HIV self-test kits could save lives
Kits for self-testing at home go on sale today and could help pick up thousands who are infected but do not know it
SELF-TEST kits for HIV – available in France for the first time today – could help detect some 30,000 people who are thought to be HIV-positive without having had it confirmed.
Health charities have welcomed the move, as they say people who are HIV-positive without having been tested are failing to get treatment they need and also at risk of infecting others.
The kits allow someone to test themselves in a quarter of an hour. They involve a finger prick to take some blood, which is then dropped into a liquid in a small pot.
A few minutes later a piece of reactive paper is dipped in the pot – if a line appears on it the person is not infected but if two lines appear then they are.
The tests are said to be very reliable, but only if done at least three months after becoming infected.
Packs are stamped with information including the freephone, 24-hour helpline at Sida Info Service, available for anyone who finds they are HIV-positive and needs advice (0800 840 800).
The kits cost €25-28 and are not reimbursable. People are being advised not to buy tests over the internet, unless via the site of a pharmacy, as unreliable, cheap versions are already on sale.
Photo: AAZ
