What are the benefits of rapid testing for HIV?
Rapid tests offer great promise to help fight the HIV/AIDS epidemic. They can: • increase the number of individuals who seek testing and who actually receive their test results; • facilitate early identification of infection and help reduce the number of persons who are tested late in the course of their HIV disease; • prevent new infections by ensuring that those at highest risk for infection learn their status and receive information that can help them protect their partners; • help individuals maintain negative status by providing immediate test results along with HIV risk reduction information and counseling; • help eliminate perinatal transmission; and • make the most efficient use of resources.
