Editorial: Bring privacy to AIDS testing

Saturday, Oct. 15, 2005 | 10:02 a.m.

Dr. Jerry Cade, co-director of the Wellness Center at University Medical Center, has been specializing in AIDS cases for more than 20 years. His early days in this field were disheartening. "We were hospice doctors, helping patients die as comfortably as possible," he told the Las Vegas Sun last month.

Today the outlook is much brighter. "AIDS is no longer a death sentence," Cade said, adding that 99 percent of the HIV/AIDS patients at the public hospital are outpatients who are living longer lives thanks to new drugs on the market.

This is one of the reasons why the Food and Drug Administration should allow the sale of at-home AIDS testing devices. One such device, manufactured by a Bethlehem, Pa., company, has proven to be effective, safe and easy to use in doctor's offices and clinics, according to a story in The New York Times. The test takes just 20 minutes.

The FDA has long banned sales of in-home testing devices. But the original reason for the ban, that positive results would lead people to panic or kill themselves, is no longer valid now that treatment has made so many advances. Many people at risk of AIDS cannot or will not make regular trips to clinics or doctor's offices, which means they might spread the virus for years before symptoms begin showing. Researchers, however, believe at-home testing devices, which afford convenience and privacy, would be widely used and would help stop the spread of AIDS.

A federal advisory board is set to meet on Nov. 3 to discuss lifting the ban on the at-home devices. The Pennsylvania company told the Times that following the board's meeting, it will likely seek FDA approval to sell them at retail outlets. We believe the FDA should update its outlook toward AIDS and grant a quick approval.