Before long, an AIDS test could be as convenient as the nearest drug store.

An AIDS home testing kit is now being test marketed in Texas and Florida. The test should be available nationwide next spring.

David Hoover, manager of the Pima County AIDS program, said though the kit is called a home test, it is more accurate to call it a blood collection kit. The kit, priced at about $30, includes a lancet, similar to ones diabetics use to test their blood, and swabs, cotton balls and paper to place the blood sample.

Unlike home pregnancy tests, in which the results are obtained at home, the AIDS kit sample must be sent to a lab for testing. Within a week, most people will receive a call with their test results.

Those who test negative will hear a recording with information about the window between exposure to HIV, the human immunodeficiency virus, and a positive test result.

Those who test positive will receive a call from a counselor who will make referrals to local agencies that assist those with HIV.

Hoover said he supports the use of home testing kits.

"Anything that opens up the door to knowledge of HIV status is a good thing," Hoover said. "Because of privacy issues and nervousness, some people may be hesitant to come to a clinic."

Hoover said it is estimated that more than 50 percent of those who are HIV-positive are not aware of their status.

Hoover said he is concerned that some who receive a negative test result will continue engaging in risky behavior because they have not seen the consequences of their actions. He said he was not aware if the labs performing the testing for the home kits are doing the initial screening test, or a more detailed test that can weed out false negatives and reveal more positives.

"These are our concerns," Hoover said. "But as long as knowledge of their status leads to a pathway of prevention, treatment and care, we think it is a good thing."

Dr. Marian Binder, a UA Campus Health clinical psychologist, said she agrees with the convenience of the home testing kit, but she also has some concerns about home testing. She said she would not like to see home testing replace walk-in counseling and testing."There is potential for the person to not get as much information on the phone," she said. "Being able to sit down and talk to a person, they can open up and discuss other issues that are on their minds."

Binder said she believes the test may reach those who are apprehensive about going to a clinic.

"To some, it seems more anonymous to do the home test," Binder said. "Different people select different methods that are best for them."

She said she is concerned those who use the home test may not get as much information about counseling and services available to them. Binder said Campus Health requires all patients to come in to the clinic for their test results.

"Nothing in our procedure tips them off (about their test result)," she said. "They all have to come in for their test results."

The in-person approach to AIDS counseling gives patients a chance to ask questions they might not have thought of previously, Binder said.

"If a person tests positive, a lot of information and support is provided," she said. "We'd like the person to be here. As a psychologist, I think the more opportunities they have to talk about it, the better."

Binder said Campus Health tests roughly 600 students per year for HIV.

For the first time in three years, the cost for the test through Campus Health is going up this fall, from $17.50 to $20. The increase reflects the increased lab costs the university is paying.

Binder said the increased cost of the test should not deter people from being tested.

"For a large percentage of people, wanting to know (their HIV status) takes precedence over the cost," she said. "And there are always free clinics where people can get the test."

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