New HIV saliva test has 'important implications'
A new rapid test that can detect HIV in saliva has been welcomed by local health workers with cautious optimism.
Canadian scientists say the new test OraQuick HIV 1/2 has proved to be 99 per cent accurate for HIV in high-risk populations and about 97 per cent in low-risk populations.
The test identifies HIV antibodies in saliva and can produce a result in 20 minutes.
Study leader Dr. Nitika Pant Pai said testing is the cornerstone of HIV prevention, treatment and care.
“Although previous studies have shown that the oral fluid-based OraQuick HIV 1/2 test has great promise, ours is the first to evaluate its potential at a global level,” he said.
He said the research, published in The Lancet Infectious Diseases, has global implications for countries that wanted to adopt self-testing as a major strategy.
“Getting people to show up for HIV testing at public clinics has been difficult because of visibility, stigma, lack of privacy and discrimination,” Pai said.
“A confidential testing option such as self-testing could bring an end to the stigmatisation associated with HIV testing.”
However local experts, such as Shane Dinnison, CEO of the AIDS Council of South Australia, warned that such self-testing for HIV is not something they would encourage.
“Self or home testing also bypasses the important, and proven, preventive health measure of partner notification,” Dinnison told SX.
ACON CEO, Nicolas Parkhill, told SX he agreed with such concerns despite the results of the study having “important implications” for advancements in HIV testing in Australia due to the ease and cost of administering oral swab tests.
“While this technology could be used for self testing there are concerns that self testing generally lacks the appropriate support measures for people who test positive,” he said.
“It’s also important to note that there’s no risk of acquiring HIV from saliva even though you can test saliva for HIV because the oral test checks for the presence of HIV antibodies and not for the actual virus.”
ACON is currently encouraging gay men in Sydney to participate in the continuing trials of blood-based rapid HIV testing with current access to rapid HIV tests across Australia severely limited.
- Tags: ACON, AIDS Council of South Australia, Blood Test, Community, Health, HIV/AIDS, Medicine, Nicolas Parkhill, Oral Test, OraQuick HIV 1/2, Research, Shane Dinnison, SX
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Ron Hughes
Ron started working for the Adelaide's former LGBTI newspaper Adelaide GT back in the late 90s. He was first engaged as a temp to work for a single hour and has remained through changes of company and publication for 12 years or so. He became editor of blaze in December 2010.
Ron loves collaborating with people and he also loves the arts, and editing blaze often brings both loves together. He is proud that blaze has played a seminal role over the years promoting not only Adelaide's LGBTI cultural festival Feast, but also the Adelaide Fringe, Adelaide Cabaret Festival and the OzAsia festival.
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