Women & HIV/AIDS

Get Tested for HIV

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• Types of HIV Tests
• Confidential Versus Anonymous Testing
• Know Your Partner's HIV Status
• Additional Resources

All people should know their HIV status. But many do not. About one in five people infected with HIV or AIDS in the United States do not know they have it. Many new HIV infections are caused by people unaware that they are infected. Knowing your HIV status is one vital step in helping to stop the spread of HIV.

If you don’t know your status, it’s time to find out. Testing is simple and easy, and there are many places to get tested: freestanding HIV testing centers, health departments, hospitals, private doctors' offices, and clinics. To get tested:

• Ask your doctor to do the test. Also, if you go to a doctor for an illness, injury, or pregnancy, he or she may offer you an HIV test.
• Ask your doctor where to find a local HIV testing site.
• Visit the National HIV and STD Resources web site to find a local testing site.
• Call CDC-INFO at 800-232-4636 or 888-232-6348 (TTY) to find a local testing site.

If you test negative, you can take steps to stay that way. If you find out that you are infected with HIV, treatment can slow down the progress of the virus. If you are pregnant, you also will be able to help prevent passing HIV to your baby. You can tell your sex partners if you have HIV and protect them from getting the virus.

Types of HIV Tests

Antibody tests are commonly used to screen for HIV. Antibodies are substances that the body makes to try to fight germs, such as HIV. Antibody tests look for antibodies to HIV, rather than the HIV itself. Antibodies to HIV generally can be detected between two weeks and three months after infection. The most commonly used screening tests use a blood sample to look for HIV antibodies. But tests that use urine or oral (mouth) fluid samples also can be used. Depending on the test, results come back within a few minutes to a few weeks. Ask your doctor or testing center how long you must wait.

• Rapid Tests. These are antibody tests that give you results quickly, usually in about 20 minutes. Rapid tests use blood from a vein or a finger stick or fluid from your mouth to look for antibodies to HIV.
• Home Access Test. With this antibody test, you mail a blood sample taken at home to a lab for testing. Results are provided over the phone by a counselor. You do not have to give your name. Rather, you will receive an ID number to use when you call for the results. There is only one home test approved by the FDA: Home Access Express HIV-1 Test System. It takes three to seven days to get test results. You can buy this FDA approved test online or at the drugstore. Beware: You can buy online several HIV home test kits that are not approved by the FDA. Many of these tests give wrong results.

If you test positive with an antibody screening test, you will need a second type of test to confirm that you are infected. You must wait a few days to a few weeks for the results. 

RNA tests look for parts of the HIV itself, rather than antibodies to HIV. Use of these tests is not widespread. But RNA tests are useful in some specific cases, such as testing for HIV in a newborn baby whose mother is HIV-positive.

Confidential Versus Anonymous Testing

You can get tested without giving your name if you prefer. This is called "anonymous" testing. When you get an anonymous HIV test at a testing site, they record a number or code with the test result, not your name. A counselor gives you this number at the time you take the test. Then you return to the testing site or call and give them your number or code to learn the result of your test.

If you get the test from your doctor, you can ask that the information be confidential. This means the results may be shared only with people allowed to see your medical records. Ask your doctor who will have access to your test results. With confidential testing, state health departments may also have access to your test results.

Know Your Partner's HIV Status

You may not know about your partners' risk for HIV infection, such as unprotected sex with multiple partners, sex with men, or injection drug use.

Many women avoid getting tested for HIV or don't ask their partners to be tested. The testing process can seem scary to some and too much work to others. Some women who test negative assume their partners must be HIV-negative too. But your HIV test only reveals your status — not your partner’s. Many women just haven't figured out how to talk about testing with their partners.

To get your partner on board:

• Tell your partner you want to talk about testing so that the two of you can be closer and worry less.
• Emphasize that sex will be less stressful once you both know your status.

If your sexual partner has been intimate with someone else, it's important to tell your doctor during your annual exam so that you can be tested. Also ask your partner to get tested for HIV and other STIs. If you have changed partners, have multiple partners, or injected drugs, then you should ask for an HIV test as well.

Additional Resources:

Publications

1.   Questions and Answers for the General Public: Revised Recommendations for HIV Testing of Adults, Adolescents, and Pregnant Women in Healthcare Settings — This question and answer publication explains why new testing practices are important.

   http://www.cdc.gov/hiv/topics/testing/resources/qa/qa_general-public.htm

2.   Rapid HIV Testing — This web site lists resources on rapid HIV testing.

   http://www.cdc.gov/hiv/rapid_testing/

3.     Testing HIV Positive — Do I Have AIDS? — This publication explains what an HIV-positive test result means and the difference between HIV and AIDS.

   http://aidsinfo.nih.gov/contentfiles/TestingPositive_FS_en.pdf

4.   Testing Yourself for HIV-1 Questions and Answers — This publication gives information on the FDA- approved home HIV test, how it works, and its reliability. It also warns consumers about home tests that are not FDA-approved.

   http://www.fda.gov/BiologicsBloodVaccines/SafetyAvailability/HIVHomeTestKits/ucm126460.htm...

5.   Vital Facts About HIV Home Test Kits — The Food and Drug Administration (FDA) has approved only one HIV test for home use. This publication explains how the approved home test kit works, and warns consumers about purchasing home tests that are not FDA approved. Many unapproved tests make false claims.

   http://www.fda.gov/consumer/updates/hivtestkit012908.html

6. Frequently Asked Questions About HIV and STD Testing (Copyright © HIVTest.org) — This publication answers common questions about testing for HIV, including who should get tested for HIV and other sexually transmitted infections and what HIV test results mean.

   http://www.hivtest.org/subindex.cfm?FuseAction=FAQ

7. HIV Anonymous and Confidential Testing, May 2007 (Copyright © KFF) — This online publication provides a color-coded map and table to show states’ policies on anonymous or confidential HIV testing.

   http://www.statehealthfacts.org/comparetable.jsp?ind=558&cat=11

8. National HIV and STD Testing Resources — This web site features useful information and resources on HIV testing, including a national database of HIV testing sites, frequently asked questions on HIV/AIDS and HIV testing, and resources for people who test positive for HIV. It also provides basic information about HIV and AIDS, behaviors that place a person at risk for HIV infection, and HIV testing.

   http://www.hivtest.org

Organizations

1.   Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, HHS
2.   National Prevention Information Network, CDC, HHS
3. AIDS InfoNet
4. National Association of People with AIDS
5. National HIV and STD Testing Resources

= Indicates Federal Resources

Content last updated March 4, 2009.