How to Get Tested for HIV

Human immunodeficiency virus (HIV) is the virus that causes acquired immune deficiency syndrome (AIDS). Because of the ways HIV can be spread, and because there is presently no cure for AIDS, many people fear being diagnosed with HIV. But while there is no cure for AIDS, it is still possible to live a productive life with HIV, and if you suspect you have it, it is smart to get tested for it. Read on about how to get tested for HIV.

Who Should Get Tested

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   Determine if you have HIV symptoms. If you have flu-like symptoms that last for a week or 2, and you don't recall being exposed to the influenza virus, you may have HIV. If you suspect your symptoms are from HIV, see your doctor.
   • Not everyone infected with HIV exhibits symptoms; some people infected with the virus may not exhibit symptoms for several years after exposure.
2. 2
   Examine your past behavior for anything that may have exposed you to HIV. Certain behaviors increased your chances of being exposed to HIV. People who have injected drugs with needles shared with other drug users or who have unprotected sex with multiple partners or partners who themselves have had unprotected sex with other partners are at risk. Also at risk are people diagnosed with or treated for sexually transmitted diseases, hepatitis or tuberculosis, as well as those who've had unprotected sex with someone so diagnosed.
   • If you've had unprotected sex, both you and your partner should get tested.
   • You cannot get HIV just from being around someone who has it, nor can you get it from someone else's sweat, saliva or tears or by sharing a closed-mouth kiss. Insect bites or stings do not transmit HIV, nor can you get it from donating blood, as the needles used for blood donations are not reused.
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   Protect your unborn child if you plan to get pregnant. Drugs are available to prevent a pregnant woman from passing HIV to her baby, but these drugs will be used only if doctors know the woman has HIV. If you want to have children, and you either have symptoms or have put yourself at risk, you need to get tested for HIV.

How to Get Tested

1. 1
   Go to an HIV testing site. These special clinics run on a confidential basis; many preserve anonymity by assigning patients identification numbers to match them with their test results. Some run on an appointment basis, while others let patients drop in. Most collect information about patient ethnicity, sexual orientation and activity, drug use and prior HIV tests. Patients are counseled before and after the test. The test takes one of several forms:
   • A blood sample test from a vein that looks for the presence of HIV antibodies. It takes 1 to 2 weeks to process for results.
   • A saliva sampling test from between the cheek and gum. This test also takes 1 to 2 weeks to process.
   • A urine test. However, this test is less accurate than the blood and saliva sample tests.
   • A rapid sample test, where blood is taken from the finger and processed in 20 to 30 minutes. Patients who receive this test may receive less counseling than with the other 2 forms of testing, depending on how busy the testing site is.
   • All tests must be confirmed with a follow-up test, using the same bodily fluid that was sampled for the original test. In addition, if you test negative for HIV within 3 months of potential exposure, you'll need to be tested again 3 months afterward to rule out the possibility that the first test missed the presence of HIV antibodies.
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   Test at a regular clinic or doctor's office. You may not be as likely to be tested anonymously in either of these settings as at a dedicated HIV testing site or receive the same level of counseling, but you may have more flexibility in making an appointment and not have to wait as long to be tested.
   • In addition to the tests listed under the previous step, if you visit your doctor just after taking part in HIV-risk behavior, he or she may administer an RNA test, designed to find the virus itself instead of antibodies it causes the body to produce. Typically, antibodies don't show up in detectable quantities until 2 to 8 weeks after infection (12 weeks at the outside), while the RNA test will detect the virus within 9 to 11 days after infection.
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   Test with a "home testing kit." More correctly a "home collection kit," this test involves pricking your own finger with the included device, putting drops of blood on a treated card to be mailed to a laboratory for treatment. Anyone taking the test is assigned an identification number to preserve anonymity. Counselors are available by telephone before the test, while waiting for results and after receiving them.
   • While several HIV home test kits are advertised online, the only one presently approved by the U.S. Food and Drug Administration is the Home Access HIV-1 Test System. Even so, it requires a follow-up test to verify the results, and anyone who receives a positive result is given a referral for such a test.
   • In some countries, the sale of home testing kits is illegal.

If You Test Positive

1. 1
   Notify any partners you've had sex with. They'll need to get tested for HIV as well.
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   Be cared for by a doctor with experience in treating HIV. Do this even if you're not experiencing any symptoms. There are now a number of treatment options for HIV.
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   Be tested for other infectious diseases. Being infected with HIV makes you more vulnerable to other infectious diseases. It's a good idea to be tested for tuberculosis, hepatitis and sexually transmitted diseases such as syphilis.
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   Practice safe sex. Use a condom when having sex. Latex condoms are highly, but not absolutely, effective in preventing HIV transmission, if used consistently and correctly. If either you or your partner has a latex allergy, use a condom made of polyurethane.
   • To prevent the condom from breaking during sex, use of a lubricant is advised, although spermicides such as nonoxynol-9 are not recommended to prevent infection from HIV or other sexually transmitted diseases.
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   Modify other risky habits. Certain practices such as smoking, excessive drinking or using illicit drugs can weaken your immune system. Take advantage of programs to curb your use of these substances.
   • Avoid sharing razors or toothbrushes with others, as these may have someone else's blood on them.
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   Get retested regularly. The Centers for Disease Control recommend that people who have practiced behaviors that put them at risk for HIV be tested at least once a year.

