How To Get Tested for HIV

Getting tested for HIV is an important step in your health and your future.  It is important that everyone is tested for HIV at least annually or semi-annually.  HIV antibodies can take up to six months to make its appearance in one's body after it has been affected.  So even if you do test negative for HIV, it is a good idea to test again in another six months.  If one is affected by HIV, it is best to catch and treat early before the onset of AIDS.  Luckily, there are many convenient and confidential ways to get tested for HIV.

The most common way to get tested for HIV is through your doctor's office, in which blood is drawn and sent to the lab for testing.  There are two ways in which your HIV test results can be processed, either confidentially or anonymously.  If you plan on using health insurance to cover the cost of the blood test, then your health insurance will require it to be confidential, not anonymous. What this means is that the results of the HIV test will remain in your medical records and your name will be attached to the results.  Confidential also means that your results cannot be used outside of your medical practices, such as through your place of employment.

However, if you choose to pay out of pocket, it is possible to get your HIV test results anonymously instead. What this means is that there will be no written record of your test or the results, especially the name attached to it.  You get your results and it is never recorded for anyone else to see.

Another anonymous way to test for HIV is to purchase a HIV home testing kit.  These are available both online and through pharmaceutical stores, such as Walgreens.  You follow the instructions on the kit and test according to their method.  This more than likely will require a cotton swab of the inside cheek of your mouth.  Send this off in the appropriate packaging to the company listed on the box and they will send you your results to the address indicated in a couple of weeks. This information will not be passed to anyone besides yourself.

Many cities have free HIV testing offices where the public can go in for testing.  These tests are usually anonymous and only attach a number to your results.  This ensures your privacy and are also done via the cotton swab to the inside cheek of your mouth.