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Self-test kits for HIV now available at pharmacies


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Self-test kits for HIV now available at pharmacies

By The Nation

 

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HIV test

 

THANKS TO THE latest move by the Food and Drug Administration (FDA), people no longer have to visit a medical centre to undergo an HIV test. If they are worried that they may be infected, people can just buy a self-test kit from a pharmacy and check on their own.

 

“But, of course, if the kit shows a reactive result, they are highly recommended to seek a blood test at a medical service unit for help,” FDA secretary-general, Tares Krassanairawiwong, said. 

 

As of 2017, it was estimated that there were about 440,000 people living with HIV in Thailand. Of them, about 98 per cent were aware of their HIV-positive status. Although Thailand is highly successful in combating HIV/Aids, new infections are still reportedly taking place every day. 

 

Estimates suggest the virus strikes 15 new people a day on average. 

 

Apiwat Kwangkaew, president of the Thai Network of People Living with Aids, said more than 200,000 people are believed to be living in Thailand without knowing that they are HIV-positive. 

 

“So, we think the self-test kits will be useful to this group,” he said. 

 

Medical Council’s secretary-general, Dr Ittaporn Kanacharoen, has raised concerns about the use of a self-test kit.

 

“What if the users are still very young and immature?” he asked on Facebook. 

 

He also noted that there have been cases of people committing suicide upon finding that they had become HIV-positive. “The Medical Council has, in fact, issued a guideline that children who undergo HIV tests must receive counselling both before and after the tests are conducted,” he said. 

 

Ittaporn still sees the kits as useful. “Overall, I think the benefits of self-test kits will outweigh any negative impacts it may bring,” Apiwat said.

 

However, he emphasised the need to prepare measures to help those who might not be able to cope with their HIV-positive status on their own. 

 

According to him, public awareness of Aids/HIV is now high. Access to information on the virus and the treatable disease is also widespread. 

 

“Those who have decided to use the kits must have quite a lot of information. So, they should know that those with HIV can live a normal life. As well, there are many hotlines for them to get free counselling,” he added. 

 

Asked about the risks of companies using such kits to screen out HIV-positive job applicants, Apiwat said a company would be considered to be violating a person’s human rights if it abused the kits in such a way. 

 

Source: http://www.nationmultimedia.com/detail/national/30368069

 

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-- © Copyright The Nation 2019-04-22
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5 hours ago, webfact said:

As of 2017, it was estimated that there were about 440,000 people living with HIV in Thailand. Of them, about 98 per cent were aware of their HIV-positive status. Although Thailand is highly successful in combating HIV/Aids, new infections are still reportedly taking place every day. 

 

Estimates suggest the virus strikes 15 new people a day on average. 

 

Apiwat Kwangkaew, president of the Thai Network of People Living with Aids, said more than 200,000 people are believed to be living in Thailand without knowing that they are HIV-positive. 

The numbers don't add up!

If 98% know they are infected, and there are 400k infected, how can there be 200k not knowing they are infected?

That would mean only 60% knew they were infected.

 

Maybe it's me that's stupid?

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However, this is still the stigma associated with this illness and although it is very treatable, many people, especially Thai's won't ask for this over the counter.

 

Possibly a kind of vending machine within a chemist or pharmacy would encourage more people to buy and use it.

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34 minutes ago, BritManToo said:
6 hours ago, webfact said:

As of 2017, it was estimated that there were about 440,000 people living with HIV in Thailand. Of them, about 98 per cent were aware of their HIV-positive status. Although Thailand is highly successful in combating HIV/Aids, new infections are still reportedly taking place every day. 

 

Estimates suggest the virus strikes 15 new people a day on average. 

 

Apiwat Kwangkaew, president of the Thai Network of People Living with Aids, said more than 200,000 people are believed to be living in Thailand without knowing that they are HIV-positive. 

The numbers don't add up!

If 98% know they are infected, and there are 400k infected, how can there be 200k not knowing they are infected?

That would mean only 60% knew they were infected.

 

Maybe it's me that's stupid?

 

 

thai education and obama's common core curriculum sure seem to have a lot in common.   your math is fine

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Hopefully, these over-the-counter test kits will be snapped up by Thailand's vulnerable gay population, which accounted for 44% of all new HIV infections in 2016, according to the HIV/AIDS information agency Avert. 

 

The failure of large numbers of men who have sex with men to get tested is a reason Thailand has one of the highest HIV prevalences in Asia and the Pacific, accounting for 9% of the region’s total population of people living with HIV. 

