OraSure to provide up to 1 million HIV tests for CDC program

Bethlehem-based OraSure Technologies Inc. a global developer, manufacturer and distributor of surgical and medical instruments, has been selected to provide its OraQuick In-Home HIV test to support the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention’s “Together Take Me Home” HIV self-test program.

Under the program, managed by Emory University, the CDC will provide $41.5 million over five years for community testing. Emory will collaborate with OraSure – which will provide up to 1 million OraQuick In-Home HIV tests – and other partner organizations to supply tests to U.S. communities not equitably reached by HIV testing services.

A free HIV self-test will be mailed in discreet packages to people who enroll through a website. The program will target populations disproportionately affected by HIV and less likely to have access to key prevention services.

Almost 1.2 million people aged 13 and older have HIV in the U.S., including an estimated 158,500 who are undiagnosed. “Identifying these individuals and linking them to care is a crucial element of the Ending the HIV Epidemic initiative and empowers these individuals and their communities to take control of their health care,” a release said.

The “Together Take Me Home” program follows a successful pilot program by the same name, for which OraSure also supplied tests.

“We are proud to work with the Centers for Disease Control and Emory to help support broader HIV testing and awareness in underserved communities across the United States,” said Lisa Nibauer, president of diagnostics for OraSure. Programs such as “Together Take Me Home” show that the government “can take an active role in making a difference against the major public health crises that we face as a country and to support marginalized populations.”

Paula Wolf is a freelance writer