Oral HIV self-test approved for sale in Canada – CBC
Can give results in 20 minutes, company says, without blood sample
Feb 10, 2026
People in Canada have a new, less invasive way to test for HIV at home, following Health Canada’s approval of an oral self-test.
U.S.-based OraSure Technologies said Tuesday its OraQuick HIV self-test has been greenlit for sale, making it the first of its kind approved in Canada.
The test uses a swab of saliva to check for the virus, and can be done at home, giving results in as little as 20 minutes, according to OraSure.
The MAP Centre for Urban Health Solutions at St. Michael’s Hospital in Toronto is its exclusive distributor in Canada, and will begin taking online orders for the tests today and shipping them out in the coming weeks.
Health Canada approved the country’s first at-home test for the virus that causes AIDS in 2020, but that one required drawing a blood sample by pricking one’s finger.
Read more: https://www.cbc.ca/news/health/oral-hiv-test-approved-oraquick-9.7082612
