It is now possible to buy in pharmacies self-testing of HIV. This device allows users, by a slight prick on the end of a finger, to know whether or not they are carriers of the virus. The response appears after 15 to 20 minutes as a colored strip. This screening kit is available in pharmacies and without a prescription, for a price of between 25 and 30 euros. Note also that a minor can carry out this test without the authorization of his parents.
Simplified but less supervised use
The advantage of such a test is that you can easily carry out and interpret the results at home. The Ministry of Health thus hopes to simplify access to screening for a large public by recalling that currently in France, 30,000 people live with the aids virus without knowing. However, health professionals express concerns about the risk of loneliness and lack of support when reading the results.
Blood tests remain more reliable and complete
In addition, this device does not replace conventional tests because any positive result must be confirmed in the laboratory by a blood test. Indeed, the self-test does not have a 100% reliability and its sensitivity is very low when the infection is less than three months. In the case of a recent risk of contamination of less than 48 hours, doctors advise going to the emergency room to benefit from any post-exposure treatment. Finally, this kit does not detect other sexually transmitted infections (herpes, syphilis, chlamydia …) or viral hepatitis for which blood tests are recommended.
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