How to Recognize HIV Symptoms

Spotting Early Symptoms

1. 1
   Determine if you are experiencing acute fatigue with no explainable cause. Fatigue can be the sign of many different illnesses, but it's a symptom many people with HIV experience. This symptom shouldn't cause great alarm if it's the only one you're feeling, but it's something to look into further.
   
   
   
   • Acute fatigue isn't the same as simply feeling sleepy. Do you feel tired all the time, even after a good night's sleep? Do you find yourself taking more afternoon naps than usual, and avoiding strenuous activities because you feel low energy? This type of fatigue is cause for concern.
   • If this symptom persists over a few weeks or months' time, be sure to get tested to rule out HIV.
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   Be on the lookout for a fever or excessive night sweats. These symptoms commonly occur during the early stages of an HIV infection, during what is called the primary or acute HIV infection stage. Again, many people don't have these symptoms, but those who do usually experience them 2 to 4 weeks after contracting HIV.
   
   
   
   • Fever and night sweats are also symptoms of the flu and the common cold. If it's flu or cold season, that might be what you're experiencing.
   • Chills, muscle aches, sore throat, and headache, which are also symptoms of the flu and cold, can also be signs of an early HIV infection.
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   Check for swollen glands in the neck, armpits, or groin. The lymph nodes swell in reaction to bodily infections. This doesn't happen to everyone who has primary HIV, but among those who have symptoms, it's a common one.
   
   
   
   • The lymph nodes in the nick tend to swell more than those in the armpits or groin with an HIV infection.
   • Lymph nodes can swell as a result of many other types of infections, such as the cold or a flu, so further investigation is necessary to determine the cause.
4. 4
   Note instances of nausea, vomiting and diarrhea. These symptoms, which are commonly associated with the flu, can also indicate an early HIV infection. Get tested if these symptoms persist.
   
   
   
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   Pay attention to mouth and genital ulcers. If you see a mouth ulcer appear along with the other symptoms noted, especially if you don't commonly get mouth ulcers, it may be a sign of primary HIV infection. Genital ulcers are also an indication that HIV may be present.
   
   
   

Recognizing Advanced Symptoms

1. 1
   Don't dismiss a dry cough. This symptom occurs in the later stages of HIV, sometimes many years after the virus has been contracted and been latent in the body. This seemingly innocuous symptom is easy to ignore at first, especially if it occurs during allergy season or during cough and cold season. If you have a dry cough you just can't seem to kick by taking allergy medications or using an inhaler, it may be a symptom of HIV.
   
   
   
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   Look into irregular spots (red, brown, pink, or purplish in color) on the skin. People in the later stages of HIV often get rashes on their skin, especially on the face and torso. These can also be present on the inside of the mouth and nose. It's a sign that the HIV is developing into AIDS.
   
   
   
   • Flaky, red skin is also a sign of later stage HIV. The spots may also look like boils or bumps.
   • A skin rash usually doesn't accompany the flu or a cold, so if you have one at the same time as other symptoms, see a doctor right away.
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   Pay attention if you get pneumonia. Pneumonia often affects people whose immune systems aren't working properly for other reasons. People with later-stage HIV are prone to getting pneumonia from a germ that wouldn't normally cause such a severe reaction.
   
   
   
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   Check for yeast infections, especially in the mouth. Later-stage HIV patients commonly get a yeast infection in the mouth, called thrush. The condition looks like white spots or other unusual spots on the tongue and inside of the mouth. This is a warning sign that immune system isn't effectively fighting off infection.
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   Examine your nails for signs of fungus. Nails that are yellow or brown, and that are cracked or chipped, are common among later-stage HIV patients. The nails become more susceptible to fungus, which the body is able to fight off under normal conditions.
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   Determine whether you're experiencing rapid weight loss with no known cause. In the early stages of HIV, this could be caused by excessive diarrhea; in later stages, it's known as "wasting," and is a strong bodily reaction to the presence of HIV in the system.
   
   
   
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   Be aware of issues with memory loss, depression, or other neurological afflictions. HIV affects the cognitive function of the brain in later stages. These symptoms are serious and should be looked into no matter what.
   
   
   

Understanding HIV

1. 1
   Know if you are at risk. There are several different circumstances that can place you at risk of contracting HIV. If you've experienced one of the following situations, you are at risk:
   
   
   • You've had unprotected anal, vaginal, or oral sex.
     
   • You've shared needles or syringes.
     
     
     
   • You've been diagnosed or treated for a sexually transmitted disease (STD), tuberculosis, or hepatitis.
     
     
     
   • You received a blood transfusion between 1978 and 1985, the years before safety precautions were in place to prevent tainted blood from being used in transfusions.
     
     
     
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   Don't wait for symptoms to occur to get tested. Many people HIV don't know they have it. The virus can be carried in your body for over ten years before symptoms begin to occur. If you have reason to think you may have contracted HIV, don't let a lack of symptoms stop you from getting tested. It's best to know as soon as possible.
3. 3
   Get tested for HIV. This is the most accurate measure in determining if you have HIV. Contact a local health clinic, the red cross, your doctor's office, or another local resource to find out where to get tested. Go to the website aids.gov for a listing of testing locations.
   
   
   
   • Testing is easy, affordable, and reliable (in the majority of cases). The most common test is done through drawing a blood sample. There are also tests that use oral fluids (not saliva) and urine. There are even tests you can take at home. If you do not have a regular physician who can provide testing, contact your local Health Department.
   • If you are tested for HIV, do not let fear prevent you from obtaining your test results. Knowing if you are infected, or not, brings about change in your lifestyle and your way of thinking.