Assessment of the Accuracy of Whole Blood/Serum Rapid Point-of-Care HIV Three Dot Test for Oral Fluid Specimens

Background: Saliva rapid point of care HIV tests have proven advantages over blood-based HIV tests in terms of quality, rapidity and convenience. Aim: To assess the sensitivity, specificity and reproducibility of saliva samples using the serum/ whole blood rapid test and to compare it with serum specimens. Material & Methods: 52 seropositive and 52 seronegative patients were included in the study. Stimulated and unstimulated saliva samples were collected and tested using the serum/ whole blood signal HIV THREE DOT rapid test (span diagnostics). Results: The sensitivity, specificity, positive predictive value and negative predictive value of the test was found to be 100% for saliva samples. Conclusion: Saliva samples can be used as a substitute to serum/whole blood for HIV testing. It can be done using the serum/whole blood kits which are cheaper and readily available thus broadening the reach of testing programs in resource limited settings.