“The self-tests allowing a person to know in a few minutes if he is a carrier of the AIDS virus (HIV), should be available in France from 2014,” announced Marisol Touraine, Minister of Health.
These AIDS self-tests are tests that allow the detection of anti-HIV antibodies. They are issued without a medical prescription and are carried out directly by the interested party using a simple sample of blood or saliva. The result of seropositivity is provided in less than 30 minutes, but it must still be confirmed by conventional laboratory screening. These tests are similar to rapid diagnostic orientation tests (TROD) already used by associations, outside hospitals.
Tests to avoid new infections
According to the National AIDS Council (CNS), making these tests available would make it possible to discover 4,000 new seropositivities each year and prevent 400 new infections.
About 5 million serologies of HIV are carried out every year in France and allow the discovery of around 6,000 cases of seropositivity, a figure that has been stable for several years. This new form of voluntary screening would affect people whom the existing offer does not currently allow to reach.
A test already used in the United States
In July 2012, the United States authorized the first saliva test for HIV infection, the OraQuick®. They analyzed that in one year of sale, the test would have made it possible to detect 44,000 new HIV infections and prevent 4. For France, the estimate would be of the order of 4,000 seropositivities.
AIDS in France
Each year, more than 6,000 new HIV infections are discovered in France. People are mainly infected through sexual intercourse. The National Institute for Public Health Surveillance (INVS) estimates that 30,000 to 40,000 people are unaware that they are HIV positive. However, early detection of infection with HIV allows the patient to benefit from rapid and effective medical care which increases his expectation and quality of life.
