NEW: First over-the-counter home HIV test approved

The FDA has just released their approval for the OraQuick In-Home HIV Test, the first over-the-counter, self-administered HIV test kit to detect the presence of antibodies to human immunodeficiency virus type 1 (HIV-1) and type 2 (HIV-2). HIV is the virus that causes acquired immune deficiency syndrome (AIDS).


The home kit has individuals collect an oral fluid sample by swabbing the upper and lower gums inside of their mouths, place that sample into a developer vial, and obtain test results within 20 to 40 minutes.



A positive result with this test does not mean that an individual is definitely infected with HIV, but rather that additional testing should be done in a medical setting to confirm the test result. Similarly, a negative test result does not mean that an individual is definitely not infected with HIV, particularly when exposure may have been within the previous three months. 


HOWEVER, the test has the potential to identify large numbers of previously undiagnosed HIV infections, especially if used by those unlikely to use standard screening methods.
 
The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention estimates that 1.2 million people in the United States are living with HIV infection. About one in five are not aware they are infected. There are about 50,000 new HIV infections every year. Many of these new infections are transmitted from people who are unaware of their HIV status.


 
“Knowing your status is an important factor in the effort to prevent the spread of HIV,” said Karen Midthun, M.D., director of the FDA’s Center for Biologics Evaluation and Research. “The availability of a home-use HIV test kit provides another option for individuals to get tested so that they can seek medical care, if appropriate.”


 
Clinical studies for self-testing have shown that the OraQuick In-Home HIV Test has an expected performance of 92 percent for test sensitivity, the percentage of results that will be positive when HIV is present. This means that one false negative result would be expected out of every 12 test results in HIV-infected individuals.


 
Clinical studies also have shown that the OraQuick In-Home HIV Test has an expected performance of 99.98 percent for test specificity, the percentage of results that will be negative when HIV is not present. This means that one false positive would be expected out of every 5,000 test results in uninfected individuals.


 
OraSure Technologies, the manufacturer of the OraQuick In-Home HIV Test will have a consumer support center that is available via phone and will be open 24 hours a day, seven days a week. The center will be operational and available to educate users with information about HIV/AIDS, the proper method for administering the test and guidance on what to do once results have been obtained once the manufacturer makes the product available for sale to the public. Information about the consumer support center and contact information is included in the test kit.


 
OraSure Technologies, Inc. is headquartered in Bethlehem, Pa. A version of this test for use by trained technicians in clinical settings was approved in 2004.

 
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Word Of The Day: intercrural sex

Ever lay in bed spooning your partner, and felt an urge to stick your cock between their thighs for a warm bit - but without the usually expected genital penetration? Intercrural sex is a type of safe, non-penetrative sex where a penis-owner places their penis between their partner’s thighs and thrusts to create friction. 
 
Some intercrural action!

Intercrural sex can be a slow kind of foreplay, or lube can be used to allow you to speed things up and make this thigh-fuck the main course. Lube will also ensure chafing doesn’t occur, as the thighs obviously don’t produce much in terms of their own lubrication.

The lack of any penetration does mean that this can be a harm-reduction method in terms of unwanted pregnancies: but just because it can’t knock you up doesn’t mean you should eschew safe sex practices completely. As in anything that involves even minor genital-to-genital contact, consider using a condom, especially with a new partner. So if you feel like enjoying the thighs instead of just what’s between them, try it intercrurally!