An at-home, self-testing HIV kit that promises results in 20 minutes has been approved for use in Canada.
On Tuesday, OraSure Technologies announced that its OraQuick HIV self-test has received its distribution licences from Health Canada.
The kit has been in use in the United States for more than a decade.
The OraQuick HIV kit is the first in Canada to utilize an oral swab, which doesn’t require a drop of blood.
The oral swab is a less invasive, more portable option for self-testing kits, which are widely available in Canada. It’s an alternative for people who are queasy or hesitant about blood.
The oral kit renews hope of Canada reaching its goal of eliminating HIV as a public health threat by 2030.
HIV diagnoses have steadily rose over the years, from 1,800 in 2022 to 2,434 in 2023. There was a small decline to 1,826 in 2024.
Manitoba and Saskatchewan have three or four times the national rate of new HIV diagnoses.
Read more in the Toronto Sun
