Saliva HIV Tests Just as Accurate as Blood Tests

Finding out one’s HIV-status may soon be as simple as swabbing someone’s tongue, according to Canadian researchers, who say saliva tests are just as accurate as those conducted with blood.

Recent studies show oral tests, which provide results in 20 minutes, are 99% accurate when used on high-risk individuals and 97% accurate on those considered low-risk. While oral tests have been studied before, the recent Canadian study evaluated patients on a global scale.

The news has huge worldwide implications as getting more people tested is a goal of many nations. The study’s results open up options for self-testing, possibly with kits sold over-the-counter.