CONTACTStaffCAREER OPPORTUNITIESADVERTISE WITH USPRIVACY POLICYPRIVACY PREFERENCESTERMS OF USELEGAL NOTICE
© 2024 Pride Publishing Inc.
All Rights reserved
All Rights reserved
By continuing to use our site, you agree to our Private Policy and Terms of Use.
An advisory panel for the Food and Drug Administration is scheduled to meet on November 3 to consider making the OraQuick rapid HIV antibody test available for over-the-counter purchase and home use, The New York Times reports. The test, called the OraQuick Advance Rapid HIV 1/2 Antibody Test, can produce results in about 20 minutes from oral samples. The tests are currently available only to doctors, HIV clinics, and AIDS service organizations that conduct street-level testing programs, but the FDA panel is expected to recommend that they be available directly to consumers.
The test is simple to use, says developer OraSure Technologies. Users swab their gums and place the swab in a holder. After 20 minutes, one line will appear on the holder if the test is negative for HIV infection, and two lines if the test result is positive. Its ease of use makes it ideal for home use by adults who may be too nervous to seek testing from their doctors or an HIV clinic or are afraid of the stigma associated with possibly receiving positive test results at a public testing facility, proponents say. At-home testing also could help identify the estimated one third of Americans who are HIV-positive but unaware they're infected.
But many AIDS advocates and health officials say at-home testing could be dangerous because there is no counseling component involved, and those who test positive may panic and possibly attempt suicide with no one there to talk with them about their results and their options for treatment and support.
OraSure president Douglas Michels says the company would include any FDA-recommended advice about counseling on the product's label--including referrals to a 24-hour counseling center, a hotline number, Internet support, and printed material--if it were approved for over-the-counter sales. (Advocate.com)
Want more breaking equality news & trending entertainment stories?
Check out our NEW 24/7 streaming service: the Advocate Channel!
Download the Advocate Channel App for your mobile phone and your favorite streaming device!
From our Sponsors
Most Popular
Here Are Our 2024 Election Predictions. Will They Come True?
November 07 2023 1:46 PM
17 Celebs Who Are Out & Proud of Their Trans & Nonbinary Kids
November 30 2023 10:41 AM
Here Are the 15 Most LGBTQ-Friendly Cities in the U.S.
November 01 2023 5:09 PM
Which State Is the Queerest? These Are the States With the Most LGBTQ+ People
December 11 2023 10:00 AM
These 27 Senate Hearing Room Gay Sex Jokes Are Truly Exquisite
December 17 2023 3:33 PM
10 Cheeky and Homoerotic Photos From Bob Mizer's Nude Films
November 18 2023 10:05 PM
42 Flaming Hot Photos From 2024's Australian Firefighters Calendar
November 10 2023 6:08 PM
These Are the 5 States With the Smallest Percentage of LGBTQ+ People
December 13 2023 9:15 AM
Here are the 15 gayest travel destinations in the world: report
March 26 2024 9:23 AM
Watch Now: Advocate Channel
Trending Stories & News
For more news and videos on advocatechannel.com, click here.
Trending Stories & News
For more news and videos on advocatechannel.com, click here.
Latest Stories
Ohio court temporarily blocks ban on gender-affirming care for trans youth
April 16 2024 5:33 PM
How library workers are defending books, democracy, and queer lives
April 16 2024 4:38 PM
Pride
Yahoo FeedKentucky couldn't pass a single anti-LGBTQ+ bill this session — and it's not alone
April 16 2024 2:35 PM