The United Kingdom’s Medicines and Healthcare products Regulatory Agency (MHRA) is urging the public to no buy unregulated HIV self-testing kits over the Internet, aidsmap.com reports.
According to the article, medical regulators are concerned that HIV self-tests that do not meet European safety and quality standards may provide unreliable results. Because the websites are registered outside the United Kingdom, they are not subject to federal regulations.
Free and confidential HIV tests are available in the country through publicly funded sexual health clinics, community outreach settings and some general practitioners.
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Beth Benne, RN, is HIV negative, but
the virus has impacted her life. She currently supervises a biannual HIV/AIDS awareness week as
the director of the student health center at Pierce College, a
community commuter school in Woodland Hills, California.
Woman of the Month is supported by exclusive advertising from Gilead.
Overheard in the Women's Forum
"I recently met a guy who is negative. I did tell him about my status and he decided to kiss me anyway (we didn't go further than that). But a day later, he called and said that he actually had a mouth ulcer that time when we kissed and he was very worried. Asked if he can get the virus from me that way. For that moment, I felt so insulted and yet I felt so bad. It was my first time having a contact with a "negative" guy."
