HIV Self Test: WHO & FDA Approved OraQuick In-Home HIV Test

The severity of the symptoms and outcomes of HIV infection largely depends upon the time gap between the infection and correct diagnosis of the infection. According to WHO, controlling the progression of the disease and prevention of secondary infections associated with HIV can be limited by timely diagnosis and treatment of HIV/AIDS.

WHO recommends that each and every one of us in the age group of 13-64 years must be regularly tested for HIV. The HIV self tests are an effective and easy method to do so at home without the need of visiting hospitals and pathological laboratories.

According to a recently published report in the Healthline, OraQuick in-home HIV test is an efficient method of HIV testing, approved by the FDA for general public use. The test kit is available in drugstores and pharmacies and one can easily buy them if one is 17 years or above.

The test procedure is very simple to execute. One can just have a swab from the inside of the mouth and place the swab in a tube containing the developing solution. Development of one line means negative result, while two lines mean positive result. The entire procedure takes around 20-40 minutes. If the test gives positive result, then a further confirmation test is recommended under the supervision of a practicing physician.

In addition to OraQuick, some other HIV self tests viz Home Access HIV-1 Test System, BioSure HIV Self Test and Autotest VIH are also approved by the FDA or are designed according to the European quality standards (CE marking). The viability and dependability of these HIV self tests were screened by a team of French scientists under the leadership of Thierry Prazuck. The results were recently published in the PLOS ONE journal and suggest that the test results are correctly interpreted in 98 percent to 99 percent of the total cases and are very dependable for general public use.

As per CDC, these HIV self tests are highly recommended for regular screening of HIV infections in people who are the most susceptible to HIV infection, such as people who have unprotected sex with multiple partners, drug addicts, sex workers, etc. An early diagnosis significantly increases the chances of controlling the infection and preventing its further transmission to healthy individuals.