(BW) Home Access Health Issues First Published Account of National HIV Seroprevalence and Demographic Data Among Home Test Users; Data suggests that HIV at-home testing is used by people at risk for HIV and first time testers

BUSINESS WIRE; Monday, December 1, 1997.

HOFFMAN ESTATES, Ill.--(BW HealthWire)--Dec. 1, 1997-- The first published account of national HIV seroprevalence and demographic data among home test users was issued today by Home Access Health Corporation, the only company that provides an over-the-counter, FDA approved HIV at-home test available nationwide in more than 22,000 drugstores. Reviewed by the US Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), the Home Access HIV Counseling and Testing Report is the first report to provide consistent tracking of HIV demographics, risk assessments, and test outcomes in all 50 states.

Data included in the Report found that 57 percent of people using HIV at-home tests had never been tested before and 0.9 percent of people tested positive for HIV, the virus that causes AIDS. The CDC currently estimates overall national HIV seroprevalence to be 0.3 percent.(1)

"This Report shows that for many people HIV at-home testing is an accurate and convenient alternative for people who want to take control of their personal health and well-being, regardless of their exposure to HIV," noted Dr. Allan Frank, medical director for Home Access Health.

Home Access clients who tested HIV positive and reported demographic information: 80 percent were 25 to 44 years old; 68 percent were Caucasian; 17 percent were African-American; 12 percent were Hispanic; less than 0.1 percent were Asian; less than 0.1 percent were Native American, and; 2 percent reported "Other." Eighty-four percent reported being male and 16 percent reported being female. In addition, among Home Access clients who provided information regarding exposure, 24 percent were heterosexual males and females and 28 percent were homosexual males. The exposure most often reported by people who tested HIV positive was a history of bisexual encounters 38 percent.

Cleared by the FDA in July 1996, Home Access(R) HIV tests are anonymous and allow people to test for HIV from the privacy of their own home. Home Access testing requires users to telephone for recorded pre-test counseling, offers the opportunity to speak with a trained counselor, and asks users to provide demographic and risk behavior information using an automated telephone response system. Counselors and referrals to physicians and social service organizations are available for users 24 hours a day, 7 days a week.

Home Access HIV testing is clinically proven to be greater than 99.9% accurate and runs the same tests used by doctors and hospitals.(2)

The data included in the Report consists of demographic data collected by Home Access Health from August 1996 through September 1997.

"It is our hope that this Report will provide public health officials useful new data on patterns on HIV infection," said Michael G. Wandell, Pharm.D. vice-president and chief scientific officer for Home Access Health Corporation.

Complete information regarding demographic data, exposure to HIV, test outcomes, and pre- and post-test counseling can be found in the Home Access HIV Counseling and Testing Report.

Single copies of the Home Access HIV Counseling and Testing Report are available from Home Access Health Corporation, 2401 West Hassell Road, Hoffman Estates, Illinois, 60195; telephone 1-800-HIV-TEST. Internet users may view an electronic copy of the Report by visiting Home Access Health's home page at http://www.homeaccess.com.

Home Access Health, the leader in telemedicine, provides fast and convenient at-home medical testing and consultation. The Home Access(R) Express(TM) HIV Test System (results in 3 business days) and Home Access(R) HIV Test System (results in about a week) are available by mail by calling 1-800-HIV-TEST and are carried in more than 22,000 retail drugstores and drug wholesale distributors throughout the US, including: AmeriSource, Bindley Western, Bergen Brunswig, Brooks, Cardinal Health, CVS Corporation, Dominick's, Duane Reade, Eckerd Drug, Farmcias El Mal, Genovese, Giant Eagle, Kroger, Longs Drug Stores, McKesson Drug Company, Osco, Phar-Mor, Revco, Rite Aid, Sav-On, Thrifty PayLess, Walgreens, and Wal-Mart.

For more information regarding Home Access Health and its products, please contact Kevin Johnson at (847)781-2504.

footnotes: (1) Prevalence of HIV Infection in the United States, 1984-1992,

John M. Karon, et al., JAMA, July 10, 1996, Col. 276, No. 2

(2) Anonymous HIV Testing Using Home Collection and Telemedicine

Counseling, A.P. Frank, et. al., Archives of Internal Medicine, Vol. 157, Feb. 10, 1997

Contact: Home Access Health Kevin Johnson, 847/781-2504 kj@homeaccess.com

Copyright (c) 1997/BUSINESS WIRE. Reproduced with permission. Reproduction of this article (other than one copy for personal reference) must be cleared through the Permissions Desk, Business Wire, 1185 Avenue of the Americas, 3rd Floor, New York, NY 10036; Tel: (212) 575-8822; FAX: (212) 575-1854.
971201
BW971201

Copyright © 1997 - Business Wire. All rights reserved. Reproduced with permission. Reproduction of this article (other than one copy for personal reference) must be cleared through the Business Wire, Permissions Desk, Business Wire, 1185 Avenue of the Americas, 3rd Floor, New York, NY 10036; Tel: (212) 575-8822; FAX: (212) 575-1854. http://www.businesswire.com.

AEGiS is a 501(c)3, not-for-profit, tax-exempt, educational corporation. AEGiS is made possible through unrestricted funding from Broadway Cares/Equity Fights AIDS, Elton John AIDS Foundation, the National Library of Medicine, Pacific Life Foundation and donations from users like you.

Always watch for outdated information. This article first appeared in 1997. This material is designed to support, not replace, the relationship that exists between you and your doctor.

AEGiS presents published material, reprinted with permission and neither endorses nor opposes any material. All information contained on this website, including information relating to health conditions, products, and treatments, is for informational purposes only. It is often presented in summary or aggregate form. It is not meant to be a substitute for the advice provided by your own physician or other medical professionals. Always discuss treatment options with a doctor who specializes in treating HIV.

Copyright ©1980, 1997. AEGiS. All materials appearing on AEGiS are protected by copyright as a collective work or compilation under U.S. copyright and other laws and are the property of AEGiS, or the party credited as the provider of the content. .