Saliva sample

The fluid used for testing is actually crevicular fluid from the gums. The person being tested swabs an absorbent pad around the outer gums, adjacent to the teeth. The roof of the mouth, the tongue and the inside of the cheek should not be swabbed.

This is minimally invasive and tends to be preferred by people testing. However the OraQuick rapid test has been shown to be less accurate when performed with saliva than with blood samples.

In the medical profession this fluid is normally referred to as 'oral fluid'. In these pages, to makes things simple, we call it 'saliva'.