Superdrug has become the UK’s first high street retailer to offer 'gum swab' HIV self-testing kits that you can do without shedding a drop of blood.
The OraQuick™ HIV Self-Test doesn’t require a blood sample – rather it detects antibodies that become present in the mouth of anyone with HIV.
The results are easy to read and ready in 20 minutes, with over 99.7% accuracy.
Caris Newson, Superdrug healthcare director, said: ‘Many more people are now getting tested for HIV through kits they order online to do at home and launching an additional method of HIV self-testing gives them further choice and accessibility to know their HIV status.
‘We’re hoping that increasing testing options will help quickly improve HIV testing rates to return to pre-Covid levels, and then beyond them towards the Government’s goal of ending new HIV cases in the UK by 2030.’
With the proportion of people being diagnosed late with HIV increasing from 41% in 2019 to 46% in 2021, easy access to reliable tests is as important as ever.
Brian Reid, vice president diagnostics international, at OraSure Technologies, the company behind OraQuick, said: ‘At a time when the number of people diagnosed late with HIV continues to rise and while there are still too many undiagnosed cases of HIV, it’s critical that individuals have access to the most user-friendly HIV self-test available.
‘Knowing your HIV status is the necessary first step in helping you to make informed choices and assume responsibility for your own healthcare.
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Cosmopolitan: https://www.cosmopolitan.com/uk/body/health/a41597014/hiv-self-test/