Which hiv test

Background An estimated 1. HIV Surveillance Report ; HIV transmission along the continuum of care—United States, MMWR ;68 11 ; MMWR ;67 24 ; HIV infection, risk, prevention, and testing behaviors among persons who inject drugs—national HIV behavioral surveillance: injection drug use, 23 U. HIV infection, risk, prevention, and testing behaviors among men who have sex with men—national HIV behavioral surveillance, 23 U.

Human immunodeficiency virus testing and diagnosis delays—United States, MMWR ; 66 47 ; Recommendations for HIV screening of gay, bisexual, and other men who have sex with men—United States, MMWR ;66 31 ; Revised recommendations for HIV testing of adults, adolescents, and pregnant women in health-care settings.

Types of HIV Tests. Minus Related Pages. What kinds of tests are available, and how do they work? HIV Testing. HIV Testing Topics. Other Resources. There are medicines you can take during pregnancy and delivery to greatly reduce your risk of spreading the disease to your baby.

For at home test, you will need to get a sample of saliva from your mouth or a drop of blood from your fingertip. You don't need any special preparations for an HIV test. There is very little risk to having any HIV screening test. If you get a blood test from a lab, you may have slight pain or bruising at the spot where the needle was put in, but most symptoms go away quickly. If your result is negative, it can mean you don't have HIV. A negative result may also mean you have HIV but it's too soon to tell.

It can take a few weeks for HIV antibodies and antigens to show up in your body. If your result is negative, your health care provider may order additional HIV tests at a later date. If your result is positive, you will get a follow-up test to confirm the diagnosis.

If both tests are positive, it means you have HIV. It does not mean you have AIDS. While there is no cure for HIV, the disease can be effectively controlled with medicine. If you are living with HIV , it's important to see your health care provider regularly. Learn more about laboratory tests, reference ranges, and understanding results. This test looks for antibodies to HIV in the blood or oral fluid.

Tests that use blood from a vein can generally detect the virus faster than tests involving a finger prick or oral fluid. There are two kinds of HIV self-tests: rapid self-tests and mail-in self-tests. A person can perform a rapid self-test at home that can produce results within 20 minutes. Individuals can buy a rapid self-test kit at a pharmacy or online. Oral fluid tests are the only kind of rapid self-tests currently available in the U.

For this test, a person swabs their gums to collect a sample of oral fluid and tests it with the materials in the kit. The test then produces a result within 20 minutes. However, it is essential that people follow the kit directions , or the test will not work. The package includes a phone number that a person can call if they need help conducting the test. If the test is negative and a person has not had possible exposure within the past 3 months, they can be confident that they are HIV-negative.

If the test result is positive, individuals should speak with a healthcare professional for a follow-up test. A mail-in self-test includes a specimen collection kit to collect dried blood from a fingerstick. A person then sends the sample to a lab for testing, after which a healthcare professional sends the results back. Individuals can order a mail-in self-test through various online providers or from their doctor or healthcare team. They can feel confident they do not have HIV following a negative test result and have experienced no potential HIV exposure in the previous 3 months.

If individuals purchase a self-test online, private health insurance or Medicaid may not cover this cost. Therefore, check with insurance providers and healthcare providers regarding reimbursement for these types of tests before purchasing them.

If a person gets a positive result or still feels unsure, they should speak with a doctor to confirm the result. As long as people follow the correct procedures, HIV tests are highly accurate.