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The Hindu - HIV testing: 'An over-the-counter option offers privacy'

Published: 24 May 2012

The OraQuick In-Home HIV Test was recently approved by the FDA advisory committee for sale over the counter. FDA regulators will take a decision in a few months' time. The committee felt that the benefits of the oral swab test far outweigh the risks of false positive and false negative test results.

Dr Nitika Pant Pai, Assistant Professor of Medicine in the Division of Clinical Epidemiology & Infectious Diseases at McGill University, has been focussing her research at developing synergistic packages with point-of-care diagnostics to expedite primary care for HIV and co-infections in vulnerable populations in Canada and internationally. She is developing innovative strategies of self testing for South Africa and Indian populations, a work supported by Grand Challenges Canada.

Dr. Pai, who holds a CIHR New Investigator Award, and is a recipient of the Rising Star Award in Global Health from Grand Challenges Canada, explained to R. Prasad by email the advantages of OraQuick.

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