To launch a
city-wide HIV/AIDS initiative in conjunction with World AIDS
Day, Los Angeles mayor Antonio Villaraigosa will take an
OraQuick Advance rapid HIV test on Friday to
encourage residents to learn their own HIV status.
The test is the
only FDA-approved point-of-care test able to detect
antibodies to both HIV-1 and HIV-2 in 20 minutes, according
to a press release. It uses saliva and blood samples
to analyze for the virus.
More than 21,000
people in Los Angeles are living with HIV/AIDS, which
accounts for 6% of cases in the United States as well as 35%
of all cases in California. (The Advocate)