HIV home test kits have now gone on sale in the United Kingdom - England, Scotland and Wales.
The legally approved home test kits which will allow people get a HIV test done in their homes in 15 minutes, works by detecting antibodies on a small drop of blood, which are often only detectable 3 months after the infection is caught.
Experts however warn that any positive tests must be reconfirmed at clinics.
The new “do-it-yourself” test is made by company Bio Sure UK and can be bought online.
The kit works in a similar way to a pregnancy test, measuring levels of antibodies in a person’s blood as it analyses a small droplet of blood, taken from the finger-tip using a lancet. If positive, two purple lines appear.
Following receipt of a result, the makers of the home kit recommend attending sexual health clinics for advice and further blood tests in the case o a positive result.
Also experts say that even if the test is negative, it does not mean people are definitely virus free, especially if exposure occurred within the last three months.
Meanwhile, charities have welcomed the test and hope it will encourage more people to get checks, moreso those reluctant to go to clinics in the first instance.
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