Use of Home Test Kits for HIV Is Bad Medicine

To the Editor.—  A great deal of scientific and media attention has focused on the issue of home test and blood collection kits for detection of infection with human immunodeficiency virus (HIV). Use of such kits and devices is contrary to the standard practice of notification of life-threatening medical diagnoses in medical settings. There are sound reasons for the recommendations made by a number of agencies that counseling accompany HIV testing.¹ The experience of the US Air Force with notification of HIV infection sheds light on this issue.All active-duty military personnel are periodically tested for evidence of infection with HIV. Notification of seropositivity is made in person, in a medical setting, and after a confirmatory Western blot test. Seropositive active-duty individuals are immediately referred to Wilford Hall US Air Force Medical Center, Lackland Air Force Base, Tex, for a comprehensive medical evaluation. Face-to-face counseling and education are included.