The only way to tell you have HIV is get tested. Testing is recommended at least once for everyone, and may be recommended more often for some. Testing can be quick, easy and confidential—and free.
Knowing your HIV status has two important benefits. First, if you are HIV positive, you can get treatment, care and support services as soon as possible. Second, if you know you are infected, you can take precautions to not pass on HIV to others.
If you have never been tested for HIV, you should be tested at least once. The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) recommends at least one HIV test for everyone aged 13 to 64 who visits a doctor. CDC also suggests being tested at least once a year if you do things that can transmit HIV infection. These include:
If you have been tested for HIV and the result is negative and you never do things that might transmit HIV infection, then you and your health care provider can decide whether you need to get tested again. Overall, you should talk to your provider about how often to get tested for HIV.
Tests can’t detect HIV immediately after infection. There is a period of time between infection and when tests can provide results. That is called a window period.
The window period varies, depending on the type of test used. There are three types of tests:
There are many places to get HIV testing, including local health departments, private doctors, hospitals and clinics. Testing at health departments and clinics is often free or low cost.
You may want to check to see if the testing site offers HIV counseling as well as the test. HIV counselors can provide you with important information about the test, answer your questions about your risk for HIV, and offer information on how to protect yourself and others in the future. They also can provide information about other resources available in the area.
Some locations may have rapid tests that can tell if you are infected within 30 minutes, while in other locations it may take up to weeks to get results. Check with the test site to find out what type of HIV tests they have.
There are home collection kits that allow you to take your own blood sample and send it in to be anonymously tested. The only test approved by the Food and Drug Administration (FDA) for home collection is OraQuick. You can purchase this test in most drug stores, but it is also available for purchase online.
Free at-home tests are available from Together TakeMeHome, an HIV self-testing program throughout the U.S. including Puerto Rico. The program mails you a free HIV tests that you can take in a place that is safe, private, and convenient without having to go to a clinic or testing site. If you live in the United States (including Puerto Rico), are 17 years of age or older, and have not ordered from Together TakeMeHome in the past 90 days, you are eligible to request one or two HIV self-tests. You can get a test for yourself and one to share with a friend or partner.
No. The test for HIV can only tell you if you have been infected or not. Transmission of the virus does not necessarily occur every time exposure occurs. The only way for an individual to tell if they have been infected with HIV is to be tested. If you are unsure of your partner’s status, you may want to consider talking to them about it and using protection to reduce your risk.
There are many things you can do to help protect your health if you test positive for HIV. Seeking health care early and maintaining a healthy lifestyle can help a person stay healthy. Some specific things you can do if you’re positive for HIV are:
A new study found that opt-out screenings for all patients in emergency departments caught numerous cases of syphilis and HIV that would have gone undetected under other screening protocols.
HIV stands for Human Immunodeficiency Virus. Learn the basics about HIV prevention, testing, and treatment.
PrEP stands for pre-exposure prophylaxis. The word prophylaxis means to prevent or control the spread of an infection or disease. The goal of PrEP is to prevent HIV infection from taking hold if you are exposed to the virus.
Life continues after becoming HIV positive. Thanks to new treatments, many people with HIV are living long, healthy lives.
Remarkable results in a Phase III PrEP trial with women and adolescent girls in Africa—two injections per year effectively prevented all HIV infection.
A joint investigation by the CDC and the New Mexico Health Department has confirmed that an unlicensed medi-spa is responsible for at least three cases of HIV.
A new meta-analysis of eight published studies found that the risk of sexual transmission of HIV is almost zero in people with low viral loads.
The USPSTF recently released updated recommendations on Pre-Exposure Prophylaxis for preventing the sexual transmission of HIV. The recommendations add additional medications, including a long-acting injectable.
ASHA believes that all people have the right to the information and services that will help them to have optimum sexual health. We envision a time when stigma is no longer associated with sexual health and our nation is united in its belief that sexuality is a normal, healthy, and positive aspect of human life.
ABOUT
GET INVOLVED
ASHA WEBSITES
GET HELP
© 2026 American Sexual Health Association