Home HIV test could prevent 4,000 infections annually

If you thought waiting three minutes to get pregnancy test results was excruciating, try killing 20 minutes while that home HIV test processes. Despite the wait, the OraQuick test that's just been unanimously recommended by an advisory panel for FDA approval is still probably more appealing than visiting the doctor and may also encourage those at risk to check themselves out. Officials estimate that about 240,000 Americans unknowingly carry the virus and predict a home test could prevent 4,000 new transmissions annually. The test diagnoses infection using a mouth swab instead of fussy blood samples. The test gives accurate results 99 percent of the time when used by a pro, though it's correct only 93 percent of the time when used by mere mortals.