A Short Technical Update on Self‑testing for HIV

HIV self‑testing is a process whereby a person who wants to know his or her HIV status collects a specimen, performs a test and interprets the test result in private. HIV self‑testing does not provide a definitive diagnosis; instead, it is a screening test for the presence of HIV-1/2 antibodies or the HIV-1 p24 antigen. Any positive HIV result must be confirmed by a health worker in accordance with national testing algorithms.