An overview of HIV / AIDS |
Is the OraQuick test a saliva test?
No. The test uses oral fluid, which is slightly different
from saliva. To perform the test, the person being tested
for HIV gently swabs the device completely around the outer
gums, both upper and lower, one time around and inserts it
into a vial containing a developer solution. After 20 minutes,
the test device will indicate if HIV antibodies are present
in the solution by displaying two reddish-purple lines in
a small window in the device.
What does a reactive or preliminary positive result mean?
A reactive HIV test result on oral fluid is a preliminary
positive and needs to be confirmed by an additional, more
specific test to verify whether HIV antibodies are present.
How well does the test work?
In the clinical studies by the manufacturer, the OraQuick
oral fluid test correctly identified 99.3% of people who were
infected with HIV (sensitivity) and 99.8 % of people who were
not infected with HIV (specificity). The Food and Drug Administration
expects clinical laboratories to obtain similar results.
What are the advantages of testing oral fluid rather than
blood?
The test’s approval for oral fluids will provide a safe,
accurate, and rapid HIV test for persons who don’t like
to have blood drawn or their finger stuck with a lancet. In
addition, healthcare workers face a much lower risk of exposure
to infectious diseases from oral fluid than from blood. Contact
with saliva has never been proven to result in HIV transmission.
Are there disadvantages to testing oral fluid rather than
blood?
As when used on blood, the OraQuick test device can quickly
and reliably detect antibodies to HIV in oral fluid. It can
be stored at room temperature, requires no specialized equipment,
and takes the same amount of time to process (20 to 40 minutes).
However, it has slightly lower sensitivity and specificity
than when used with blood. In particular, testing programs
can expect more false positive results with oral fluid than
with blood. As with the blood test, an additional specimen
must be collected for confirmatory testing of persons who
test preliminarily positive. |
