London (AFP) - Britain's first legally-approved HIV self-testing kit went on sale online on Monday, promising a result in just 15 minutes with a 99.7 percent accuracy rate.Developers hope the BioSure HIV Self Test will help identify the estimated 26,000 people in Britain who have HIV but do not yet know."Knowing your HIV status is critical and the launch of this product will empower people to discreetly test themselves when it is convenient to them and in a place where they feel comfortable," explained BioSure founder Brigette Bard.Early diagnosis reduces the risk of passing the disease on to other people and also raises the success rate of modern treatments, which now make the disease manageable."Over 40 percent of people living with HIV are diagnosed late, meaning they have been living with HIV for at least four years," said Deborah Gold, chief executive of the National Aids Trust (NAT)."People diagnosed late are 11 times more likely to die in the first year after diagnosis," she added.The kit reacts to antibodies -- proteins made in response to the virus -- in a drop of the person's blood, producing two purple lines in the event of a positive diagnosis.The self-test, which is only available via the Internet, can only detect antibodies three months after the patient has become infected, and is not effective during this initial period, and all positive results must be confirmed by professional health workers, experts said.Rosemary Gillespie, chief executive at HIV charity Terrence Higgins Trust, said it was "great to see the first self-test kits being approved."However, it is important to make sure people can get quick access to support when they get their result."Currently, those who fear they may have been infected have to collect a blood sample at home and send it to a laboratory, waiting five days for the result.There are almost 110,000 people in Britain living with HIV, which can lead to AIDS if the sufferer's immune system becomes badly damaged.A similar test in the US has been available since 2012, giving a result in around 30 minutes from a sample of the person's saliva or blood.Join the conversation about this story »
Instant Self-test Hiv Kit On Sale In Britain
Business Insider, Business Insider
Mon, 04/27/2015 - 4:22am
Topics: london afp britain biosure hiv self test brigette bard deborah gold national aids trust nat)."people internet rosemary gillespie terrence higgins trust britain hiv biosure hiv aids us self-test kit sale living blood person late result positive minutes disease chief executive percent diagnosis sample diagnosed infected antibodies
BING NEWS:
- NYS Health Department encourages residents to test for HIV
Today is National HIV Testing Day — and the NYS Health Department is encouraging residents to know their status. In celebration, the DOH has launched a free HIV self-test giveaway campaign. The ...
06/28/2024 - 6:12 am | View Link - N.Y. launches HIV self-test giveaway campaign to address disparities, DOH says
Thursday is recognized as National HIV Testing Day by the New York State Department of Health.“Level up your self-love: check you ...
06/27/2024 - 10:09 am | View Link - You Can Get Free At-Home HIV Tests Every 3 Months Until 2027. Here’s How
About 40,000 people who ordered a kit had never ... about 40,000 new HIV infections per year. Nearly 40% of people with the virus don’t know they have it or know but aren’t receiving treatment. (Just ...
06/26/2024 - 1:01 pm | View Link - More
Welcome to Wopular
Wopular is an
online newspaper rack,
giving you a summary view of the top headlines from the top news sites.
Senh Duong (Founder)
Wopular,
MWB,
RottenTomatoes
MoviesWithButter : Our Sister Site
- "Expendables 4" Starts Shooting This Fall, Says Randy Couture at the Arnold Sports Festival more
- “Expendables 4” Gets Funding Interest from “Ip Man 3” Financier more
- "Ip Man 3" Distributor Suspected of Box Office Fraud, Parent Company Loses $200M in Market Cap more
- Yen Targets "Ip Man 4" for 2018 Release; Discusses Film with Director, Producer more
- "Ip Man 3" Shatters Expectations with $72M Opening [China Box Office] more