Important note: Information in this article was accurate in 2005. The state of the art may have changed since the publication date.
November 19, 2005
Despite widely available testing, about a quarter of the Americans who are infected with H.I.V. still don't know it. That will no doubt change when the Food and Drug Administration approves a quick over-the-counter AIDS test for home use. No company has yet filed for approval of such a test. But exploratory hearings conducted recently by the F.D.A. suggest that such a request may be filed soon.
Some AIDS outreach workers are wary. They believe that people who test positive should hear the news from counselors, who can cushion the shock, direct them to medical care and explain the precautions that are needed to avoid infecting others.
That would clearly be ideal. But it has long been clear that many people who suspect that they have been infected do not feel comfortable walking into AIDS clinics -- or even confiding in family doctors. An over-the-counter AIDS test is the ideal tool for reaching them, as well as large numbers of others who don't know they are infected. The F.D.A. must naturally make sure that any proposed products are reliable and appropriate for use by untrained people. But once that's clear, the agency should swiftly certify a home-use test.
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