The Food and Drug Administration has approved an at-home HIV test that produces immediate results, the first of its kind.
The OraQuick test allows users to swab their mouths for a saliva sample and have the results of the test in 20-40 minutes. There are at-home tests on the market but they require the DNA sample to mailed to a lab rather than giving testers immediate results.
This could be considered a victory for the fight against HIV/AIDS, but there are setbacks. The test has been proven to have a 99 percent accuracy rate when administered by medical professionals, however, this could change in the hands of a consumer. According to the New York Times, while a false positive test is rare, around 1 in 5,000, a false negative could be very common, as little as a 1 in 12 rate. The FDA suggests people that receive positive tests should visit a doctor for confirmation.
The test will be available in pharmacies, grocery stores and online by October and only people age 17 years or older will be able to purchase it due to a low number of teens being tested using the device. The test costs $17.50 for medical professionals now but is projected to go up when it is placed on the market. The Oraquick company says the price will still be relatively inexpensive.
