On NACO's promotion of HIV testing

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Dear Forum Members,

NACO is contineously advertising for testing for HIV. One test for HIV may not

give dependable results:

" No test in biological system is foolproof even under the best laboratory

conditions. For example if we wish to detect an asymptomatic HIV positive person

by using ELISA (2nd ELISA done on sera reactive to first ELISA) in a population

where the prevalence of infection is 1%, the chance that a person detected

positive is actually positive (positive predictive value) is only 50% after one

ELISA test and 99% turly after two tests.

This means one result will be falsely positive in every 100 tests,

even by two tests if we use a western blot as supplemental test instead of 2nd

ELISA, the chance of detcting truly positive increased to 99.998% which means

there will be one false positive out of

10,000 declared positive. " - Extract from NACO Guidelines.

Thus one can say that such testing may not be clinching, and any false positive

result communicated (which may happen) can cause havoc with the psyche of the

individual and his or her family.

Moreover, exposing such a large number of people for HIV testing will always be

frought with danger of infecting target population with a variety of

transmissible diseases, including HIV since a large percentage of syringe

equipment do not get destroyed/disposed after use (one time use) and come back

in circulation.

I wonder whether ICMR has been consulted. I also wonder whether clearance from

ethical committee has been obtained.

Can some one educate me?

Lalji K Verma

Air Mshl Lalji K Verma AVSM (Retd)

President ISHWM

253, AFNO Enclave, Plot-11, Sector- 7, Dwarka, New Delhi - 110075

Tele +91-11-25094702, +9312626462

e-mail: <lalji.lkv2007@...>