Opinion: HIV self-testing is easy, effective — and underutilized
HIV self-testing remains underutilized among not only the general public, but especially people who use drugs.
In May 2024, the Massachusetts Department of Public Health released a troubling report on a cluster of HIV infections, with more than 200 new cases since 2018 attributable to injection drug use in the Boston region. These findings have national implications: Similar HIV outbreaks have been described nationwide during the overdose crisis, including in West Virginia, Indiana, and Ohio. The increase in HIV cases amid the U.S. drug overdose crisis underscores the urgent need for a comprehensive response tailored to the unique challenges faced by people who use drugs. The importance of such efforts cannot be understated. In fact, in Massachusetts, 14% of new HIV diagnoses every year are attributed to injection drug use — nearly twice the national average.
One potential solution is HIV self-testing, which would allow for rapid identification and treatment. Identifying HIV cases is the first step in addressing clusters, and quickly learning one’s status allows people to rapidly seek both treatment and prevention. Unlike traditional laboratory-based testing, which may take several days for results delivery, HIV self-testing relies on saliva and provides results in 20 minutes. The test is easily performed outside of a clinical setting by swabbing gums and collecting a sample of saliva. HIV self-testing has been available since 2012 and is recommended by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention for accurate HIV diagnosis. It’s even part of the Department of Health and Human Services’ plan for Ending the HIV Epidemic (EHE) by 2030.
