AIDS/HIV testing at home...
Moms View Message Board: The Kitchen Table (Debating Board): AIDS/HIV testing at home...
(10/26/05 - WASHINGTON) - Swab the inside of your mouth. Put that swab into a vial of test fluid, and 20 minutes later you'll learn whether you're infected with the virus that causes AIDS.
The OraQuick Advance test is already widely available in health clinics and doctors' offices. The Food and Drug Administration is considering permitting it to be sold over the counter.
Supporters of home kits say they will spur more people to get tested and get treatment sooner if infected. However, concerns have been raised about whether a doctor or counselor should be nearby when people find out they are HIV-positive.
If approved, the test would become the first FDA-approved test that a person can take without the presence of a health care worker, or the requirement of mailing a sample to a lab.
The maker, OraSure Technology of Bethlehem, Pa., has not decided how much it will charge consumers for the kit, said Ron Spair, the company's chief financial officer. The company sells the kits for between $12 and $17 to clinics and doctors, he said.
The test is accurate more than 99 percent of the time, Spair said. Still, a positive result from the test should be confirmed through an additional test by doctors or public health officials, he said.
To take the test, a person swabs the inside of his mouth, between his cheek and gum, picking up not saliva but cells lining the mouth. The user then inserts the swab into a vial of fluid that comes with the kit. Twenty minutes later, an indicator will light up if the test detects the presence of HIV-1 or HIV-2 antibodies.
Those antibodies become present in the body several weeks after a person acquires HIV; the test will not detect the virus if it was more recently acquired.
On Nov. 3, FDA's Blood Products Advisory Committee, will consider whether to recommend the product for over-the-counter sales. The FDA has the final say; it usually follows the advice of its advisory committees.
FDA briefing documents posted on the Internet said these kits could lead to more people knowing whether they have HIV, which could mean earlier treatment of the infection. People afraid or unwilling to take the test, particularly those without any symptoms, may more readily test themselves with a kit they can use privately.
"Knowing your status is critically important," Spair said. "We want to provide that opportunity to the broadest number of people possible."
But the documents also note concerns about someone learning they probably have HIV when they are alone, with no health professional or counselor nearby.
The kits are a good idea, said Terje Anderson, executive director of the National Association of People with AIDS. He said he doubts they will be as popular as at-home pregnancy test kits, suggesting most people who want an HIV test would prefer to be with a doctor. Their use may also depend on their price.
"Overall, I would say they are a step forward," he said. "Anything that helps more people learn their status is a good thing."
But the discovery one has HIV is "potentially traumatic," he said.
"There have got to be safeguards built in so they can get all the support they need," he said.
Spair said the company would work with FDA to develop instructions with the kit for someone who receives a positive result. He said he expects a telephone number and a web site address would be part of those instructions.
"We, together with the FDA, want to make sure that the infrastructure is in place so that folks on a 24-7 basis have access to counseling," he said.
Some companies market unapproved HIV tests for home use; the FDA says it is impossible to know if they are reliable.
One test, made by Home Access Health Corp., is approved for sale in the United States by the FDA. People taking this test must take a sample from themselves and mail it to a lab for testing.
About 1 million people in the United States are believed to have HIV. The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention estimates nearly 300,000 people have the virus but don't know it.
(Copyright 2005 by The Associated Press. All rights reserved.)
I don't agree with this, I can see how it would get more people to actually find out but I can also see how this can not be good. I know first hand how it feels to find this out and it's not something you want to find out sitting in your bathroom alone...
I know how **I** feel on this topic because I have it hit close to home BUT am interested to feel what the general public feels on this.
and yes this is somewhat of a confession for me I guess because I've always posted anonymously when I have talked about this a few times. I am the one who posted about needing prayers in my time of DX and of the anniversary of my rape.
I agree with you Christy, I don't think it is a good thing.
This is something that needs to be done in an office where medical professionals can be there to counsel you.
