Warning on A.I.D.S. test kit’s accuracy

Press, 1 December 1987, Page 40

Warning on A.I.D.S. test kit’s accuracy

PA ' Wellington Instant test kits for A.I.D.S. may soon be available in New Zealand, according to the National Health Institute. The institute’s medical virologist, Martin Tobias, said that Japanese-made kits would enable a person to prick his or her finger, wipe the blood on a glass slide, and get a positive or negative reading within 30 seconds. In Australia, the A.LD.S. Task Force has warned the Federal Government not to allow the kits to be marketed there because they were prone to re-

turning false positive results. Mr Tobias, a member of the New Zealand A.I.D.S. Advisory Committee, said New Zealand would soon be faced with the availability of A.I.D.S. test kits and it was important they were properly assessed before being allowed on to the market. Instant tests could not be relied on for an accurate result and a back up test was vital to confirm a positive screening, he said. Another problem foreseen with the instant test

would be the absence of an accompanying counselling service. The Australian national A.I.D.S. advisory committee said instant tests could be potentially dangerous and that people getting A.I.D.S. positive results from their own tests might not seek medical help, may continue promiscuous sexual practices, or commit suicide. The New Zealand A.I.D.S. Foundation’s chairman, Warren Lindberg, said counselling before and after tests was vital so the implications of tests could be discussed.