Things You'll Need:
- Bravery
- The phone number of your local HIV testing clinic
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Step 1
For the most common type of HIV antibodies test, you will need to wait three to six months after at-risk behavior to be tested in order to have accurate results. Other tests are available that can be accurate within two weeks, but they are much more costly and harder to find.
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Step 2
Know that there are several options as to what kind of testing you can have done to detect the HIV virus. Rapid testing is done with blood from a finger prick or vein and produces results in about 20 minutes. As with all HIV testing, if the test is positive, a second test must be done in one week to confirm accuracy.
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Step 3
Consider doing the test at home. Home testing has been approved by the FDA since 1997, but there is only one home test kit that has been approved, the Home Access HIV-1 Test System. For information on this kit, see the link under RESOURCES.
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Step 4
Go to your regular health care provider or a clinic for HIV testing. You can call CDC-INFO 24 hours a day at 1-(800)-CDC-INFO (232-4636), 1-(888)-232-6348 (TTY), in English, or en Español. Both of these resources are confidential. You can also find a clinic online at the National HIV and STD Resource website listed below.
