UNL examines urine HIV test
Health Center determines the accuracy of testing
antibodies through FDA-approved nonblood method
By Stacey Range
Staff Reporter
A new HIV test that uses urine
samples instead of blood could ease
the nerves of the needle shy and
would shield lab workers from ex
posure to the virus.
But because of concerns about
its accuracy, the test won’t immedi
ately be available at UNL.
The Sentinel Urine HTV-1 anti
body test was approved by the Food
and Drug Administration Aug. 6.
Dick Van Maanen, director of
marketing, sales and business devel
opment for Calypte Biomedical,
creator of the test, said a urine-based
test eliminates the threat of expo
sure to infected urine.
Unlike blood, semen, breast
milk and vaginal and cervical secre
tions, urine cannot transmit HIV,
Van Maanen said.
Calypte began developing the
test six years ago despite the scoff
ing of many scientists who said it
wasn’t possible to detect antibod
ies in urine, he said.
The creators wanted to eliminate
barriers of blood testing, he said, in
eluding the use of needles and the
threat of exposure.
Van Maanen said as HIV cases
rise, the medical community needed
to develop a test that would encour
age more people to be tested.
“Many people would rather give
a urine sample than a blood
sample,” he said.
The testing has some opponents
though.
Pat Tetreault, sexuality educa
tion coordinator of community
health for the University Health
Center, said the urine test had a
downfall despite its benefits.
“It is safer and easier but it is
not as accurate as a blood test,” she
said. _
Blood tests — the most widely
used procedure in detecting the HIV
virus—are 10 times more accurate
than the new urine test, Tetreault
said.
While one to two of every 100
urine tests may produce a false re
sult, she said, only one to two of
every 1,000 blood tests will be
wrong. All positive results of both
tests are confirmed through a sec
ond blood test.
Because of those statistics, the
University Health Center will prob
ably stick with blood testing, which
has been used for 10 years.
But urine testing hasn’t been
ruled out and might be available as
soon as the spring semester.
Gaye Homer, lab manager of the
University Health Center, said the
health center’s lab technicians, pa
thologist, medical director and staff
will review all available information
and testing on the new HIV test
when it becomes available.
“It’s only been approved for a
few weeks, so it has no track
record,” she said. “Every test, in my
book, needs a good track record.”
On campus, the new test has al
ready gained support.
“I think it’s a great thing,”
sophomore Marisa Bandel said.
“It’s nice to have more options es
pecially for those people who just
can’t stand the sight of blood.”
Junior Julie Greenlee said she
thought more students would be
tested if the health center offered the
urine test alternative.
Senior Chris Kiunkey agreed,
saying that although he does not fear
the sight of blood, the urine test had
an advantage.
“It’s just easier.”
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Wiliams’ defenses M;
trial to start next week
By Matthew Waite
Senior Reporter
Tyrone Williams’ defensive moves
have paid off on the football field, but
not in Lancaster County District Court.
Lancaster County District Court
Judge Bernard McGinn dismissed two
of Williams’ defense motions Friday,
clearing the way for a trial to start next
week.
Williams is charged in a 1994 inci
dent in which the former Husker alleg
edly fired shots into an occupied car.
Williams, now a defensive back with
the Green Bay Packers, has repeatedly
tried to avoid court through different
legal maneuvers.
Williams’ defense attorney Sean
Brennan filed two motions Aug. 20,
one to dismiss the charges filed against
Williams and another to restrict evi
dence in the case involving the car
Williams’ allegedly shot.
Brennan argued that since the car
had been returned to its owner and was
no longer available for examination by
the defense, the charges should be
dropped and evidence from the car
should not be allowed in court.
But McGinn disagreed.
Die judge said the Lincoln Police
Department did not err when it released
Brook Bohac’s 1988 Cutlass Calais cm
Feb. 10,1994.
From Jan. 30,1994, when the car
was seized, to when the car was re
leased, police investigators took mea
surements and got other evidence from
the car.
Brennan’s motion to restrict evi
dence was also hindered by an agree
ment made by William’s former attor
ney, Hal Anderson. Anderson agreed
with Deputy Lancaster County Attor
ney Joe Kelly to the car’s release Feb.
8,1994.
Brennan waited until May 21,
1996, to file a motion to produce the
car. That motion was made moot by
the court May 28.
McGinn said in his decision that
Williams is not entitled to a dismissal
of the charges. The judge said he will
also not issue an order to restrict the
evidence.
“It is common practice in this ju
risdiction for evidence to be released
to owners by agreement of counsel and
without specific authorization by the
court,” McGinn wrote in his decision.
Also Friday, McGinn allowed the
state to call Kevin Pater, a former New
York Jet, from Fulton County, Ga. Por
ter was allegedly in the car with Bohac
the night of the shooting.
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