Home testing kit can detect HIV in just 15 minutes

A home testing kit that can detect HIV antibodies in just 15 minutes has been launched in the Irish market against a backdrop of a steady rise in infection rates since 2011.

The self-test kit, available over the counter from pharmacies, involves the user taking a pinprick sample of their blood with the device. The device then looks for the presence of antibodies and produces a HIV negative or HIV positive reading within 15 minutes.