Modern HIV Rapid Test Similar to COVID Rapid Test | IAS 2025

The most simple, lowest-cost HIV test on the market today is a rapid test that uses a blood sample to check for the presence of HIV antibodies, according to Anna Bershteyn, Ph.D., associate professor in the Department of Population Health, NYU Grossman School of Medicine.

“It looks a bit like a COVID test; it's a strip you would typically use for blood that's done by a provider,” Bershteyn said in a recent video interview with Managed Healthcare Executive. “It'll have a band for control, and it will have a band showing if you are HIV positive or not.”

Anna Bershteyn, Ph.D.

The test, sometimes referred to as an “A-0” test, is available for approximately 70 cents in many low- and middle-income countries.

“I say that term “A-0” because there's some jargon around the test sequence that you would use, where the very first test is the one that you use to determine if the person is likely positive.”

Further testing is typically required to confirm the results of the first, to search for slightly different antibody types.

The International AIDS Society Conference on HIV Science is held this year in Kigali, Rwanda, from July 13 to 17. Bershteyn will present research at two sessions: ‘HIV Self-Testing impact on HIV diagnosis and treatment’ on July 13 and ‘Developing objective targets for monitoring PrEP program progress’ on July 16.