Health Buzz: Are You Positive?

Getting an HIV test is scary enough without this. The NY Times reports that a widely used rapid HIV test produced too many false-positive results in the month of November. The OraQuick Advance H.I.V. test is the culprit and is actually a test that the FDA has is considering approving for prescription-free home use. Dr. Susan Blank, an assistant New York health commissioner shared that city clinics used the product for the majority of the 3,600 tests it performs every month. While the false-positive rate had been 5 a month in the past, in November the number rose to 30. All of the "positive" patients underwent a more sensitive confirmatory test that picked up on the error. An investigation is underway. Here's to hoping they fix the problem soon.