Deputy President Cyril Ramaphosa admitted as much when he responding to a question in the National Council of Provinces on what facilities would be made available for immediate counselling for persons who make use of HIV/Aids self-test kits. He said not even the Department of Health has commenced with self-testing for HIV.
“The Department of Health has not commenced with self-testing for HIV. However, self-test kits have recently been approved by the South African Pharmacy Council and are available over the counter in retail pharmacies.
“It is critical to highlight that these kits are to be used only for screening, and those who screen positive must go to a health facility to have the confirmatory test done,” he said on Wednesday.
The Deputy President said a diagnosis can only be made once the second test, analysed at a laboratory, is done and the result is positive. He said the Pharmacy Council was currently finalising a standard operating procedure to ensure that pharmacies provide appropriate information for use of these kits.
“We encourage members of the public to use the services of the Department of Health’s call centre should they have any questions about the use of the kits or interpretation of results.
“Government continues to provide counselling services at all public HIV testing sites. We urge all South Africans who are sexually active to test for HIV regularly,” he said.
