HIV Home Tests

The FDA has not approved any home-use HIV test kits, which allow consumers to interpret their own HIV test results in a few minutes. The Federal Trade Commission (FTC) has warned that these home-use HIV test kits, many of which are available on the Internet, supply inaccurate results.

 

Currently, only the Home Access^® test is approved by the FDA. The Home Access test kit can be found at most drug stores. The testing procedure involves pricking your finger, placing drops of blood on a specially treated card, and then mailing the card in for testing at a licensed laboratory. Customers are given an identification number to use when phoning for the test results. Callers may speak to a counselor before taking the test, while waiting for the test result, and when getting the result.