OraSure Technologies (NASDAQ:OSUR) has announced that the approved age range for its OraQuick HIV Self-Test has been expanded to include individuals aged 14 and older.
The company cites data from the Centers for Disease Control & Prevention (CDC), which estimates that 19 percent of new HIV diagnoses in the U.S. occur among young people aged 13 to 24. Only six percent of high school students have ever been tested for HIV, and nearly half of young people with HIV are unaware of their status.
“Increasing access to different testing options is critical to ending the HIV epidemic for all people, and early connection to care is essential for adolescents who test positive for HIV,” said Carrie Eglinton Manner, president and CEO of OraSure.
“We are pleased that our OraQuick HIV Self-Test can now be used within this younger population who needs it, and we are proud of the work we have done to promote HIV testing, help people know their HIV status, and stop the stigma of infection. This approval will allow us to expand access to help those who need it,” Ms. Eglinton Manner added.
