HIV testing in COVID-19 pandemic and beyond in Japan

doi:10.35772/ghm.2021.01103

Editorial

. 2021 Dec 31;3(6):356-357.

doi: 10.35772/ghm.2021.01103.

HIV testing in COVID-19 pandemic and beyond in Japan

Shinichi Oka¹

Affiliations

PMID: 35036615
PMCID: PMC8692090
DOI: 10.35772/ghm.2021.01103

Editorial

HIV testing in COVID-19 pandemic and beyond in Japan

Shinichi Oka. Glob Health Med. 2021.

. 2021 Dec 31;3(6):356-357.

doi: 10.35772/ghm.2021.01103.

Author

Shinichi Oka¹

Affiliation

¹ AIDS Clinical Center, National Center for Global Health and Medicine, Tokyo, Japan.

PMID: 35036615
PMCID: PMC8692090
DOI: 10.35772/ghm.2021.01103

Abstract

In Japan, HIV testing has been offered anonymously and free-of-charge at local public health centers, together with pre- and post-test counseling since 1993. Since then, the number of HIV tests increased steadily to reach a peak in 2008 but has since decreased by 30% during the last decade. The number of tests further decreased in 2020 during the COVID-19 pandemic and steeply by 50% this year compared with the previous year, mostly due to a shift in the workload at these centers to COVID-19-related services. To deal with this decline and thinking beyond the current pandemic, more options for HIV testing are needed, such as self-testing/postal delivery of dried blood spot specimen, a method that is yet to be approved in Japan, in addition to the conventional plasma/serum-based HIV testing.

Keywords: COVID-19 pandemic; HIV testing; dried blood spot; postal service; self-testing.

2021, National Center for Global Health and Medicine.

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Conflict of interest statement

The author has no conflicts of interest to disclose.

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References

1. The Japanese Society for AIDS Research. Guideline for diagnosis of HIV-1/2 infection 2020. https://jaids.jp/wpsystem/wp-content/uploads/2021/01/guideline2020.pdf (accessed July 27, 2021). (in Japanese) .
1. AIDS Prevention Information Network, Japan Foundation for AIDS Prevention. Number of HIV testing in local health centers, annual report for trends in AIDS. https://api-net.jfap.or.jp/status/japan/index.html (accessed July 28, 2021). (in Japanese) .
1. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention Web site. FDA-approved HIV tests. https://www.cdc.gov/hiv/testing/laboratorytests.html (accessed July 28, 2021).
1. Luo W, Davis G, Li L, Shriver MK, Mei J, Styer LM, Parker MM, Smith A, Paz-Bailey G, Ethridge S, Wesolowski L, Owen SM, Masciotra S. Evaluation of dried blood spot protocols with the Bio-Rad GS HIV Combo Ag/Ab EIA and Geenius™ HIV 1/2 Supplemental Assay. J Clin Virol. 2017; 91:84-89. - PMC - PubMed
1. Saag MS. HIV infection - screening, diagnosis, and treatment. N Engl J Med. 2021; 384:2131-2143. - PubMed

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[1] The Japanese Society for AIDS Research. Guideline for diagnosis of HIV-1/2 infection 2020. https://jaids.jp/wpsystem/wp-content/uploads/2021/01/guideline2020.pdf (accessed July 27, 2021). (in Japanese) .

[2] The Japanese Society for AIDS Research. Guideline for diagnosis of HIV-1/2 infection 2020. https://jaids.jp/wpsystem/wp-content/uploads/2021/01/guideline2020.pdf (accessed July 27, 2021). (in Japanese) .

[3] AIDS Prevention Information Network, Japan Foundation for AIDS Prevention. Number of HIV testing in local health centers, annual report for trends in AIDS. https://api-net.jfap.or.jp/status/japan/index.html (accessed July 28, 2021). (in Japanese) .

[4] AIDS Prevention Information Network, Japan Foundation for AIDS Prevention. Number of HIV testing in local health centers, annual report for trends in AIDS. https://api-net.jfap.or.jp/status/japan/index.html (accessed July 28, 2021). (in Japanese) .

[5] Centers for Disease Control and Prevention Web site. FDA-approved HIV tests. https://www.cdc.gov/hiv/testing/laboratorytests.html (accessed July 28, 2021).

[6] Centers for Disease Control and Prevention Web site. FDA-approved HIV tests. https://www.cdc.gov/hiv/testing/laboratorytests.html (accessed July 28, 2021).

[7] Luo W, Davis G, Li L, Shriver MK, Mei J, Styer LM, Parker MM, Smith A, Paz-Bailey G, Ethridge S, Wesolowski L, Owen SM, Masciotra S. Evaluation of dried blood spot protocols with the Bio-Rad GS HIV Combo Ag/Ab EIA and Geenius™ HIV 1/2 Supplemental Assay. J Clin Virol. 2017; 91:84-89. - PMC - PubMed

[8] Luo W, Davis G, Li L, Shriver MK, Mei J, Styer LM, Parker MM, Smith A, Paz-Bailey G, Ethridge S, Wesolowski L, Owen SM, Masciotra S. Evaluation of dried blood spot protocols with the Bio-Rad GS HIV Combo Ag/Ab EIA and Geenius™ HIV 1/2 Supplemental Assay. J Clin Virol. 2017; 91:84-89. - PMC - PubMed

[9] Saag MS. HIV infection - screening, diagnosis, and treatment. N Engl J Med. 2021; 384:2131-2143. - PubMed

[10] Saag MS. HIV infection - screening, diagnosis, and treatment. N Engl J Med. 2021; 384:2131-2143. - PubMed

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HIV testing in COVID-19 pandemic and beyond in Japan

Affiliation

HIV testing in COVID-19 pandemic and beyond in Japan

Author

Affiliation

Abstract

Conflict of interest statement

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