The Semi-Permanent Health Fix Sorting out Britain's Most Embarrassing Health Problem

provides a semi-permanent and non-invasive solution.

(1888PressRelease) July 03, 2012 - Semi-permanent beauty treatments such as botox, fillers and chemical peels have increased in popularity in recent years in the UK. The British Association of Aesthetics Plastic Surgeons recorded a 6.7% rise in the number of facial rejuvenation procedures

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Kiwaii Announces Authentic New Label Design

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Jul
2012Kiwaii announces redesigned bottle label, now in stores.

(1888PressRelease) July 03, 2012 - Hellertown, PA - Kiwaii True New Zealand Spring Water wants everyone to know exactly where their pure natural spring water comes from. That's why Premium Healthy Spring Water Inc. (PHSW) announced today that the company has modified the design of the Kiwaii brand bottle. The new labels started hitting store shelves in June.

Kiwaii formerly had a picture of a New Zealand waterfall on the label. Kiwaii's clear square bottle now contains a picture of the Blue Spring, the actual source of the water, in the background.

"How many other brands show you exactly where their water comes from?" says Lou Savant, PHSW CEO. "The Blue Spring in New Zealand is a unique water source. It is very pristine and beautiful. Putting a picture of the Blue Spring on the label is honest and consistent with our company values. Kiwaii is 100% natural and nothing is done to alter the natural properties of the water. Kiwaii tastes like water is supposed to taste - as clean and refreshing as it looks."

The company named the brand "Kiwaii True Spring Water" to make a bold statement.

"Consumers have the right to know the complete truth about products they consume - including where it comes from, how it's made and what's in it," says Savant. The company has always made Kiwaii's full water analysis available to consumers through their website, kiwaii.com. "We tell people exactly where Kiwaii comes from and what is in it."

About Kiwaii 100% True New Zealand Spring Water

Kiwaii, pronounced (key-why-ee), is a combination of the words "Kiwi" and "Wai". "Kiwi" is the nickname of the New Zealand people and "Wai" is the New Zealand native Maori word for water.

Kiwaii originates from the "Blue Spring", an abundant artesian spring on the North Island of New Zealand. New Zealand is well known for its diverse natural beauty, pristine ecosystems and strong protection of natural resources. Only a small fraction of the spring's daily 13 million gallon output is permitted for bottling. Eco-conscious consumers can be confident Kiwaii's bottling operation has zero downstream impact on the local environment, and the spring is indefinitely renewable and sustainable.
Kiwaii is bottled in a state-of-the-art, certified organic and kosher facility. The natural properties and purity of the Blue Spring give Kiwaii a smooth, clean taste unlike any other water.

Kiwaii is sold in more than 1,500 grocery and natural food stores in the United States plus three Caribbean islands, Japan and New Zealand. For more information call 1-877-4KIWAII or visit kiwaii.com.

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Kiwaii to sponsor San Francisco Avon Walk for Breast Cancer

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Jul
2012Kiwaii 100% True New Zealand Spring Water to sponsor Avon Walk, San Francisco.

(1888PressRelease) July 04, 2012 - Kiwaii 100% True New Zealand Spring Water is pleased to announce that it is a proud sponsor of the Avon Walk for Breast Cancer, July 7-8 in San Francisco.

The Avon Walk covers nine cities across the country, covering 39.3 miles over a weekend and raises significant awareness and funds to fight breast cancer. Since 2003, efforts of 150,000 Avon Walk participants, more than $440 million has been raised and donated to breast cancer programs.

"At Kiwaii, our focus never strays from the health and well-being of our customers," President and CEO Lou Savant said. "We're extremely proud to be able to help a cause as vital as the Avon Walk. With every step along their 39-mile journey, the Avon walkers are doing their part to make a difference for people living with breast cancer. We're proud to do our part to support them."

Kiwaii's artesian spring water is sourced from the pristine Blue Spring, in Putaruru, New Zealand. Kiwaii is bottled in a state-of-the-art facility under certified organic and kosher conditions - validation of the care and purity that goes into every bottle, as well as the company's commitment to providing consumers with the healthiest, most natural water on the market.

