HIV/Aids activists yesterday welcomed the Food and Drug Administration's (FDA) approval of home HIV test kits and urged authorities to make sure people have both easy access to and a proper understanding of the kits' reliability.
Nimit Tienudom, director of the Aids Access Foundation, said that while the FDA's move would make it easier for people to monitor their health status and seek appropriate care, the FDA as well as the Public Health Ministry would have to do more.
He said it was important for health authorities to ensure that people who use home HIV test kits understand certain limitations of the kit, including the window in which they might come up with a false negative result.
The Public Health Ministry should also step in to regulate the prices of the test kits or allow imports of the products to push down the prices, he said.
However, he said the public can request HIV/Aids tests twice a year, and medical care for HIV/Aids infections is covered by both the universal health care scheme and social security scheme.
Mr Nimit said the public now has a better understanding about the disease, while people who test positive can live normal lives if they receive the appropriate medical care. However, he said those who receive positive test results should make an appointment with doctors for follow-up testing.
"If the result is negative, the person should change their behavour and avoid engaging in acts that put them at increased risk of getting HIV," he said.
FDA secretary-general Tares Krassanairawiwong said yesterday the availability of home test kits would contribute to overall public health, because the sooner the infected people are aware of their HIV status, the sooner they can work to reduce the risk of transmission.
"It is helpful for people who are infected and others. It is part of an effort to prevent the spread of HIV/Aids infections," he said.
According to Dr Tares, the FDA's announcements about the home HIV test kit were published in the Royal Gazette yesterday with immediate effect.
"The key is that the general public should be able to purchase the test kits from drug stores without having to visit a hospital. However, positive test results must be confirmed by follow-up testing at hospitals," he said.