Doc, (or "quack" as we say in England)

I am writing from the UK. My partner needs to have an HIV antibody test (and recognises that fact and wants to test), but refuses to go to a STD clinic.

I am fully aware of the advantages of going to a STD clinic and have explained them to my partner, but giving the circumstances is a test with a "Home Test Kit" better than no test at all?

I know that Home Test Kits might not be as reliable as tests at a clinic, but presumably they are still quite good (i.e. not complete fakes)?

Are there any approved Home Test Kits and how can I find out which have been "approved"?

[I should state for the benefit of other readers that having attended a STD clinic myself I would strongly advise attending a STD clinic ahead of a Home Test Kit.]

Hello,

In the U.S., the Home Access Express Test Kit is FDA approved. It is sold in retail and online pharmacies, as well as on Amazon.com, for approximately $50. Blood is obtained by a lancet and applied to a filter strip, which is then mailed in a protected envelope, using an anonymous code. Sensitivity and specificity approach 100%. Results are available by phone in seven days. I'm not certain, but I assume this test is also available in the U.K.

Hope that helps.

Dr. Bob