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Key points

  • Everyone between the ages of 13 and 64 should get tested for HIV at least once.
  • Some people should get tested more often! This will depend on things like the types of sex you have and your number of partners.
  • Most HIV tests are available for free or at a reduced cost.
  • Use our service locator to find HIV testing near you.
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Why get tested?

The only way to know your HIV status is to get tested. Knowing your HIV status gives you powerful information to keep you and your partner healthy.  

If your test result is positive, you can take medicine to treat HIV to help you live a long, healthy life and protect others.  Many services and supports are available!

If your test result is negative, you can take actions to prevent HIV. 

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When to get tested 

Everyone ages 13 to 64 should get tested for HIV at least once as part of routine health care.  

Some types of sex or other activities have a higher chance of passing HIV between two people. Get tested at least once a year if: 

  • You're a man who has had sex with another man. 
  • You've had anal or vaginal sex with someone who has HIV. 
  • You've had more than one sex partner since your last HIV test. 
  • You've shared needles, syringes, or other drug injection equipment (for example, cookers). 
  • You've exchanged sex for drugs or money. 
  • You've been diagnosed with or treated for another sexually transmitted infection, hepatitis, or tuberculosis (TB). 
  • You've had sex with someone who has done anything listed above. 
  • You’ve had sex with someone, and you don’t know their sexual history. 

Some people may benefit from even more frequent testing (every 3 to 6 months). Talk to a healthcare provider you trust about your sexual history and substance use practices. This information will help your provider recommend the best testing options for you. 

If you don't feel your regular provider can give you the best care in this area, consider finding a second provider for your sexual health care. The best provider for you is one you're comfortable with.

Your health matters

Talking HIV

Before having sex with a new partner, talk about your sexual and drug-use history, share your HIV status and consider getting tested together. Even if you and your partner are having sex only with each other, you should both find out your HIV status.

A young Latino couple wait together to get tested for HIV
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How to get tested

Talk to your doctor 

You can ask your health care provider for an HIV test. 

What to expect

If you get an HIV test in a health care setting or lab, the health care provider will take a sample of blood or oral fluid. With a rapid test (oral fluid or finger stick), you may be able to wait for the results. With a lab test, it may take several days for your results to be available.

Order an HIV self-test  

An HIV oral swab test shows results information

A self-test is a test you can take yourself and get the results yourself, kind of like a COVID self-test or a home pregnancy test. Some people like using a self-test option because you can take it privately on your own time and in your own space. 

Free HIV self-tests are available through the program Together TakeMeHome. Visit the Together TakeMeHome website to order a self test now! You’ll be asked just a few questions to see if you are eligible to use the free service. If you are eligible, you will be able order your HIV self-test in less than 1 minute. In 3 to 5 days, you will get a plain package in the mail with your HIV self-test and a set of instructions. You can order a test every 90 days. 

You can also buy an HIV self-test at a pharmacy or online. 

What to expect

With an HIV self-test, you can get your test results within 20 minutes. You should always interpret HIV self-test results according to the manufacturer's instructions. If the HIV self-test is invalid, then the test did not work. You will need to use another HIV self-test or find testing at a health care provider or testing center. 

Looking for more information HIV self-testing? Visit the CDC's HIV self-testing resource page for frequently asked questions and great video resources.

Go to a testing location 

You can ask your health care provider for an HIV test. Many medical clinics, substance use programs, community health centers, and hospitals offer them, too. Use our service locator to find HIV testing services in your area. 

What to expect

If you are tested outside of a health care setting or a lab, you will likely receive a rapid test (oral fluid or finger stick). The counselor providing the test should be able to answer questions and provide referrals for follow-up testing, if needed. 

Know your status

Find HIV testing near you

Use our service locator to find agencies and pharmacies that offer free and confidential HIV testing services.

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Testing results 

Your test results depend on the type of HIV test and where you get tested. 

  • With a rapid antibody test, usually done with blood from a finger stick or with oral fluid, results are ready in 30 minutes or less. This includes HIV self-tests used at home or in a private location. 
  • The rapid antigen/antibody test, done with blood from a finger stick, takes 30 minutes or less. 
  • It may take several days to receive your test results with a NAT or antigen/antibodylab test

Window period 

No HIV test can detect HIV immediately after infection. That's because of the window period—the time between HIV exposure and when a test can detect HIV in your body. 

