Important note: Information in this article was accurate in 2004. The state of the art may have changed since the publication date.
Mail & Guardian (Johannesburg) -April 2, 2004
Rapid testing: The United States Food and Drug Administration has approved the use of oral fluid samples with a rapid HIV diagnostic test kit that provides screening results with more than 99% accuracy in as little as 20 minutes. Until now, all rapid HIV tests required the use of blood.
"Before the approval of this rapid test ... many people being tested for HIV in public clinics did not return for the results of standard tests," said Department of Health and Human Services Secretary Tommy G Thompson. "Where the rapid test is available, those tested get their results within minutes."
To perform the test the device, which has an exposed absorbent pad at one end, is swabbed around the gums. The device is then inserted into a vial containing a solution. In as little as 20 minutes, the device will indicate if HIV-1 antibodies are present in the solution by displaying two reddish-purple lines in a small window.
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