The article described OraQuick, a new product that can rapidly test for the existence of HIV. This new test can be administered at clinics with the assistance of medical personnel. This is an important breakthrough because a lot of Americans (around 250,000) do not know that they already have HIV infection, and a fast and reliable procedure would help in the diagnosis and treatment of the disease. However, there is still a major obstacle with this new test. The incidents of false positive results indicate that the new product might not be as reliable as originally expected.

             OraQuick Rapid HIV-1 Antibody Test is an initial screening test that can determine the existence of HIV, the virus that causes AIDS. The test can be performed by obtaining a blood sample or by a tissue swab from the mouth and applying a reagent. The result can be obtained after 20 to 40 minutes.

             The FDA approved OraQuick for the mass market, but several incidents seemed to show higher incidents of false positives than was originally expected. The specificity rate of the product was originally set at 99.6%, which is higher than the FDA requirement of 98%. In several regions, however, varied results came out. In San Francisco, for example, one clinic reported a low specificity rate of only 96.3%. This translates to six false positives in 160 tests. Conflicting results occurred in some areas such as New York when the specificity rate turned out to be a high 99.9%.

             It was also indicated that the product itself might be working very well, but other variables were affecting the specificity rates. This might involve the expertise of the person administering the test, and the interpretation of the results. In addition to this, the specificity rate for blood samples is slightly higher than that of oral fluids.

             The article is a good one because it describes a very useful product that can save people's lives. Early diagnosis and treatment is crucial for people who have been infected by HIV.