  • Antibody tests can usually detect HIV 23 to 90 days after exposure. Most rapid tests and self-tests are antibody tests. 
  • A rapid antigen/antibody test done with blood from a finger stick can usually detect HIV 18 to 90 days after exposure. 
  • An antigen/antibody lab test using blood from a vein can usually detect HIV 18 to 45 days after exposure. 
  • A NAT can usually detect HIV 10 to 33 days after exposure. 

If you get an HIV test after a potential HIV exposure and the result is negative, get tested again after the window period for the test you took. 

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After you get your results

If you’ve just had an HIV test, you may be wondering what a positive or negative test result means. 

  • If you were tested in a health care provider’s office, a clinic or a community setting, the provider or testing counselor will explain what your result means and talk to you about the next steps. 
  • If you used a rapid HIV self-test at home or another private location, the package materials will provide this information, along with a phone number you can call.

If your test result is negative 

Testing negative for HIV might make you feel many different things. We hope that one thing you feel is proud. You made an important choice to take care of yourself by getting tested. 

As a next step, you might want to ask your healthcare provider or the person giving you your test results when you should be tested again. 

  • Remember that because of the window period, it can take a couple of weeks (and in rare cases up to several months) for an HIV test to correctly detect HIV in your body. 
  • If you’ve had any possible exposures to HIV in the previous few months, you should get tested again in 1–3 months to be sure that you do not have HIV. In the meantime, use HIV prevention tools like condoms or PrEP. 

There are several things you can do to keep protecting your health, now that you know you are negative:

  • Ask for support in staying HIV negative. There are support services that can help you keep choosing safer behaviors. Your health care provider and/or the clinic where you were tested should have a list of such service providers.
  • Use HIV prevention tools to stop yourself from acquiring HIV through sex or injection drug use.

Testing negative for HIV does not mean that you are immune to the virus, so it is important to continue protecting yourself. Don't get discouraged or give up if you slip (by having sex without a condom or by sharing needles).

If your test result is positive

Most HIV tests are antibody tests. If you use any type of antibody test and have a positive test result, you will need a follow-up blood test to confirm the results.

  • If you had a rapid screening test at a community program or other location, the testing site will arrange a follow-up test to make sure your initial test result was correct.
  • If you used an HIV self-test at home, you should go to a health care provider for a follow-up test. A positive HIV test result must always be confirmed by additional HIV testing performed in a health care setting.
  • If you had a blood test in a health care setting or a lab, the lab will conduct a follow-up test on the same blood sample as the first test.

If your follow-up test is also positive, it means you have HIV.

Receiving an HIV diagnosis can be life changing. If you feel overwhelmed, try to remember that you can get help and that these feelings will get better with time. The most important thing for you to know is that you can live a long, healthy and happy life with HIV. 

After you are diagnosed with HIV, your health care provider's office or clinic will help you understand the next steps:

  • To protect your health, it’s essential that you start HIV treatment as soon as possible. HIV treatment involves taking medicine as prescribed by a health care provider. 
    • Testing positive for HIV does not mean you have AIDS (acquired immunodeficiency syndrome). HIV can lead to AIDS if not treated, however. This is why it’s so important that that you access and stay connected to care.
    • With time, HIV treatment can make the amount of HIV in your body so low that a test can't detect it. This is called an “undetectable viral load.” People with undetectable viral loads can’t pass on HIV to their partners. This makes it one of the best ways to stay healthy and protect others.
  • Other things you can do include sharing your HIV status with your sex or needle-sharing partners and encourage them to get tested. Communicating your HIV status allows each person to take steps to stay healthy.

Finally, it’s important that you know you’re not alone. There are people and organizations here to support you. 

  • An HIV case manager can answer questions, help you find medical care and connect you to services.
  • If you’d like to meet other people living with HIV, reach out to Positive Iowans Taking Charge (also known as PITCH), an organization run by and for people with HIV. 
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A Black man browses HIV testing locations on his smart phone
Self-care = health care

Connect to services

Find HIV testing, prevention resources, HIV medical care, support services and more! Whatever you need, resources are available to protect your health. 

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