US approves over-the-counter HIV home testing kit

The United States announced Tuesday that it had authorized the first over-the-counter home testing kit for HIV, the virus that leads to acquired immune deficiency syndrome (AIDS). Under the testing procedure, the OraQuick In-Home HIV test kit will allow purchasers to collect an oral fluid sample by swabbing the upper and lower gums inside of their mouths, the Food and Drug Administration (FDA) announced. The sample is placed into the kit’s developer vial and results should be available within 20 to 40 minutes. The FDA noted that a positive result from the test does not mean a person is definitely infected with HIV (human immunodeficiency virus), but rather that an additional test should be done in a medical setting to confirm the 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 FDA said...