Kiwaii is available in several northern California retailers, including Whole Foods Markets, Andronico's Markets, Mollie Stone's Markets, Draegers Market, Nugget Markets and New Leaf Community Markets.

About Kiwaii 100% True New Zealand Spring Water
Kiwaii 100% True New Zealand Spring Water originates from a single trusted source-the magnificent Blue Spring in Putaruru, Waikato, New Zealand. Kiwaii is bottled in a state-of-the-art, certified organic and kosher facility in Waikato, New Zealand. The natural properties and purity of the Blue Spring give Kiwaii a smooth, clean taste unlike any other water. For more information call 1-877-4KIWAII or visit kiwaii.com.

Corporate Contact
Louis Savant
Premium Healthy Spring Water, Inc.
1866 Leithsville Road #310
Hellertown, PA 18055
1-877-4KIWAII (454-9244)
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Lactoferrin Helps Bones, Periodontal Problems and Weight Loss

Lactoferrin is one of the most potent immune modulating compounds known.  It should be naturally produced in your saliva, and has been proven to be lacking in individuals who are overweight or who have insulin resistance.  The lack of lactoferrin in your saliva enables germ imbalances that promote the wear and tear of your jaw bone, leading to periodontal problems.  This leads to a triad of overlapping problems: general bone loss, dental problems, and difficulty losing weight.  Several new studies explain how bovine lactoferrin can help.

As I explained in yesterday’s article on oregano oil, people who are overweight and struggle with weight loss typically have too much toxic LPS coming from the germ gangs that line their digestive system.  When that LPS reenters the circulation one of the adverse things it does is travel to your bones wherein it provokes the inflammatory release of TNFa Cytokine involved with systemic inflammation and regulation of immune cells. It is able to induce cell death, and inhibits tumorigenesis and viral replication. When dysfunctional it is associated with a number of disease processes. within bone, in turn inducing bone loss.  One of the new studies documents the precise mechanism showing how bovine lactoferrin can help your bones in general, showing how it blocked the LPS activation of inflammation in various ways, including the suppression of TNFa Cytokine involved with systemic inflammation and regulation of immune cells. It is able to induce cell death, and inhibits tumorigenesis and viral replication. When dysfunctional it is associated with a number of disease processes. and NF-kappaB Protein complex that controls DNA transcription and is involved with cellular responses to stress, cytokines, free radicals, UV radiation, oxidized LDL, and infections. .  The authors concluded, “Bovine lactoferrin could be a potent therapeutic agent for inflammatory diseases associated with bone destruction, such as periodontitis and rheumatoid arthritis.”

The second study was an observational clinical trial wherein bovine lactoferrin was rubbed into the gums of patients with periodontitis.  Fluid extracted from the inflamed areas showed a lowering of inflammatory signals.  Patients experienced a noticeable reduction in edema, bleeding, pocket depth, gingival and plaque index.  The authors concluded, “Even if other clinical trials are required, these results provide strong evidence for a role of bovine lactoferrin in curing periodontitis, thus extending the therapeutic potential of this multifunctional natural protein.”

While periodontal problems can occur in anyone, they are common in people who are overweight due to the reduction in natural lactoferrin from the stress of excess body fat.  I previously reported on an eight week clinical trial in overweight individuals demonstrating that 300 mg per day of bovine lactoferrin helped them lose their abdominal fat (the most inflammatory kind of fat). 

Whether you rub it directly into your gums or take it orally, bovine lactoferrin is one nutrient that can help three typically co-occurring issues:  bone wear and tear, periodontal problems, and sluggish metabolism.  On top of that, bovine lactoferrin is one of the best studied natural immune support compounds available.

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Obesity, larger waist size associated with better outcomes in heart failure patients

ScienceDaily (July 3, 2012) — A slim waist and normal weight are usually associated with better health outcomes, but that's not always the case with heart failure patients, according to a new UCLA study.

