WASHINGTON POST: An expert panel recommended Tuesday that the Food and Drug Administration approve the first over-the-counter HIV test, a kit that could quickly return results for consumers in the privacy of their homes.
The unanimous votes by a 17-member advisory panel, if accepted by the FDA, would broaden testing options for the virus that causes AIDS, providing an important additional tool for many Americans who are reluctant to get tested, public health officials and advocates said. The test uses a mouth swab to detect the presence of antibodies to the virus within about 20 minutes.
Although speakers and FDA officials had raised concerns about the accuracy of the test, the members said identifying new infections and averting transmissions outweigh the risks of missing some people who are infected… (more)
