Wed. October 10, 2012
Bethlehem, PA -
OraSure Technologies, Inc. today announced the availability of the OraQuick® In-Home HIV Test at retailers nationwide and online, making it the first rapid infectious disease test ever to be made available directly to consumers for in-home use.
"For the first time ever, individuals now have access to an in-home rapid oral HIV test -- the same test healthcare professionals have used and trusted for years -- that will empower them to learn their HIV status in the comfort and privacy of their own home," said Douglas A. Michels, President and Chief Executive Officer of OraSure Technologies. "This is a tremendous breakthrough in our fight against HIV and AIDS."
Ann Hilton Fisher of the Aids Legal Council of Chicago (ALCC) told ChicagoPride.com: "The AIDS Legal Council believes that HIV testing should be widely available, confidential, affordable, and voluntary. The OraQuick home test gives people at risk for HIV another way to safely and confidentially learn their status."
"Approximately 50,000 individuals in the U.S. are newly infected with HIV each year," said National Minority AIDS Council Director of Legislative and Public Affairs Kali Lindsey. "Even more alarming is the fact that one in five people living with HIV in America do not know it. The OraQuick In-Home HIV Test would provide an important tool to supplement current HIV screening efforts by providing an accessible, relatively inexpensive device that can be used in the privacy of one's own home. This is especially important for minority communities, where HIV stigma often prevents individuals from utilizing traditional testing services."
"Individuals with unrecognized HIV infection are more likely to unknowingly transmit the virus to others," continued Lindsey. "In fact, they are as much as three and a half times more likely to transmit the virus than those who know their status, accounting for more than half of all new HIV infections in the U.S. Research shows that most individuals take steps to reduce the risk of transmitting the virus following an HIV diagnosis. Expanded access to testing, including through accurate in-home screening, is an essential tool in slowing the spread of HIV. At the same time, we must ensure that those who do test positive can easily access care and support services, much like those included in the OraQuick testing package."
The OraQuick® In-Home HIV Test detects antibodies to both HIV-1 and HIV-2 with an oral swab, providing a confidential in-home testing option with results in as little as 20 minutes. The in-home test is an over-the-counter version of OraQuick ADVANCE®, an oral swab rapid test with more than 25 million units sold in the professional market, including doctors, hospitals, clinics and other trained professionals. The OraQuick In-Home HIV Test is now available nationwide at more than 30,000 retailers and online and at OraQuick.com.
To ensure optimal support for individuals using the OraQuick® In-Home HIV Test, OraSure is making available specialized resources including live support and comprehensive referral services 24 hours a day, seven days a week, every day of the year, through a toll-free support center and comprehensive consumer website. The OraQuick® Support Center is staffed with highly trained, bi-lingual (English/Spanish)representatives who are available by telephone at 866-436-6527 to answer questions about HIV/AIDS and using and interpreting the test. They also provide referrals to follow-up and care, and they can also take orders for the OraQuick In-Home HIV Test. Additionally, the product website provides access to resources and referral to follow-up
counseling, confirmatory testing and medical care.
OraQuick® is priced at $39.99.
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