See Also:Health & MedicineObesityHeart DiseaseCholesterolStroke PreventionDiseases and ConditionsDiet and Weight LossReferenceArtificial heartIschaemic heart diseaseRheumatic feverHypertension

Researchers found that in both men and women with advanced heart failure, obesity -- as indicated by a high body mass index (BMI) -- and a higher waist circumference were factors that put them at significantly less risk for adverse outcomes.

The study findings are published in the July 1 online issue of the American Journal of Cardiology.

Heart failure affects 5.8 million people, including 2.5 million women. Approximately one-half to two-thirds of heart failure patients are overweight or obese.

Women and men are known to have differences in body composition and body-fat distribution, and this study is one of the first to specifically assess the impact of BMI and waist circumference on women and compare it with men.

The findings also offer further insight into an observed phenomenon in chronic heart failure known as the "obesity paradox": Obesity is a known risk factor for developing heart disease and heart failure, but once heart failure has manifested, being overweight may provide some protective benefits.

"The study provides us with more insight about how both genders of heart failure patients may be impacted by the obesity paradox," said senior author Dr. Tamara Horwich, an assistant professor of cardiology at the David Geffen School of Medicine at UCLA. "Heart failure may prove to be one of the few health conditions where extra weight may prove to be protective."

For the study, researchers analyzed data on advanced heart failure patients treated at UCLA Medical Center from 1983 to 2011. The team assessed 2,718 patients who had their BMI measured at the beginning of heart failure treatment and 469 patients who had their waist circumference measured at the beginning of treatment.

Using standardized measures, the researchers identified men or women as having a high BMI if they were greater or equal to 25 kg/m² -- this included both overweight patients (25 to 29.9 kg/m²) and obese patients (30 kg/m² or greater).

For men, a high waist circumference was considered 40 inches (102 cm) or greater, and for women, 37 inches (88 cm) or greater. This assessment also included patients who were either overweight or obese.

At the two-year follow-up, researchers used statistical analysis and found that in men, a high waist circumference and high BMI were associated with event-free survival from adverse outcomes like death, the need for a heart transplant, or the need for ventricular assist device placement.

Women with a higher BMI also had better outcomes than their normal-weight counterparts, and women with a high waist circumference also trended toward improved outcomes.

Both men and women with a normal BMI and waist circumference were at a substantially higher risk for these adverse outcomes. In fact, a normal BMI was associated with significantly worse outcomes -- a 34 percent higher risk in men and a 38 percent higher risk in women -- than a high BMI.

Normal waist circumference was also associated with an increased risk of adverse outcomes in both genders, with men's risk doubling and women's risk tripling.

"We knew that obesity might provide a protective benefit for heart failure patients, but we didn't know whether this obesity paradox applied specifically to women with heart failure, as well as men -- and it does," Horwich said.

BMI measurement has been used for years as a surrogate measure of body fat. Since it measures all mass -- including lean muscle, which weighs more than fat -- the measurement may not be specific for total body fat. Waist circumference is a newer addition that may provide a more direct connection to body fat, since it measures the fat accumulated around the belly.

"The study also demonstrates how BMI and waist circumference can be used together to provide a more accurate measure of fat in the body to help determine obesity and assess risk," said the study's first author, Adrienne L. Clark, a resident in the department of medicine at the Geffen School of Medicine.

According to Horwich, no one knows exactly why the obesity paradox exists for heart failure patients, but there are several possible explanations.

Being underweight is traditionally associated with a poorer prognosis in heart failure patients. Obesity may be at the other end of the spectrum, and patients may thereby benefit from increased muscle mass, as well as metabolic reserves in the form of fatty tissue. In addition, increased levels of serum lipoproteins that are associated with increased body fat may play an anti-inflammatory role, neutralizing circulating toxins and inflammation-related proteins.

Obese patients also present at an earlier stage of heart failure due to increased symptoms and functional impairment caused by excess body weight, so they may be getting help sooner, which also could improve outcomes, the researchers said.

The next steps in research will include larger studies with longer follow-up times, as well as a closer look at the physiology behind the obesity paradox.

