People living with HIV could soon monitor their own condition at home using a hand-held device, similar to ones used by diabetics .
Scientists at three of London’s largest research centres have been granted £2m to develop a hi-tech, finger prick blood-testing gadget.
The device’s tiny mechanical sensors - microcantilever arrays - measure HIV levels to warn of impending flare ups.
A display then alerts the user if there is any need for them to visit a doctor.
 |  It would be very useful if HIV patients could check their own viral measures  Lisa Power of the Terrence Higgins Trust |
Investigator Dr Anna-Maria Goretti, an NHS consultant and co-investigator based at the Royal Free Hospital, said: “If patients neglect to take their treatments or need prompting to see their GP the device will provide a simple way of letting them know. ”It will really empower HIV patients to keep a close eye on their health and their treatments." Read the rest of the article at Self-monitoring
When properly used, the ability to test your own viral load makes sense for most of us, although I’m sure that there that will always be a few of us who become obsessive about it or break out the test kit after every episode of “True Blood”. Not that I want to shill for the medical profession, but it shouldn’t replace working with your doctor.
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