HIV saliva detection kits

Several Beijing districts and counties - including Haidian, Changping and Fengtai - are now advocating the use of saliva kits to detect HIV infection, the Beijing Times reported.

The method can detect the HIV infection in 15 minutes. Users first put a flat cotton swab into the mouth to get a saliva sample, then place the swab into a dilution buffer and press it several times to transfer the saliva; finally, a special paper strip is placed in the liquid. If a red line shows up 15 minutes later, the user is uninfected.

An official with the Changping district center for disease control and prevention said that they provide residents with both saliva detection kits and blood tests free of charge.