How does HIV testing work?

Question: How does HIV testing work?

HIV stands for Human Immunodeficiency Virus. Unfortunately, there is still no cure for the HIV virus. However, HIV can be controlled with medication, and the risk of transmission can be greatly reduced. 

So, how does HIV spread? HIV is a sexually transmitted infection. The only way to know your HIV status is to get tested.  The CDC recommends that EVERYONE between the ages of 13 and 64 years of age get tested for HIV at least once. People at higher risk should be tested at least annually. The CDC also recommends HIV testing when you are pregnant, have a new sexual partner, or if you have been diagnosed with another STI. 

At every FPA location we can perform a screening HIV test from your blood, and you can know the results in as soon as fifteen minutes!  If that screening test is positive, we will send your blood for another confirmatory test to make sure the screening test was accurate.   

You can prevent HIV infection by not having sex or using condoms the right way every time you have sex.  If you are high risk, you may be eligible to take HIV prevention medicines such as pre-exposure prophylaxis (PrEP) and post-exposure prophylaxis (PEP). 

If you're looking to learn more about HIV testing through FPA, we recommend visiting our STI testing page. When you're ready to make your appointment, book online. Our friendly clinicians will answer any additional questions you may have, from how frequently you should be tested to prevention methods.