I think it is a great thing. I think there are lots of sexually active teens that would consider buying a test, but would never go to a doctor. I think the information probably should say, no to aids, or yes you need to see a doctor and rerun the test.
On a side funny note, how funny would it be on a one night stand to say, well only if you take this test first..LOL.
I also think it is a good thing. I can also see how it could be a bad thing, but most of all I think it is good. Kaye, the thought of a one night stand and teens etc. came into my mind too. I do think that it could give some a false sense of security to have sex and not be worried about it. Just because you test negative today doesn't mean you are. I believe it can take up to 6 months to show???
But, I also think some of those risks might be worth it for people to find out earlier and seek treatment earlier. I think it could help lots of people live better lives to find out earlier. People at risk might be more apt to test at home than to go to the doctor.
I think it is good. You can do it cheap in the privacy of your home or go to the doctor and do it. Soem doctors are worse that insensitive so I don't think they would help.
I think choice is good.
I don't agree with this method. When people find out they have this virus, they don't usually sit there calmly! The majority break down, freak out, cry histerically etc. I work with a man who does outreach and he has had a client walk straight out of a plate glass window after he delivered the news. This is a serious epidemic in out country and trust me when I say letting people know that they are positive for this virus is quite different then finding out your pregnant at home! This is emotionally devestating and we as humans need support when finding out this type of news. I can't even imagine a teenager home alone, finding out this information. HIV testing is free at clinics all around the U.S. and if you are 12 or older you can go and get tested without a parents consent.
As we know many people do not have insurance or a family doctor. I'm sure many people don't go to be tested for these reasons. Going to a clinic may be free but it is time consuming. Taking time
off of work or childcare, transportation can be issues.
I'm all for the home testing kit.
I also think it's a good thing. I think adults with insurance who want to be tested for AIDS/HIV will do so with thei doctor. Teens (a big one for me here) and people without insurance could benefit from this.
Are you sure testing is free? I only ask because when I was pregnant the first time had a first-time AIDS/HIV test myself, my insurance paid for it.
Deanna,
I am absolutely postive testing is FREE at many clinic's across the US. According to the CDC there are 264 clinics in Califorina alone that test for free. It is illegal for any clinic to turn you away because of financial circumstances! Everyone has the oppurtunity to find out. Its the law.
Thanks for the info Stori!
I have mixed feelings about this. All big cities and most counties/regions have free aids testing facilities - that is, you get tested and get the results and counseling for free. And I do think counseling is absolutely essential for many reasons. Even with today's medical treatments, this is still an incredibly devastating diagnosis, and no one should be alone or without counseling from someone who can give real, serious advice about what treatments are available, how to handle possible future sexual activity, and so on. And, a counselor will try to get the names of sexual contacts so they can be advised to get tested.
But, even though the testing is anonymous in most states, there are still a lot of people - I suspect especially young people - who won't go for the testing, for a lot of reasons that seem good to them (not the least of which is transportation outside of major population areas). For them, this kind of testing may be the only kind they are willing or able to manage. But I would be very worried about what would happen with a teenager, for example, who got a positive result on this test. In fact, I worry especially about teens in this situation, because I think they are the group most likely to do something drastically stupid if they got a positive diagnosis.
For me, this test comes in the category of "just because you can do something doesn't mean you should". I have very mixed feelings and don't know where I am going to come down on this.
Ditto Ginny.....
Though I feel that having such a test available *might* prompt some people to test themselves, the problem then becomes what happens after they get the results.
And what about false positives and negatives???? What actually happens in a clinic setting to confirm a proper diagnosis? Do they rerun tests to confirm a positive or negative?
My concern is that a young person would take their test at home, get a positive, and have no emotional support during what would probably be the worst moment in their lives. Then, what happnens *if* that's a false positive? What if they become suicidal? What happens if they have a false negative? They continue to spread the disease because of what is actually a false sense of security, or out of ignorance?
I'm on the fence with this one......and like Ginny, not sure where I'm going to land with it.
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