BioSure HIV Self Test is the first legally approved and CE marked HIV self-testing kit that has just gone on sale in UK.

This kit will allow people testing themselves when and where they like, with a 99.7% accuracy rate.

According to theguardian.com, 26.000 people in UK have HIV but are unaware of it.

Thanks to developments in the available treatments, HIV is now a manageable disease but a late diagnosis can still have a devastating impact on health and life expectancy.

With BioSure results are given in just 15 minutes and everything it needs is a small amount of blood from a finger pin-pick sample to detect the presence of HIV antibodies.

Notice that a negative result may not be accurate until 3 months after infection because it can take someone body that long to produce enough antibodies. Positive results, instead, will have to be confirmed by a healthcare professional and it is recommended that those high risk groups are tested every three months.

Dr Michael Brady of Kings College Hospital NHS Foundation Trust described BioSure as a really exciting development. He said: “Rates of undiagnosed HIV and late diagnoses remain unacceptably high in the UK and continue to contribute to unnecessary illness and onward transmission of the virus […] The single biggest thing that we can do to have a major impact on the HIV epidemic is to dramatically increase HIV testing rates, especially in those most at risk. The availability of HIV self-testing will help us achieve that.”

The chief executive of the national Aids Trust, Deborah Gold, said “People diagnosed late are 11 times more likely to die in the first year after diagnosis. To address this public health challenge we need to look at new ways for people to test and self-testing is an important and welcome additional option.”

Brigette Bard, the founder, said that the launch of the kit is a significant step towards normalising HIV testing. She also added “Knowing your HIV status is critical and the launch of this product will empower people to discreetly test themselves when it is convenient to them and in a place where they feel comfortable.”

Since people using it want to be discrete, the test is only available online and, as an understanding of customers’ privacy, everything is packaged and delivered in discreet, plain packaging.

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