The study was funded by the National Heart, Lung and Blood Institute, part of the National Institutes of Health (grant 1K23HL085097).

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How cellular pathways converge to regulate food intake and body weight

ScienceDaily (July 3, 2012) — In the complex chain of molecular events that underlie eating behaviors and body weight, the AMP-activated protein kinase (AMPK) enzyme has proven to be a critical link.

See Also:Health & MedicineObesityDiet and Weight LossFitnessDiseases and ConditionsColon CancerCancerReferenceAppetiteSkeletal muscleBlood sugarInsulin-like growth factor

Now, researchers at Beth Israel Deaconess Medical Center (BIDMC) have identified the mechanism responsible for inhibition of AMPK activity in the hypothalamus, a discovery that not only provides a deeper understanding of energy balance but also reveals a critical integration point where multiple signaling pathways, including PI3K-AKT and mTOR converge.

Described in the July 3 issue of Cell Metabolism, the findings could yield new opportunities for the development of treatments for both metabolic diseases and cancer.

"AMPK is an evolutionarily conserved 'fuel gauge,'" says senior author Barbara Kahn, MD, a scientist in the Division of Endocrinology, Diabetes and Metabolism at BIDMC and the George Richards Minot Professor of Medicine at Harvard Medical School. Activated when cellular energy supplies are low, AMPK also functions at the whole body level to regulate metabolism and energy balance.

The Kahn laboratory was the first to describe AMPK's critical role in mediating the actions of leptin, the hormone produced by fat cells that serves as a master regulator of neuroendocrine, metabolic, vascular, sympathetic and immune function. In 2002, Kahn demonstrated that AMPK is activated by leptin in skeletal muscle, thereby enabling the hormone to metabolize fatty acids. Subsequently, in 2004, her laboratory discovered that an opposing scenario takes place in the brain's hypothalamus, where AMPK is inhibited by leptin.

"Having determined that leptin's effects on food intake and body weight depend on the inhibition of AMPK in the hypothalamus, we wanted to determine the signaling events that were responsible for this effect," she explains.

The PI3K-AKT, mTOR-p70S6 kinase and AMPK pathways play distinct and critical roles in metabolic regulation, and each pathway is necessary for leptin's anorexigenic effects in the hypothalamus, which inhibit food intake. Through a series of experiments led by first author Yossi Dagon, PhD, a postdoctoral fellow in the Kahn lab, the scientific team showed that these pathways converge in an integrated phosphorylation cascade to mediate leptin action on the hypothalamus.

"Our findings identify a novel serine phosphorylation site on the AMPK alpha 2 catalytic subunit that mediates leptin's inhibitory effects and is critical for leptin action on food intake and body weight, and further show that ribosomal p70S6 kinase is an inhibitory AMPK kinase," says Kahn. 'These discoveries unify what were thought to be multiple parallel pathways affecting leptin action including PI3 kinase and AKT into a coordinated phosphorylation cascade."

Adds study coauthor Lewis Cantley, PhD, Director of BIDMC's Cancer Center and a leader in the field of cancer metabolism, "Since PI3K, AKT, mTOR and p70S6K have all been shown to be important in cancer biology, this integration of these pathways may be important for cancer and other human diseases and could lead to improved therapeutic approaches."

Obesity has reached epidemic proportions worldwide and increases the risk for developing diabetes, cardiovascular disease and early mortality. "Maintaining normal body weight requires tight control of energy homeostasis, which necessitates a constant flow of metabolic input to the hypothalamus in the form of nutrients and hormones," says Kahn. "Our new results have broad biologic implications, since mTOR-p70S6 kinase and AMPK have multiple, fundamental and generally opposing cellular effects that regulate metabolism, cell growth and development."

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Why current strategies for fighting obesity are not working

ScienceDaily (July 3, 2012) — As the United States confronts the growing epidemic of obesity among children and adults, a team of University of Colorado School of Medicine obesity researchers concludes that what the nation needs is a new battle plan -- one that replaces the emphasis on widespread food restriction and weight loss with an emphasis on helping people achieve "energy balance" at a healthy body weight.

