A California businessman, Larence Clare Greene, and two companies he owns have been charged with marketing medically useless HIV and hepatitis home test kits over the Internet. The products were reportedly sold as “confidential, safe, accurate, and easy to use,” but they had not been approved by the Food and Drug Administration.

The only legitimate home test kit currently being marketed is Home Access, sold over the phone and the Internet (http://www.HomeAccess.com) by an established “telemedicine” company. Unfortunately, the other such products withdrew from the market last year because of slow sales.

Of course, in Austin the better – and cheaper! – option is to contact the Austin-Travis County Health Department’s HIV testing unit at 708-3500. They offer testing at numerous sites all over town. Their service is accurate, they provide counseling, and the test can be just as anonymous as any home kit. And you don’t have to draw your own blood either! Give `em a call

– Sandy Bartlett, Community Information/Education Coordinator

AIDS Services of Austin

ASA Info Line: 458-AIDS

This article appears in April 17 • 1998 and April 17 • 1998 (Cover).

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