Over-the-Counter HIV Test to be Released
- Author:
- Al Jazeera English
- Publisher:
- Al Jazeera English
- Publication Date:
- 4 July 2012
- Tags:
- Africa, HIV-Aids and STDs, Sustainable Development, Science and Biotechnology, United States, Canada and Africa
The first ever over-the-counter home testing kit for HIV has been approved for use in the United States. The kit is already being used by health professionals in the US at a cost of $17.50.
According to the manufacturer, the over-the-counter version, which will be released in October, could cost as much as $60. The company behind the home-kit says making the test easier for people to be checked for the virus could help lower the rate at which AIDS is spread. The test has an accuracy rate of 92 percent, which means one in twelve people will get the wrong result.
Al Jazeera's Erica Wood reports.
