HIV tests have come a long way since being introduced in 1985, when a positive test was a death sentence due to the lack of the HIV medications we have today. Due to this public perception of HIV tests, 14% of American consumers are afraid to learn their HIV status, while 48% do not consider themselves to be at risk. That big disconnect between consumer perception and harsh realities is exacerbating the spread of HIV.
Therefore, home HIV test kits, which are now increasingly sold alongside home pregnancy tests, are increasingly gaining acceptance as a viable alternative to visiting the doctor. The first of these over-the-counter test kits, OraQuick, produced by OraSure Technologies (NASDAQ: OSUR ) , was approved by the FDA last year. Will OraQuick disrupt the traditional, lab-based methods of testing for HIV, or are these concerns unjustified?
The psychological factor
In the past, going to the doctor to get an HIV test was often associated with shame and social isolation. Even after the tests were completed, many patients failed to return to the clinics to learn their results. A smaller private company, Home Access Health Corporation, initially addressed this issue with its home test, which required a patient to prick a finger and mail the dried blood sample to the laboratory.
