Instant result home testing.

[Edinburgh Rob]

Hi all,
I work for a HIV charity in Edinburgh, UK. The U.K. is about to legalise the sale of instant result home testing kits, like the OraQuick test that is already legal in the US. I wonder if anyone has experience of using one of the tests? or knows someone that does?  I would be really interested to hear about peoples experience of using them.

Apologies if this is the wrong place to post.

[Jeff G]

Welcome to the forums Rob . We had a spirited debate about the test when it was approved here in the states . You can read about here ...

http://forums.poz.com/index.php?topic=43379.0

And here

http://forums.poz.com/index.php?topic=44132.0;all

If you are not HIV positive please only post in this one thread . Thanks . 
 

[tednlou2]

While waiting, I spoke with someone at my HIV doc, who learned he was poz by using it.  He said he wouldn't have tested any other way, because he was so uncomfortable asking his doctor.  He said he wouldn't test in the HIV testing van at the Pride Parade/festival either.  He said he also wanted to find out on his own, so he could make health and life insurance arrangements, before it became official. 

He went on to say it was taking all he had to even discuss it with me.  I had seen him before, and I said hello.  At that time, he wouldn't even reply.  We happened to have a few appointments there at the same time, so I guess he got more comfortable with me.  So, he says the home test saved him from ending up in the hospital very ill.  He got the result and took action to get into care. 

So, I think they are great tools.  With the approval of the quick test that can tell whether even a very newly infected person is poz, I look forward to that being made available for home use.  That should remove the uncertainty whether someone is still in the window period and believing they are neg, when they are indeed poz. 

Edited for missing word

[Ann]

With the approval of the quick test that can tell whether even a very newly infected person is poz, I look forward to that being made available for home use. 

What test are you talking about? Is it the 4th generation, hiv 1&2 + p24 antigen test? If so, it's been in use for a few years now, but it can still miss a poz result in the first weeks. I can't see it being approved for home use in the foreseeable future.

At this point in time there are no true short-cuts to hiv testing.

[tednlou2]

What test are you talking about? Is it the 4th generation, hiv 1&2 + p24 antigen test? If so, it's been in use for a few years now, but it can still miss a poz result in the first weeks. I can't see it being approved for home use in the foreseeable future.

At this point in time there are no true short-cuts to hiv testing.

Hmmm... I'm confused, because the news of this test being approved came just this August.  Am I missing something, which wouldn't be the first time?  Was it already in use across the pond? 

http://www.fda.gov/newsevents/newsroom/pressannouncements/ucm364480.htm