 

It is worth noting that not all commercial test kits can be considered reliable and an initial positive reading should always be followed up by diagnosis via a lab test. As it can take eight weeks or more for the HIV virus to appear, it makes sense to follow an initial negative reading with a follow-up testthree months later.

 

Here's an Avert chart which should clarify any confusion caused by the statistics for infection and treatment provided in the newspaper article.

 

Thailand 90-90-90 progress (2018) graphic

 

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7 hours ago, webfact said:

Apiwat Kwangkaew, president of the Thai Network of People Living with Aids, said more than 200,000 people are believed to be living in Thailand without knowing that they are HIV-positive. 

 

But only 15 a day on average contract the virus ?

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From what I read these tests are extremely accurate nowadays. Chinese copies excepted. Last year I got tested - 400 baht. I always jointly had a test when ever a new girlfriend moved in. As they were unreliable we went to a central Pattaya hospital, around 13 years ago. Must have been a promotion of sorts as we were sent to a desk in the centre of the lobby where 3 stunning nurses took details. 4 hours later collected HIV free certificates but wondered. What if I'd been positive? What public embarrassment! 

These tests now make it possible to know in private, make life and lifestyle adjustments and break the news in the best possible way. 

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3 hours ago, inactiveposter said:

The article states that 440,000 people have HIV and 98% are aware of it, and then it goes on to say that 200,000 are unaware they have it. Are they implying that there are actually almost 700,000 cases?   Or is it just more bad math?

Thaisplaining using Thai math skills.

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2 hours ago, Lemonltr said:

What public embarrassment! 

 

Saying things like this is part of why the 'stigma' continues.

 

Why is it an embarrassment? Its simply a virus that anyone who ever had sex can catch and lots of people have sex every day. Its also treatable with one pill a day.

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2 hours ago, NightSky said:

Saying things like this is part of why the 'stigma' continues.

 

Why is it an embarrassment? Its simply a virus that anyone who ever had sex can catch and lots of people have sex every day. Its also treatable with one pill a day.

This may be the case in the west but even there many people run a mile if they find out someone as HIV.

In Thailand there is a huge sigma if you have HIV I have a Thai friend who travels to Bangkok from Pattaya to get his pills because he thinks he will lose all his Thai customers if they found out he has it and have to shut his business.

Also there was a shelter just outside Pattaya which looked after people with HIV / Aids, the locals in the village got the place shut down because it dropped all the property prices.

Its not right but you have to live with how it is not how you want it to be, things will change very slowly as that's how things work in Thailand.

 

 

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7 minutes ago, jamesy9368 said:

This may be the case in the west but even there many people run a mile if they find out someone as HIV.

In Thailand there is a huge sigma if you have HIV I have a Thai friend who travels to Bangkok from Pattaya to get his pills because he thinks he will lose all his Thai customers if they found out he has it and have to shut his business.

Also there was a shelter just outside Pattaya which looked after people with HIV / Aids, the locals in the village got the place shut down because it dropped all the property prices.

Its not right but you have to live with how it is not how you want it to be, things will change very slowly as that's how things work in Thailand.

 

 

It’s simply a lack of education. It’s not 1980 we’ve moved on since then.

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With vaginal sex, a woman is 1000 times more likely to contract HIV from her partner than vice versa. With anal sex, all bets are off.

The principal concern with DIY test kits would be if they return a false negative on a male, who could then go on to infect multiple partners.

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I fear many “mongers” will use a test on their latest “rental” which will accomplish nothing, the incubation period being what it is.


Sent from my iPad using Thaivisa Connect
It all helps though, even testing the wife or girlfriend will help. Plus of course the farang who never get tested
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  • 4 months later...
11 minutes ago, AileenWo said:

Guys, you can get the hiv test online nowadays hiv test malaysia

 

I'd be more interested in what exact brand or brands of HIV tests are being made available in Thai pharmacies (no mention in the OP article), which would allow some research and checking on just how reliable (or not) that/those particular brands are....  That's assuming, of course, the ones they're actually selling aren't counterfeit knockoffs.

 

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On 4/22/2019 at 9:20 AM, BritManToo said:

The numbers don't add up!

If 98% know they are infected, and there are 400k infected, how can there be 200k not knowing they are infected?

That would mean only 60% knew they were infected.

 

Maybe it's me that's stupid?

Nope, they are stupid. 

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On 4/22/2019 at 4:39 PM, Pdavies99 said:

Wow! I might get a pack of ten, next time I meet a lovely one to take home etc I can test first!!  Ha Ha!

Hate to spoil your fun but this may save you making a mistake.

 

Unless they've improved the tests, there is a window period of three months where a positive person will show negative.

 

So just cuz the girl tests negative it does not mean she does not carry HIV.

 

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