Oral HIV test being offered
For needle-fearing people who want to know their HIV status, Planned Parenthood of the Inland Northwest now offers an oral test.
It works like this: A cotton pad on a stick is held between the cheek and gum for two to five minutes. The pad absorbs antibodies, not the actual virus, from the blood vessels of the mucous membranes in the mouth of an infected person. The sample is sent to a lab. Results come back within a week.
The test, by OraSure Technologies, is approved by the U.S. Food and Drug Administration. It’s slightly less accurate than a blood test, but still at least 97 percent accurate.
“The test is super user-friendly for both the person giving it and the person taking it,” said Susan Fabrikant, executive director of the Spokane AIDS Network, which assists 150 HIV-positive clients with housing, insurance, counseling and other needs. “I don’t know about you, but I hate needles.”
She encouraged “anyone who’s concerned about their status” to get tested.
Making HIV testing easier and more frequent is part of a national push from the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. One in four of the estimated 850,000 to 950,000 Americans infected with the AIDS virus does not yet know it, the CDC says.
Treatment after early diagnosis can help people stay healthier longer. And people who know they are HIV positive can help prevent the spread of the virus through behavior changes, according to the CDC. The CDC started a $35 million new initiative last year to promote testing as a routine part of medical care.
Although getting a sample for the oral test takes only five minutes, people need to schedule a half-hour appointment, said Mary Fiedler, clinical services director for Planned Parenthood. During the appointment, a health-care provider will pass along ways to reduce the risk of HIV exposure.
The provider also will discuss limits of the test. For example, it cannot indicate HIV status from a possible exposure the night before, Fiedler said. That’s because it takes time for antibodies to HIV to build up in the system. If a person came into the clinic worried about a very recent exposure, he or she could still have the test to get a baseline result. The patient would be advised to return in a few months for another test, she said.
Last year, Planned Parenthood of the Inland Northwest did 146 tests for HIV, Fiedler said. The agency’s charge for an HIV test, either oral or blood sample, is on a sliding scale based on patient income. It ranges from $40 to $68.
June 27 is National HIV Testing Day, a campaign supporting voluntary testing organized by the National Association of People with AIDS.