NEW DELHI: Now, HIV can be tested in the privacy of your home.
The U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) approved on Wednesday the first over-the-counter HIV test kit that allows people to try at home to see if infected with the virus that causes AIDS.
The Home OraQuick HIV test is designed to allow people to collect a sample of oral fluid, by cleaning the upper and lower gums inside your mouth, then place showing in a bottle of developer and obtain test results within 20-40 minutes.
However, a positive test result does not mean that a person is infected with HIV definitely, but that additional testing should be done in a medical center to confirm the result.
Similarly, a negative result does not definitely mean that a person is not infected with HIV, particularly when exposure may have been in the past three months.
The FDA says the test has the potential to identify a large number of HIV infections not previously diagnosed, especially if used by unlikely to use standard methods of detection.
"Knowing the state is an important factor in the effort to prevent the spread of HIV," said Karen Midthun, director of the FDA Center for Biologics Evaluation and Research. "The availability of a test kit for HIV household provides another option for people to get tested so they can receive medical attention, if necessary."
However, India is not going to allow home testing of this deadly infection. India's National AIDS Control Organization (NACO), told TOI that counsel patients before and after undergoing the tests is of vital importance.
"If patients are testing HIV positive at home, without guidance, you can push them to suffer from severe depression, commit suicide or do lead to violence if women are found to be positive. About 35% of all new cases HIV in India are among women in India. These home testing kits can be allowed in countries with high infection rates in the general population and not in India where the epidemic is concentrated in high-risk populations as sex workers, "said the official national ART Dr. BB Rewari in Naco.
Union health ministry officials said at present about 10,000 centers in India to advise people who carry out an HIV test. In 2011, an estimated 1.6 million people tested for HIV. Around 2.31 million people are estimated to be HIV positive in India.
"Of these, 40% did not know they are infected. Our advice is vital. We say to those who get tested are HIV positive and how to lead a healthy life, how they will connect with health care, support and treatment services, put them in the nutritional support and prevent further spread of the virus, "added Dr. Rewari.
Dr. Sandhya Kabra of Naco, he said, when a patient is found to be HIV positive, the test repeated two more times to confirm the results.
"If a negative result, the test is repeated. However, if the test is positive, repeat the test for further confirmation. Testing without counseling can make a patient to take drastic measures," said Dr. Kabra.
The U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) approved on Wednesday the first over-the-counter HIV test kit that allows people to try at home to see if infected with the virus that causes AIDS.
The Home OraQuick HIV test is designed to allow people to collect a sample of oral fluid, by cleaning the upper and lower gums inside your mouth, then place showing in a bottle of developer and obtain test results within 20-40 minutes.
However, a positive test result does not mean that a person is infected with HIV definitely, but that additional testing should be done in a medical center to confirm the result.
Similarly, a negative result does not definitely mean that a person is not infected with HIV, particularly when exposure may have been in the past three months.
The FDA says the test has the potential to identify a large number of HIV infections not previously diagnosed, especially if used by unlikely to use standard methods of detection.
"Knowing the state is an important factor in the effort to prevent the spread of HIV," said Karen Midthun, director of the FDA Center for Biologics Evaluation and Research. "The availability of a test kit for HIV household provides another option for people to get tested so they can receive medical attention, if necessary."
However, India is not going to allow home testing of this deadly infection. India's National AIDS Control Organization (NACO), told TOI that counsel patients before and after undergoing the tests is of vital importance.
"If patients are testing HIV positive at home, without guidance, you can push them to suffer from severe depression, commit suicide or do lead to violence if women are found to be positive. About 35% of all new cases HIV in India are among women in India. These home testing kits can be allowed in countries with high infection rates in the general population and not in India where the epidemic is concentrated in high-risk populations as sex workers, "said the official national ART Dr. BB Rewari in Naco.
Union health ministry officials said at present about 10,000 centers in India to advise people who carry out an HIV test. In 2011, an estimated 1.6 million people tested for HIV. Around 2.31 million people are estimated to be HIV positive in India.
"Of these, 40% did not know they are infected. Our advice is vital. We say to those who get tested are HIV positive and how to lead a healthy life, how they will connect with health care, support and treatment services, put them in the nutritional support and prevent further spread of the virus, "added Dr. Rewari.
Dr. Sandhya Kabra of Naco, he said, when a patient is found to be HIV positive, the test repeated two more times to confirm the results.
"If a negative result, the test is repeated. However, if the test is positive, repeat the test for further confirmation. Testing without counseling can make a patient to take drastic measures," said Dr. Kabra.
No comments:
Post a Comment