CHARLOTTE, N.C. — On Tuesday, the Food & Drug Administration approved a rapid, over-the-counter HIV test that will be available this fall.
The OraQuick test will cost under $60 and will be in stores and online in October.
Users take a swab inside their mouths and the test detects the presence of HIV antibodies. Results take 20 to 40 minutes.
Eyewitness News spoke to a local infectious diseases doctor about the impact the at-home tests could have in reducing the spread of HIV in the community. Dr. Frederick Cruickshank, who operates Rosedale Infectious Diseases in Huntersville, has mixed feelings about the over-the-counter test.
"It's both good and bad. Good from the standpoint that if it’s a positive test, we will capture more HIV positive patients and get them into care that much sooner,” he said.
But Cruickshank also pointed out some concerns.
"From a mental health point of view, that may not be good for the people who are home alone and see a positive test and may not know how to react," he said.
Cruickshank said the test is not foolproof and people still need to get a professional blood test done to know for sure.
In its approval announcement, The FDA said the OraQuick test only detected HIV in people carrying the virus 92 percent of the time. The test was 99.9 percent accurate in ruling out HIV.
The new at-home test comes with access to a toll-free call center where users can get counseling and medical referrals. But Cruickshank believes something as life-changing as HIV requires a different level of care and attention.
"People do not handle it very well, so calling an 800 number, saying, 'I'm positive,' is good in theory, but I think you need to face-to-face contact with someone to hold your hand, give you a hug, you know, give you a more personable approach to it," he said.
By law, medical professionals must report positive HIV cases to the state. Doctors said those numbers impact state and federal funding for HIV programs. If people take the at-home HIV test, they may not report their results.