First HIV self-testing kits now available to Canadians

Canadians can now purchase and self-administer a test for HIV in their own home, marking a landmark moment for HIV care and prevention that will allow people to safely discover their status in as little as one minute, in a place that suits them.

Until now, HIV self-testing kits have not been approved for sale across the country, despite the fact that they are available in more than 30 other countries. In 2016, the World Health Organization (WHO) named self-test HIV kits as a key tool in the quest to eradicate the virus. 

“HIV self-testing has been the missing link to reach the more than 9,000 people in Canada who have HIV and don’t know it,” says Dr. Sean B. Rourke, the study’s principal investigator and a scientist at the MAP Centre for Urban Health Solutions. “Self-testing has been proven to be a cost-efficient and effective prevention measure in the fight against HIV, and it will now move us closer to ending the HIV epidemic in Canada.”

At the Canadian Institutes of Health Research (CIHR), we know that research has the power to change lives. As Canada’s health research investment agency, we collaborate with partners and researchers to support the discoveries and innovations that improve our health and strengthen our health care system. www.cihr-irsc.gc.ca