and the sun align so that the sun's rays are shielded from the moon. An eclipse of the moon can only take place if the moon is full, and only if the moon passes through some portion of Earth's shadow, which is composed of two cone-shaped parts, one nested inside the other. The start of the total eclipse is expected around 2:41 a.m, when the entire moon passes through the Earth's umbra, or inner shadow, which blocks all direct sunlight from reaching the moon. The moon will tak...
Post a Comment
Read more

Hand, Foot and Mouth Disease (HFMD) and Onychomadesis

  Introduction Nails are underutilized as diagnostic tools, despite being involved in many dermatologic conditions. This paper explores new concepts in the treatment of median nail dystrophy (MND), onychomycosis, and the nail pathology of hand, foot, and mouth disease (HFMD). A Pubmed database literature search was conducted for MND treatment, onychomycosis treatment, and HFMD nail pathology. Only papers published after January 2008 were reviewed. The results showed that 0.1% tacrolimus ointment can be an effective treatment for MND. Early studies on laser therapy indicate that it is a safe and efficacious treatment option for onychomycosis, compared to conventional oral antifungal agents. Vicks VapoRub (The Proctor & Gamble Company, Cincinnati, OH) is effective against onychomycosis and is a reasonable option in patients who choose to forgo conventional treatments. Lastly, there is evidence to support a correlation between HFMD and onychomadesis. ...
Post a Comment
Read more

How to Detect Lies

Become a Lie Detector    Warning: sometimes ignorance is bliss; after gaining this knowledge, you may be hurt when it is obvious that someone is lying to you. Introduction to Detecting Lies: The following techniques to telling if someone is lying are often used by police and security experts. This knowledge is also useful for managers, employers, and for anyone to use in everyday situations where telling the truth from a lie can help prevent you from being a victim of fraud/scams and other deceptions. Signs of Deception: Body Language of Lies: • Physical expression will be limited and stiff, with few arm and hand movements. Hand, arm and leg movement are toward their own body the liar takes up less space. • A person who is lying to you will avoid making eye contact. • Hands touching their face, throat & mouth. Touching or scratching the nose or behind their ear. No...
Post a Comment
Read more