See Also:Health & MedicineDiet and Weight LossFitnessMind & BrainDieting and Weight ControlNutrition ResearchScience & SocietyEnergy IssuesSportsReferenceAppetiteGeneral fitness trainingOverweightNutrition and pregnancy

In a paper published in the July 3 issue of the journal Circulation, James O. Hill, PhD. and colleagues at the Anschutz Health and Wellness Center take on the debate over whether excessive food intake or insufficient physical activity cause obesity, using the lens of energy balance -- which combines food intake, energy expended through physical activity and energy (fat) storage -- to advance the concept of a "regulated zone," where the mechanisms by which the body establishes energy balance are managed to overcome the body's natural defenses towards preserving existing body weight. This is accomplished by strategies that match food and beverage intake to a higher level of energy expenditure than is typical in America today, enabling the biological system that regulates body weight to work more effectively. Additional support for this concept comes from many studies showing that higher levels of physical activity are associated with low weight gain whereas comparatively low levels of activity are linked to high weight gain over time.

"A healthy body weight is best maintained with a higher level of physical activity than is typical today and with an energy intake that matches," explained Hill, professor of pediatrics and medicine and executive director of the Anschutz Health and Wellness Center at the University of Colorado Anschutz Medical Campus and the lead author of the paper. "We are not going to reduce obesity by focusing only on reducing food intake. Without increasing physical activity in the population we are simply promoting unsustainable levels of food restriction. This strategy hasn't worked so far and it is not likely to work in the future.

As Dr. Hill explains, "What we are really talking about is changing the message from 'Eat Less, Move More" to 'Move More, Eat Smarter.' "

The authors argue that preventing excessive weight gain is a more achievable goal than treating obesity once it is present. Here, the researchers stress that reducing calorie intake by 100 calories a day would prevent weight gain in 90 percent of the adult population and is achievable through small increases in physical activity and small changes in food intake.

People who have a low level of physical activity have trouble achieving energy balance because they must constantly use food restriction to match energy intake to a low level of energy expenditure. Constant food restriction is difficult to maintain long-term and when it cannot be maintained, the result is positive energy balance (when the calories consumed are greater than the calories expended) and an increase in body mass, of which 60 percent to 80 percent is usually body fat. The increasing body mass elevates energy expenditure and helps reestablish energy balance. In fact, the researchers speculate that becoming obese may be the only way to achieve energy balance when living a sedentary lifestyle in a food-abundant environment.

Using an exhaustive review of the energy balance literature as the basis, the researchers also refuted the popular theory that escalating obesity rates can be attributed exclusively to two factors -- the change in the American diet and the rise in overall energy intake without a compensatory increase in energy expenditure. Using rough estimates of increases in food intake and decreases in physical activity from 1971 to 2000, the researchers calculated that were it not for the physiological processes that produce energy balance, American adults would have experienced a 30 to 80 fold increase in weight gain during that period, which demonstrates why it is not realistic to attribute obesity solely to caloric intake or physical activity levels. In fact, energy expenditure has dropped dramatically over the past century as our lives now require much less physical activity just to get through the day. The authors argue that this drop in energy expenditure was a necessary prerequisite for the current obesity problem, which necessitates adding a greater level of physical activity back into our modern lives.

"Addressing obesity requires attention to both food intake and physical activity, said co-author John Peters, PhD., assistant director of the Anschutz Health and Wellness Center. "Strategies that focus on either alone will not likely work."

In addition, the researchers conclude that food restriction alone is not effective in reducing obesity, explaining that although caloric restriction produces weight loss, this process triggers hunger and the body's natural defense to preserve existing body weight, which leads to a lower resting metabolic rate and notable changes in how the body burns calories. As a result, energy requirements after weight loss can be reduced from 170 to 250 calories for a 10 percent weight loss and from 325 to 480 calories for a 20 percent weight loss. These findings provide insight concerning weight loss plateau and the common occurrence of regaining weight after completing a weight loss regimen.

