Diagnosis of HIV Infection Using Rapid Oral
Fluid Detection Kit (A Literature Review)
 

Inggrid Lalita Rahmi

Faculty of Dentistry, Baiturrahmah University, Padang, Sumatera Barat, Indonesia.

 

Abstract

Background: HIV testing is now recognised as a priority in national HIV programmes because it opens the door to HIV/AIDS prevention, care, treatment and support interventions. Early detection of HIV infection enables timely care and treatment.

Oral fluid HIV rapid tests have the potential to increase the level of HIV testing. The use of rapid HIV tests can facilitate the testing in many settings, particularly in situations where there are known to be many at risk individuals who would most benefit from knowledge of their HIV status.

 

Objectives: Providing an explanation of a diagnostic HIV self-test using oral fluid- based HIV self-test kit (OraQuick) diagnosis.

 

Methods: The rapid oral fluid HIV test detects previous exposure to HIV, the virus that causes AIDS. The rapid oral test, provides results within about 20-40 minutes. Individuals collect a saliva sample by swabbing their upper and lower gum lines and placing the swab in the testing solution. When the reaction is complete, users read the results at home.

 

Results: The HIV oral test has high diagnostic accuracy and is very acceptable. Such benefits include; convenience, user-friendliness and the ability to extend testing boundaries beyond conventional clinical settings.

Conclusion: rapid oral fluid testing is feasible and can be used for surveillance as well as part of a diagnostic process, within the limits applicable to standard tests used for antibody detection.