<h3>HIV Testing and Follow-up Care</h3>

One of the most successful prevention methods of the Human Immunodeficiency Virus (HIV) is testing. HIV affects 1.2 million people in the United States with 50,000 new cases diagnosed per year (CDC, 2014). Since there is still a significant amount of new cases each year, focus has been on making different populations aware of their status. Why is the status of HIV important in preventing the spread of HIV? 97% of the population that know their HIV status take precautions and do not transmit the virus (Holtgrave, Maulsby, Wehrmeyer, & Hall, 2012).

        Copyright 2015 by the FDA

According to the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services (2015), 20% of the HIV infected population are unaware of their status. The first step of preventing the spread of HIV is testing. Testing can be done in several ways. In 2003, the Federal Drug Administration (FDA, 2015) approved a self-testing kit called OraQuick. One reason the risk population use the self-testing kit is because it can be purchased at several different retail stores or online and used in the privacy of their home. The test is purchased for approximately $30-$40 and results can be read in 20-40 minutes (FDA, 2015).

The test requires several easy steps. According to the FDA (2015), a sample of fluid is taken from the mouth by a swab provided in the kit. Once the swab is saturated with fluid, place the swab in the developing solution. Wait 20-40 minutes or until results appear. One line signifies a negative result and two lines signify the presence of antibodies to the HIV virus in the saliva. The last step in the process is to receive a confirmation laboratory test at a local physician’s office.

If the test appears to be positive the participant can call the OraQuick counseling center which is available 24 hours per day and also assists in referring to an Infectious Disease Specialist (FDA, 2015) for confirmation of testing and care. According to the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services (DHHS, 2015), the population should be tested at least once in their lifetime and the high-risk population should be screened at least yearly.

Written by B. Gustavus

References

Holtgrave, D., Maulsby, C., Wehrmeyer, L., & Hall, H. (2012). Behavioral factors in assessing impact of HIV treatment as prevention. AIDS Behavior, 16, 1085-1091. http://dx.doi.org/10.1007/s10461-012-0186-1

U.S. Food and Drug Administration. (2015, January 16). First rapid home-use HIV kit approved for self-testing. Retrieved from

http://www.fda.gov/ForConsumers/ConsumerUpdates/ucm310545.htm

U.S. Department of Health and Human Services (2015, January 15). HIV/AIDS care continuum. Retrieved from https://www.aids.gov/federal-resources/policies/care-continuum/