Table 1 Major errors committed by 229 VCT clients during the saliva testing screening process in Shandong Province, China

Preparation

94

41.4

No preparation

62

Opened the oral swab directly

16

Didn’t open the buffer tube

13

Damping fluid was not well shaken

10

Taking sample

23

10.1

Wiped sampling swab on the teeth back and forth

19

Put into the mouth directly to take sampling or spit saliva directly into the buffer tube

3

Sample dilution

36

15.9

Didn’t’t scratch and squeeze oral swab

34

Tilted buffer tube

1

Testing process

9

4

Couldn’t find or take out the test paper

4

Touched testing area of test paper

1

Reading results

8

3.5

Needed guidance of consultants

40

Didn’t’t read the introduction book

9

Too scared to see the results

8