Get Hiv Test Template

Ask your doctor to test you. Go to a local clinic or community health center. Go to National HIV and STD Testing Resources to find a testing center near you. Call 800-CDC-INFO (800-232-4636) to find testing centers near you.

What does a negative result mean? If your HIV test result comes back negative it means that the test hasn't found signs of HIV infection. However, if you have been at risk since your last test then you'll need to test again. Also remember that most HIV tests can only detect HIV one to three months after exposure.

Fourth generation tests can reliably detect HIV from one month after you have been infected. It usually takes a few days to a few weeks to get results back for this type of test.

It takes time for HIV to be detected in the body Most people who've been exposed to HIV will test positive within one month after exposure, but a small number of people take up to three months.

An antibody test at 4 weeks will detect 95% of infections. Antibody testing at 4 weeks can give you a good indication of your HIV status, but you need a test at 12 weeks after the exposure to be considered HIV negative.

After someone has been infected with the virus it can take about 2 weeks for HIV antigen to be detectable with current antigen tests, and more than 3 weeks to produce enough HIV antibodies to be detected by antibody tests. In a very small number of people, the process takes up to several months.

Rapid blood tests show two lines if positive or one line if negative, in a similar way as a pregnancy test (see Figure 8). Results from laboratory tests are given as negative, positive or indeterminate. Negative or non-reactive means you are HIV negative.

The time between your possible exposure to HIV (eg. unprotected sexual activity) and when you can get an accurate test result is called a window period. Most people who have been exposed to HIV will develop enough antibodies for an accurate test result about 4-5 weeks after the exposure.