HIV is no longer the automatic death sentence it was 40 years ago. Advancements in treatment are allowing people to live symptom-free. The virus even becomes undetectable and untransmittable if treatments are taken as prescribed.

But treatment for HIV is only possible with a diagnosis. Unfortunately, 13% of the 1.2 million people living with HIV in the United States have no idea they have it. They need to be tested.

June 27 is National HIV Testing Day (NHTD). The goal is to encourage people to get tested, know their status, and get linked to care and treatment.

Why Testing Matters

Testing is crucial to stopping the spread of HIV. There are close to 35,000 new infections each year. But those are just the KNOWN cases because those people have been tested. There could be thousands more people who have yet to be tested.

The highest number of infections are in the South and those most affected are gay, bisexual, or men who have sex with other men. The highest infection rate is for African Americans followed by Hispanics.

What to Expect from Testing

• In a lab — A health care provider or lab technician will take a sample of blood or oral fluid. You may be able to wait if it’s a rapid test, or it could take several days for results. If you come back negative and haven’t been exposed to HIV within 72 hours of your test, you don’t have HIV. If you come back positive, you’ll have more tests to confirm.
• Outside a lab — If it’s done by a mobile testing unit or a community-based group, you will not want to have been exposed for three months prior to testing in order to feel confident in a negative result. See a health care provider if the test comes back positive.
• At home — You can take a rapid self-test that gives results in 20 minutes. You can get them at a pharmacy or online. You can also get a mail-in self-test online or from your health care provider.

Types of HIV Tests

According to HIV.gov no test can determine if you have HIV immediately after exposure. If you think you’ve been exposed in the last 72 hours, talk to your doctor immediately about post-exposure prophylaxis (PEP).

Different tests have different “window periods” when they can detect an HIV infection.
 

• Nucleic acid test (NAT) — 10 to 33 days after exposure
• Antigen/antibody test — Performed in a lab or using blood from a vein, 18 to 45 days after exposure. Blood from a finger prick, 18 to 90 days after exposure.
• Rapid oral test — 23 to 90 days after exposure.

If your test comes back negative, get tested again after the window period. It’s one of the only ways to be sure you are HIV-negative.

Know Your Status

AltaMed offers free and confidential HIV testing in person, or we can provide you an at-home HIV test that is easy to take. AltaMed provides a full range of services related to HIV and STI testing and prevention as well as treatment. If you are seeking services, call the Patient Service Center at (323) 869-5448 in Los Angeles County or (714) 500-0491 in Orange County.

If you have been diagnosed recently with HIV, we want to assure you that we are here to help with your medical care, connecting you to the best doctors, and providing resources like one-on-one counseling. Click here to learn more about the HIV care services available to you.