Could Home Human Immunodeficiency Virus Self-Testing Ever Become a Game Changer?

Area of Science:

• Public Health
• Infectious Disease Prevention
• Diagnostic Technologies

Background:

• Undiagnosed human immunodeficiency virus (HIV) remains a significant public health challenge in the United States.
• Effective strategies are needed to increase HIV testing and diagnosis rates, particularly among hard-to-reach populations.

Purpose of the Study:

• To evaluate the potential impact of home-based HIV self-testing on identifying individuals with undiagnosed HIV in the U.S.
• To determine the necessary complementary strategies for maximizing the effectiveness of HIV self-testing.

Main Methods:

• This is an argument-based analysis, not an empirical study.
• The discussion synthesizes existing knowledge on HIV testing, self-testing technologies, and public health interventions.

Main Results:

• Approval of new HIV self-test assays for home use is a positive step.
• Home self-testing alone is insufficient to address the challenge of undiagnosed HIV.

Conclusions:

• Home HIV self-testing holds promise for increasing access to testing.
• Significant investment in community outreach and linkage to care is essential for home self-testing to achieve a major impact in identifying undiagnosed HIV.