A look into how HIV self tests are used
As time passes, technologies in every area of life are being improved to facilitate people’s lives.
For instance, in health, many diseases can be detected easily using self-tests, including even HIV, the most feared disease.
For now, in Rwanda, you can rush into the pharmacy and buy an HIV self-test, especially known as OraQuick, and be aware of your status in very few minutes.
Sabin Nzanzimana, the Division Manager of HIV/AIDS and STIs Diseases Division at Rwanda Biomedical Centre, said some years ago, people were obliged to come to Kigali to test for HIV, which has later been scaled up to hospital level and health centers.
“For now, we are passing on the step of self-testing, which is suitable for the busiest persons and those who still fear the public,” he said.
But how does it work?
It was around 10 am when a Times reporter arrived at Mediasol pharmacy at Kisimenti asking for OraQuick.
According to the Ministry of Health, 20 pharmacies in Kigali have recently been authorized to sell these tests at Fw4,000.
“Do you have an OraQuick?” the reporter asked.
“Yes, but you have to wait a bit for someone who has the full information on how to use it, as I don’t know how it works,” responded one pharmacist among 4 who were present.
After some Minutes, Belinda Umutoni came and started to explain to the reporter how to use the test based on the instruction papers packed inside, and she ended up selling it at frw5,000.
“It is very new, so people don’t know about it, and we don’t get many customers asking for it. For now, we buy under three tests a day,” she said.
Counseling
Many of their customers are busy workers who don’t even have the time to listen to the counseling messages, so they don’t offer them most of the time, she said.
“They don’t have time for counseling. But if someone shows interest in it and they have time, we do it,” he said.
Dr Nsanzimana said they have already distributed about 5000 Oratests in some public and private institutions, and other 10,000 are going to be distributed.
“We have a full report about all these people who used these tests.
No one among them met a mental problem like depression or worse, committed suicide. On the other hand, they expressed gratitude for knowing their status in a very secret way,” he said.
According to him, the old way of counseling people for HIV testing was badly designed, as it may spread fear among people.
“At that time, a person should undergo 3 counseling sessions before getting tested, and some people would decide not to proceed because of fear. For now, we designed another way of counseling which is very brief compared to the previous one, and we have trained these pharmacies to help their clients,” he said.
Dr Placidie Umugwaneza, Director of the HIV Prevention Unit at RBC, said the kit should be used to determine the status of some husbands who refuse to accompany their wives to the hospitals.
”In Prevention of Mother to Child HIV Transmission (PMTCT), we advise pregnant women to come with their husbands. However, some refuse to come completely for various reasons. We think it will be helpful for those to send them Oraquick tests so that we know their status and be able to protect babies from being infected,” she said.
How to use it
If you plan to use OraQuick for HIV testing, better to spend at least 15 minutes without putting any drink or food in your mouth.
You open it in an indicated way and you pull out instruction papers, on which it is indicated the right way to use it.
The instructions are in English, French, and Kinyarwanda, to facilitate all Rwandans to read and understand them.
Inside the package, there is a bottle support, and it is better to pull it out and place it on an equal surface.
There is also a bottle with fluid inside, which helps to prepare the test, and you place it on its support.
Besides, there is another object, like a brush, used to take the sample. You hold it in an indicated way, you brush it on the surface between the gum and the lips, up and down, then deposit it in the bottle.
The results can be ready in 20 minutes, and not later than 40 minutes. The results are positive when there are two red horizontal lines before the letter C (Control) and letter T (Test), written on the kit
The test is negative when there is one red horizontal line in front of the letter C. It is neutral when there is nothing before these two letters or if there is a long red vertical line on the kit.
Like any other test, OraQuick can detect HIV 2 to 3 months after a person is exposed to the infection.
Dr Nsanzimana said if a person finds his/her result positive, they can call on 114 to request more support, and they are free to choose the health facilities they want for treatment and further help.
For now, 3 among 100 Rwandans are infected with HIV.