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There are an alarming number of false positive HIV tests being reported in cities such as San Francisco and New York. The affected units are the fast-acting OraQuick brand rapid HIV tests that are given out in the cities. The tests were extremely popular due to their quick results and easy-to-use format.
About 25% of the tests given in San Francisco were reported to have given false positives, according to San Francisco Health Department''s Jeffrey Klausner, the director of sexually transmitted disease services. While tests in New York City were within the margins stated on the packaging, during the month of November the rate of false positives jumped from five a month to thirty.
The faulty results are being linked only with oral versions of the HIV tests. Similar tests can be taken via a small blood sample. These blood tests have a much higher rate of accuracy than the oral ones.
The US Federal Center for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) is likely to issue a nationwide warning this week. The CDC is expected to recommend that all positive results from the oral test should be followed up by a blood test.
Many healthcare officials around the country are no longer using the tests, though many tests are still in circulation. Some places around the country do not have access to sophisticated HIV testing methods and may have to rely on the faulty tests only.
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