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Everyone between the ages of 13 and 64 should get tested for HIV at least once. People with certain risk factors should get tested more often. Most HIV tests are available for free or at a reduced cost. Visit gettested.cdc.gov to find HIV testing in your area.
There are three types of HIV tests: nucleic acid tests (NAT), antigen/antibody tests, and antibody tests, and they all have different window periods: Nucleic Acid Test (NAT) —A NAT can usually tell if you have HIV infection 10 to 33 days after exposure.
HIV testing, also called HIV screening, is the only way to know if you have the virus. Several types of tests check your blood or other body fluids to see whether you're infected.
There are three types of tests used to diagnose HIV infection: antibody tests, antigen/antibody tests, and nucleic acid tests (NATs). HIV antibodies are disease-fighting proteins that the body produces in response to HIV infection. NATs look for the virus in blood.
An HIV test looks for evidence of HIV in your blood or oral fluid. This evidence may be the virus itself, HIV antigens and antibodies, or just the antibodies. Additional testing will be needed to confirm the results if you test positive.
An HIV self-test is done entirely at home or in a private location, and you can get your test results within 20 minutes. You can buy an HIV self-test at a pharmacy or online. Or you can order a free HIV self-test through CDC’s Together Take Me Home initiative, subject to availability.
HIV tests are very accurate, but no test can detect the virus immediately after infection. How soon a test can detect HIV depends on the type of test being used. There are three types of HIV tests: antibody tests, antigen/antibody tests, and nucleic acid tests (NAT).
If you get a diagnosis of HIV/AIDS, tests can help your healthcare professional learn the stage of your disease and the best treatment, including: CD4 T cell count. CD4 T cells are white blood cells that HIV targets and destroys. Even if you have no symptoms, HIV infection becomes AIDS when your CD4 T cell count dips below 200. Viral load, also ...
The only way to know for sure whether you have HIV is to get tested. Knowing your HIV status helps you choose options to stay healthy.
CDC recommends that everyone between the ages of 13 and 64 should get tested for HIV at least once as part of routine health care. People should get tested more often when they have had more than one sex partner or are having sex with someone whose sexual history they don’t know.