U.S. Department of Health and Human Services Office of Disease Prevention and Health Promotion

Health Conditions

Get Tested for HIV

A young man talking to his health care provider.

The Basics

Overview

HIV is the virus that can cause AIDS if it isn’t treated. If you have HIV, getting treatment early can help you live a long, healthy life.

The only way to know if you have HIV is to get tested. You could have HIV and still feel healthy.

How often do I need to get tested for HIV?

How often you need to get tested depends on your risk, but everyone ages 15 to 65 years needs to get tested for HIV at least once. All pregnant people also need to get tested.  

There are certain behaviors that can raise your risk of HIV. Get tested at least once a year if you:

  • Have sex with someone who has HIV
  • Use drugs with needles (not including drugs that a doctor or nurse prescribed for you)
  • Have sex in exchange for things, like drugs or money
  • Have another STI (sexually transmitted infection), also called STD (sexually transmitted disease)

And if you’re a man who has sex with other men, you may need to get tested more often than once a year — like every 3 to 6 months. Talk to your doctor or nurse about what’s right for you.

HIV

What is HIV?

HIV stands for human immunodeficiency virus. If HIV isn’t treated, it can cause AIDS. There’s no cure yet for HIV, but there are treatments that can help people live long, healthy lives.

How do people get HIV?

HIV spreads through body fluids, like blood, semen (cum), vaginal fluids, and breast milk. HIV can pass from one person to another through:

  • Having sex (vaginal or anal) with someone who has HIV, without using a condom the right way every time or taking medicines to prevent or treat HIV
  • Sharing needles with someone who has HIV
  • Pregnancy, childbirth, or breastfeeding if the person has HIV

Learn more about HIV and other STIs:

HIV Testing

Why do I need to get tested for HIV?

The only way to know if you have HIV is to get tested. Many people with HIV don’t have any symptoms. In the United States, about 1 in 7 people who have HIV don't know they have it.

Once you’ve gotten tested for HIV:

  • If you don’t have HIV, you can take steps to make sure you stay HIV-free
  • If you have HIV, you can take steps to have a healthier future — you can also take steps to protect other people

How can I get tested for HIV?

You can get an HIV test at a doctor’s office, hospital, clinic, or community testing site — or you can test yourself at home or in another private place. There are different types of HIV tests. Some use a sample of your blood, and some use oral fluid. (Oral fluid contains cells from your mouth. It’s different from saliva.) 

How long does it take to get the test results?

It depends on the type of HIV test you get.

  • Lab test results could take anywhere from a day to more than a week
  • Rapid tests give results in 30 minutes or less
  • Self-tests (tests you can take at home or some other private place) can give results in 20 minutes

If your test shows that you have HIV, you'll need a second HIV test to be sure. Find out more about the different types of HIV tests.

What’s the difference between confidential and anonymous testing?

When you get tested at a doctor’s office or clinic, your test results are confidential. This means they can only be shared with people allowed to see your medical records.

If you're worried about giving your name, you can get an anonymous HIV test at some clinics. This means that you don’t have to give your name. Learn more about confidential and anonymous HIV testing.

Take Action

Take Action

Get Tested

Take these steps to find out if you have HIV.

Where can I get an HIV test?

You can get an HIV test at your local health clinic, community HIV testing center, hospital, or health department. Your regular doctor can also test you for HIV. Or you can buy an HIV self-test online or at a pharmacy.

To find an HIV testing center near you:

If you want to know more about HIV testing and prevention, talk to your doctor or nurse. You can take this list of questions to your appointment.

What about cost?

Free HIV testing is available at some testing centers and health clinics.

Under the Affordable Care Act, insurance plans must cover HIV testing for everyone ages 15 to 65 years — and for others who are at higher risk for HIV. The Affordable Care Act also requires insurance plans to cover HIV counseling for women. Depending on your insurance plan, you may be able to get HIV testing and counseling at no cost to you. Check with your insurance company to find out more.

Medicare may also cover HIV screening for certain groups at no cost. If you have Medicare, learn about Medicare coverage for HIV screening.

If you don’t have insurance, you may still be able to get free or low-cost HIV testing. Find a health center near you and ask about HIV testing.

To learn more, check out these resources:

Get Treatment If You Have HIV

If you have HIV, getting treatment can help you live a long, healthy life.

Live longer with HIV by starting treatment right away.

HIV is treated with medicines called antiretroviral therapy (ART). People with HIV need ART for life. It’s important to start treatment for HIV as soon as you find out you have it — even if you don’t feel sick. The sooner you get care for HIV, the better.

Avoid passing HIV to others.

Getting treatment for HIV can also help you stop the spread of HIV. One of the main goals of HIV treatment is to lower the amount of HIV in your body to an undetectable viral load — meaning a test can’t find any HIV in your body. This is called being virally suppressed. 

You might hear the phrase undetectable=untransmittable, or U=U. That means that if you have an undetectable viral load, there’s no chance you can pass HIV to other people through sex.

Protect Yourself from HIV

If you don’t have HIV, there are ways to lower your risk of getting it.

Take steps to protect yourself from HIV.

Today, there are more options than ever for protecting yourself from HIV — like taking medicine to lower your risk (called PrEP). Here are some other steps you can take to help protect yourself from getting HIV:

Take medicine to lower your risk of HIV.

You can take a medicine called PrEP (pre-exposure prophylaxis) every day to lower your risk of getting HIV. Some people think only men can take PrEP — but PrEP is for anyone who can benefit from it. Talk with your doctor to see if PrEP is right for you. 

Learn more about PrEP. 

Talk About It

Talk with your partner about getting tested for HIV.

It’s important to make time to talk about HIV and other STIs before having sex. Ask your partner to get tested — or offer to get tested together.
Use these tips to start the conversation:

Get counseling about HIV prevention.

If you want more information about preventing HIV, ask your local testing center if they offer prevention counseling. You may want counseling if:

  • You're worried about getting HIV
  • You're interested in taking PrEP to reduce your risk of HIV
  • You have HIV and are worried about giving it to someone else
The Basics

Content last updated July 10, 2024

Reviewer Information

This information on HIV was adapted from materials from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention and the National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Disease.

Reviewed by:

Jo Stryker
Prevention Communication Branch Chief 
Division of HIV Prevention, CDC

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