HIV Testing: Overview (Everything You Need to Know)

We've prepared this comprehensive HIV Testing guide to help everyone understand the process. In this article, we will provide an overview of HIV testing, its types, procedures, results, and timing. If you're someone looking forward to performing HIV testing, this comprehensive guide could help. 

HIV Testing

HIV testing, also referred to as HIV screening, is the procedure of discovering whether you've contaminated the virus. The study shows that 1.2 million people in the United States have this virus. The virus results in health hazards, so you might have to check your HIV status to keep you and your loved ones safe. 

There are a number of tests available for you to check whether you're infected or not. 

Several types of tests are performed to check your blood and body fluid to see whether you've contaminated the virus or not. While many tests detect the HIV status right away, it takes time to detect the status in a few cases. 

Why Perform HIV Testing?

We often get asked this question on why one should perform HIV testing. 

If you've contaminated the virus, the earlier you find out, the faster you can start treatment. Not doing an HIV test could later result in AIDS (the last stage of HIV), where even minor diseases like cough or tuberculosis could kill you. 

It's a misconception that a person can't live a happy, healthy, and sound life with HIV> One who gets treatment at the right time can lead a prosperous life even with the virus. 

There could also be instances where getting HIV testing could be a must like pregnant women need to get tested to ensure that it doesn't get transmitted to their babies. 

Who is Recommended to Get HIV Testing? 

The CDC recommends that HIV testing be part of your annual health checkup. Everyone in the United States from ages 13 and 64 should get tested at least once a year. 

But, there are a few instances where getting HIV testing could be a must: 

• Had many sexual partners since your last HIV testing
• Had unprotected sex with someone whose HIV status you're unaware of 
• Injected drug using a needle or syringe used by someone else
• Are a sex worker
• Recently had sexual intercourse with someone who has contaminated the virus
  
  

How Does HIV Testing Work? 

There are two different ways used to do HIV testing: 

• Laboratory test: Here, a technician takes and tests a sample of your blood. In the case of laboratory testing, you'll get the results in a few days.
• Rapid test: The quick test could be a better fit if you're at a higher risk of contaminating the virus. In this test, you can get the result within 20 to 30 minutes. You can take the rapid test in a community clinic. 
  
  

When to Get HIV Tested? 

If you've recently had a very close exposure to HIV, you must do the testing. If your sexual partner is contaminated with the virus, you must get it checked too. You can go to the emergency room or call your doctor. 

Health care has an emergency drug called post-exposure prophylaxis (PEP) that prevents HIV infection. If you can take it within 72 hours (3 days) after exposure, you might not get the virus. 

If you don't get to do PEP, you can still ask your doctor to get tested for HIV. For most of the tests, it takes around 2 weeks to get an accurate result. Even when the status is unknown, it is 

suggested to practice safe sex to ensure that others don't contaminate it. 

The period you wait until you know your HIV status is known as the window period. 

Everyone with HIV positive has a detectable level of antibodies in the 3 months, so if you test negative a month or two, your doctor might still call for a 3-month test to be 100% sure. 

Types of HIV Testing

There are various types of testing done to detect HIV. 

• Standard HIV blood test: A technician takes blood from your vein and sends it to a lab. In this test, antibodies - proteins your immune system makes when you've been exposed to the virus in 23 to 90 days after the infection. 
• Rapid blood test: Here, the test looks for antibodies using a drop of blood from a prick of your fingertip. The result from this test is very accurate, but it might take around 18 to 90 days to know about the outcome. 
• Antibody test: In this test, antibodies and antigens - substances the virus makes before your immune system starts making antibodies are checked. It usually takes 18 to 45 days to know the result of this particular test. 

Other HIV testing types include rapid oral, urine, and nucleic acid tests. However, the top 3 are the most recommended types since they help you get accurate results on your HIV status. 

What to Expect After Your HIV Testing? 

You would want to call a doctor to do HIV testing, but almost all public health clinics take walk-ins to do the test. 

A technician takes a small blood sample and sends it to the lab. Then an immunoassay test checks your urine or fluid from your mount, but these tests could be more effective in detecting the status. The technician pricks your finger to get a small blood sample to send to a lab. 

Once the result has arrived, you're called and informed about your status. 

How Long Does It Take to Get HIV Result? 

The time totally depends upon the type of test you have taken. Earlier in the post, we discussed the window period for each kind of test. The rapid tests could give you an answer in less than half an hour, while tests like NAT might take up to 2 weeks or more to detect the status. 

Recommended Places to Get HIV Testing

If you're also thinking of getting HIV testing, here are places where you can do the testing: 

• Health clinics
• Community health center
• STD and sexual health clinics
• VA medical centers
• Hospitals
• Pharmacies

In most cases, HIV testing is free if you test it in local health departments. Further, many nonprofit organizations offer low fees for the test. 

In the case you test positive, they also help you get treatment. 

HIV Testing for You

You might have questions about what kind of testing to do, which clinic to go to, and what about taking the test on your own. 

The answer to this question is based on these questions: 

• How important is it for you to keep everyone from knowing that you're taking the test? 
• How accurate do you want? 
• Will you be up to do a follow-up test if it's not detected at once? 
• How quickly do you want to know the HIV test result? 
• How do you want to receive your results? 

To someone at a higher risk of HIV, any test is better than no test.