HIV testing kit for home use to be launched soon

HIV testing in the UAE can soon be administered in the privacy of one’s home and get results in three minutes.

The HIV testing kit is one of the fastest devices to accurately detect HIV as well as hepatitis C and B.

The device fits into the palm of the hand and, in four short steps, the diagnosis is available.

All that is required is a drop of blood.

The process is simple: A few drops from a solution that comes with the kit are mixed with a drop of blood in a filtered cartridge.

The results are easy to understand: if two red lines appear on the cartridge after three minutes, the test comes back positive.

“At the moment, there are a lot of products for HIV testing, but samples have to be sent to a laboratory before a diagnosis is determined,” said Peter Legovic, sales and marketing coordinator of Prestige for Supplies and Services, the local distributor of the product.

“The process can take days. The fastest result will at least take a few hours, but with this new product results are given in three minutes.”

The benefits of a fast HIV testing device are numerous. Health officials at borders and airports can use the device to stop people with infectious diseases from entering the country.

It will also help expatriate residents who need fast results when renewing their resident permits.

“Hospital staff can quickly test a patient’s blood before coming in contact with him or her. Peace forces who travel extensively can also test the blood of people they come in contact with,” Legovic said.

“We want to let the government know that the private sector is also doing something to ensure that diseases such as HIV and hepatitis don’t spread among the community. We would not want these diseases to spread because it will affect UAE tourism.”

The product is FDA approved and will soon be distributed to local government and private hospitals. It will be distributed in the GCC countries as well as in Iraq and Iran. It has already been widely distributed in the United States.