Recognizing that energy balance is a new concept for to the public, the researchers call for educational efforts and new information tools that will teach Americans about energy balance and how food and physical activity choices affect energy balance.

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FDA approves first at-home HIV test from OraSure

Reuters – Tue, Jul 3, 2012 (Reuters) - U.S. health regulators on Tuesday said they approved OraSure Technologies Inc's in-home test for HIV, making it the first over-the-counter, self-administered test for the virus that causes AIDS.

The Food and Drug Administration gave its green light to the OraQuick In-Home HIV Test, which within 20 to 40 minutes provides results from an oral fluid sample taken by swabbing the upper and lower gums inside the mouth.

Shares of the company, which were halted pending the FDA announcement, closed up 5.2 percent at $12.10 on Nasdaq.

The company said the test -- already approved for use by trained technicians -- will be available starting in October at more than 30,000 retailers and online. The price will be set closer to the launch date, it said.

OraSure, on a conference call with reporters, said it expects the retail price will be slightly higher than the $17.50 it charges for professional use to account for costs associated with packaging, labeling and other support expenses.

"We expect all the major retail outlets to carry this product," Douglas Michels, OraSure's chief executive, said.

Once the product is launched, he said, the company is planning a "pretty massive effort to communicate with consumers." A direct to consumer campaign will include television, print, radio and social media advertising.

Michaels declined to provide any revenue projections for the at home version of its HIV test kit, but said it will be a significant future contributor to OraSure's top and bottom line.

He said he believes the U.S. market for in home HIV testing to be in excess of $500 million.

The FDA cautioned that a positive result from the OraQuick test does not mean an individual is definitely infected with HIV, but rather that additional testing should be done in a medical setting to confirm the result.

About 1.2 million people in the United States are living with HIV infection, but one in five are not aware of it, according to estimates from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. About 50,000 new people are infected with HIV each year, often from people who may not know they have the virus, the FDA said.

"Knowing your status is an important factor in the effort to prevent the spread of HIV," said Dr. Karen Midthun, director of the FDA's Center for Biologics Evaluation and Research. "The availability of a home-use HIV test kit provides another option for individuals to get tested so that they can seek medical care, if appropriate."

An FDA advisory committee of outside experts voted unanimously in favor of the test in May, saying its ability to prevent new HIV infections and link people to medical care and social services outweighed the risk of false results.

Clinical trials for the test showed it was accurate 92 percent of the time in diagnosing people who had HIV -- meaning one out of every 12 test results would be a false negative.

False negatives are of particular concern because they could lead HIV-positive individuals to take fewer precautions, raising the danger that they will engage in unprotected sex.

The test accurately gave a negative result for those without HIV in 99.98 percent of cases, meaning there would be only one false positive result out of every 5,000 tests.

"We set out with a clear purpose - to dramatically impact the number of people getting tested for HIV nationwide," Michels said. "Today's FDA approval of OraQuick brings us much closer to accomplishing that goal."

The company hopes to eventually expand the availability of its home HIV test to other countries, the CEO said.

(Reporting by Bill Berkrot in New York and Anna Yukhananov in Washington; Editing by Maureen Bavdek, Jim Marshall, John Wallace and Bernard Orr)

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Over-the-counter HIV test approved

"This undated image made available by CERN shows a typical candidate event including two high-energy photons whose energy (depicted by red towers) is measured in the CMS electromagnetic calorimeter. The yellow lines are the measured tracks of other particles produced in the collision. The pale blue volume shows the CMS crystal calorimeter barrel. To cheers and standing ovations, scientists at the world's biggest atom smasher claimed the discovery of a new subatomic particle Wednesday July 4, 2012, calling it "consistent" with the long-sought Higgs boson

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US approves over-the-counter HIV home testing kit

"A sign for free HIV testing is seen outside a Walgreens pharmacy in Times Square in June 2012. The United States announced Tuesday that it had authorized the first over-the-counter home testing kit for HIV, the virus that leads to acquired immune deficiency syndrome (AIDS). (AFP Photo/Mario Tama)" title

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FDA approves first rapid, take-home HIV test

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FDA Approves First At-Home HIV Test

HealthDay – Tue, Jul 3, 2012 TUESDAY, July 3 (HealthDay News) -- The U.S. Food and Drug Administration on Tuesday approved the first do-it-yourself HIV test that would give people their results in the privacy of their own home.

