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In-Home HIV Testing Kit Given Final Approval By FDA |
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Written by Instinct Staff |
Tuesday, 03 July 2012
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| Tags: oraquick, orasure, in home, hiv testing, kit, receives, final, fda, approval, health |
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We'll be swabbing our mouths with even more things in the privacy of our own homes thanks to the FDA's just-announced approval of the OraQuick in-home HIV testing kit.
Reads the press release delivering the FDA's approval (with some caveats):
The OraQuick In-Home HIV Test is designed to allow individuals to collect an oral fluid sample by swabbing the upper and lower gums inside of their mouths, then place that sample into a developer vial, and obtain test results within 20 to 40 minutes. A positive result with this test does not mean that an individual is definitely infected with HIV, but rather that additional testing should be done in a medical setting to confirm the test result. Similarly, a negative test result does not mean that an individual is definitely not infected with HIV, particularly when exposure may have been within the previous three months. The test has the potential to identify large numbers of previously undiagnosed HIV infections, especially if used by those unlikely to use standard screening methods.
The product has remained controversial due to the possibilities of false positives/negatives and the lack of trained counselors on hand in case of psychological overwhelming by individuals obtaining unexpected results. Still, the company insists the benefits of bringing HIV testing to the masses of folks who might avoid going into a clinic outweigh those rare risks.
Now that OraQuick is a reality soon to hit store drugstore and online shelves, what do you think about the product, Instincters?
(Via JoeMyGod)
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