i found more info.
cdc.gov
Title: News for March 27, 1998 from the CDC Office of Communications,
Division of Media Relations
Centers for Disease Control and Prevention
Office of Communication
Division of Media Relations
1600 Clifton Road, MS D-25
Atlanta, GA 30333 USA
2. Update: HIV Counseling and Testing Using Rapid Tests ' United States,
1995
Office of Communications
CDC, National Center for HIV, STD and TB Prevention
(404) 639-8895
Update: HIV Counseling and Testing Using Rapid Tests ' United States, 1995
Rapid HIV testing could significantly increase the number of people who
learn their HIV status.
Currently, a significant number of people tested for HIV never return for
their results. Because rapid HIV tests allow individuals to learn their
HIV status in one visit instead of two, wider use of these tests could
substantially increase the number of people who learn their HIV status.
Using a mathematical model, CDC researchers have estimated that in 1 year
alone, nearly 700,000 more people, including over 8,000 infected persons,
would learn their true HIV status if rapid tests were used. However,
approximately 8,000 uninfected persons would receive initial
false-positive results and would have to wait a week for confirmatory
testing results. While this represents <1% of the 2 million people tested
in public health clinics annually, this finding underscores the need for
quality counseling to accompany any use of rapid testing. Persons with a
reactive test must understand their likelihood of infection and the need
for confirmatory testing to verify their diagnosis. The Public Health
Service has revised testing recommendations to allow health providers to
provide patients the results of rapid tests before confirmatory test
results are available in settings where they believe individuals can
benefit. |
