The home test has potential for abuse and misuse. A friend mentioned to me the other day the possibility of partners tricking their friends and testing them unknowingly. For example, a husband comes home drunk and falls asleep and the wife, takes a swab in his mouth and performs a test without the knowledge or consent of the partner. This is a potentially explosive situation.

Risky behaviour

Picture a scenario: I get a negative test and I'm OK and I think I can keep doing my risky things,. "Risky sexual behavior, risky use of needles. I'm dodging this bullet. Maybe next month, you won't be so lucky."

In short, there's no counseling that comes along with the home counseling. Compares this to a bathroom weighing scale. While a scale can tell you how you're doing in terms of your weight, but to actually make a chance, you need to make changes, which often requires outside help.

Local Concerns regarding HIV control

HIV home tests are hitting the market any day now which as a disease control expert concerns me. Since HIV home test are not available until now, people had to go to a clinic or doctor’s office to request testing which could be done anonymously. However they were always given information, counseling and resources about HIV both before the test and after any positive results. HIV home test means someone could potentially face devastating news with absolutely no support from anyone. Many people have limited information about the disease in general or the implications. While anyone buying a over-the-counter HIV home test likely understands that it is an STD and a concerning disease, they may not understand the potential treatment options, the symptoms they may experience and the overall course of disease.

HIV home test results may also induce severe stress and I fear that if someone already has poor coping skills or is otherwise depressed, the HIV home test positive result could push someone to suicide or dangerous behavior such as spreading the disease as a form of anger toward others. It is difficult enough to seek out help but in general people are too ashamed to seek help for HIV counseling and medical treatment which means after their HIV home test comes back positive, they are likely to delay treatment and mental health treatment for much too long which puts them at risk for worsening course of illness and extreme stress, depression and emotional problems.

Prior to the HIV home test, a clinic would help patient’s get set-up with a doctor, counseling and support groups. This was key in my view. Some compare HIV home test to pregnancy home tests, which is a valid point. However the stigma with pregnancy is not nearly as severe and aside from younger teen’s being ashamed to tell their parents, they usually are not ashamed to seek medical help. Pregnant women also cannot infect and potentially endanger other people which uneducated HIV patients can potentially do.

So is the HIV home test a good idea? I do not think it is and I worry without the proper funding for education and resources to go along with the HIV home test, we are facing many people in for a shock of their lifetime without any adequate support system in place-I worry about suicide and in this day and age, where HIV is very manageable, suicide due to poor education about the disease is an absolute shame. Some say it will increase the likelihood more people will get tested but on the flip side, it will deter many from getting treated by being able to bypass proper medical clinics.

Having home test may undermine the use of reliable laboratory-based services that have so far helped to deal with the epidemic across the world.

Sidebar

There’s still a lot of misinformation out there about HIV. It’s not a death sentence. It’s a manageable condition. When a medical professional breaks the news of infection to you, they know how to give you hope. When a home test does, you’re left in the dark.

Our system is imperfect. People cannot get testing when they need it. Increased access to testing is a good thing. But improperly administered tests pose new dangers, and I’m concerned that improper information will lead to people acting more recklessly, and risking others to the virus.

Quote: "Having a home test kit for HIV is a bit like relying on a bathroom scale in the battle against obesity,” both can tell you potentially life-saving information. But without counseling, "there is a pretty good chance you will either say 'Thank goodness I did not test positive' and keep doing whatever it is you are doing even if it is bad for you - or test positive and say 'I have a problem and I am so ashamed or frightened I won't do anything at all about it.'" Kizito Lubano