The test, called OraQuick(R) In-Home HIV Test, involves swabbing the gums, placing the swab into a vial, and then seeing the results within 20 minutes, the agency said in a statement.

The test kit's approval could herald a new era in HIV prevention, experts say. According to the CDC, more than 1.2 million Americans carry the virus that causes AIDS, but about one in five are unaware that they are infected and can pass HIV on to others.

"Knowing your status is an important factor in the effort to prevent the spread of HIV," Dr. Karen Midthun, director of the FDA's Center for Biologics Evaluation and Research, said in the statement. "The availability of a home-use HIV test kit provides another option for individuals to get tested so that they can seek medical care, if appropriate."

The move comes two months after a 17-member FDA advisory panel voted unanimously that the benefits of the test were greater than any possible risks.

OraSure Technologies Inc., which makes the over-the-counter test, already sells a version of it to doctors and other health professionals. Studies have shown the test was less accurate when used by consumers, but the FDA advisory panel agreed that the benefits of expanding HIV testing still outweighed a small drop in test accuracy.

Dr. Nitika Pant Pai, an assistant professor of medicine at Montreal's McGill University, said that "by making self tests available over the counter, a stigmatized HIV diagnosis will be normalized to some extent."

She added that, "individuals are not averse to the test, but to the process of testing. With an oral test that is convenient, noninvasive and highly accurate in the hands of a trained user and fairly accurate in the hands of an untrained user, individuals will be motivated to seek testing." Pai co-authored an analysis of the effectiveness of an at-home HIV test earlier this year.

The test, which looks for signs of HIV in oral fluid, is already used at hospitals and doctors' offices where medical professionals administer it. The FDA first approved that use in 2004.

To take the OraQuick test, people swab their outer gums and put the swab into a vial. After about 20 minutes, the test device will reveal two reddish-purple lines in a small window if there are signs that the body's immune system has geared up to battle HIV.

The test uses oral fluid, which is not the same as saliva. Its results are considered preliminary, and should be confirmed by a blood test.

OraSure had nearly 5,700 people take the at-home version of the test. The tests found that 114 thought they were HIV-positive; 106 of them actually were. That means that positive results were accurate 93 percent of the time. Negative results were accurate 99.98 percent of the time, the company said.

Pant Pai said the oral test's overall accuracy is similar to that of a blood test, although it's slightly less accurate. The oral test, in particular, may miss HIV infection in its early stage. "Self test will be a first step -- you will always need confirmation of a preliminary HIV diagnosis," she said.

Also, "the sensitivity of the test appears lower when administered in the home setting rather than a medical setting, so some of the people who are HIV-positive will get a test result that they are negative," Jane Rotheram-Borus, director of the Center for HIV Identification Prevention & Treatment Services at the University of California, Los Angeles, said in May. "However, if they would otherwise not have gotten the test at all, they may also have believed they were negative."

Experts have expressed concern for people who learn at home, possibly alone, that they are probably infected with the virus that causes AIDS.

"The arguments against the at-home test focus on the absence of a counselor who could provide support and link the newly identified HIV-positive individual to medical care," said Rotheram-Borus, who supports over-the-counter sales of the OraQuick test.

She pointed out that "over-the-counter pregnancy tests are widely used, and pregnant women do find their way into prenatal care."

In a news release issued Tuesday, Orasure said it expects that the OraQuick test will become available in October at more than 30,000 retail outlets nationwide, as well as online. Orasure has also said that it will offer a 24-hour, toll-free number that people can call to get support regarding their test results.

More information

For more on HIV and AIDS, try the U.S. National Library of Medicine.

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