Researchers study HIV self testing

Self testing for HIV could be almost as accurate as hospital testing, a new study has suggested.

Researchers from Johns Hopkins carried out an investigation which saw kits handed out to 402 patients in a hospital.

These were then asked to test themselves using either a pin prick or a mouth swab.

The research, which was presented at a recent meeting of the Infectious Diseases of American Society, showed that 99 per cent - or 400 out of the 402 - of the results from these matched those from hospital examinations.

Only two of the 402 respondents tested positive, with both the self and hospital tests detecting these two cases of HIV.

HIV was in the news earlier this week when President Obama announced that the ban of people with HIV travelling into the US was to be lifted.

It is thought that the regulation will be overturned next year.

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