About AIDS
By Sandy Bartlett, Fri., Dec. 6, 2002
FDA Approves Rapid HIV Test -- Finally!
The Federal Drug Administration has approved OraQuick, a rapid HIV antibody test kit that provides results in 20 minutes, made by OraSure, which also makes the HIV test performed with a swab from the mouth. The new rapid test is just as accurate as any other testing technique, at 99.6% accuracy. The test could theoretically be done just about anywhere, as it needs no refrigeration or special equipment.
A blood drop from a fingerstick is put in a vial with a developing solution; the test stick is inserted, and in about 20 minutes, two reddish lines will appear on the device if the test is HIV1-positive. A Western Blot confirmation should still be done if the result is positive. However, this quick result is an easy way to reach high-risk people who might never visit a health clinic or return to one to collect their results. Each year, about 30% of persons tested don't come back to get their answer, including about 8,000 HIV-positive people.
It's an antibody test, not a virus test, so a person still needs to wait the usual 3-month window -- the period since the last risky behavior -- to be sure of accurate results.
Of course, the new procedure has its naysayers. Some counselors, in particular, fear that inadequately trained people will not give the kind of counseling needed for connecting to care or to change behavior. That's possible; still, getting an HIV result quickly should remove enough barriers that the net impact on public health is a good one.
Now the FDA should approve the waiver to let other professionals, like social workers, administer the test, too.
