Primary Care | Preventive Care

HIV Screening



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What is an HIV Screening?

The only way to know if you have HIV is to get tested via an HIV Screening today. You could have HIV and still feel healthy.

How often do I need to get an HIV Screening? Everyone ages 15 to 65 needs to get tested for HIV at least once. All pregnant women also need to get tested. How often you need to get tested depends on your risk for HIV infection. Talk to your doctor or nurse about your risk for HIV. Ask how often you need to get tested.

Get an HIV Screening at least once a year if you: 

  • Have sex without a condom with someone who may have HIV
  • Use drugs with needles
  • A sex partner who has HIV
  • Had a sexually transmitted disease (STD)
  • Have sex with more than one partner
  • Sex with people you don’t know
  • Have sex for drugs or money
  • Are a woman who has sex with a man who also has sex with other men

If you are a man who has sex with men, you may need to get tested more than once a year – like every 3 to 6 months.


HIV stands for human immunodeficiency virus. This is the virus that causes AIDS. There is no cure yet for HIV/AIDS, but there are treatments that can help people live longer healthier lives.

How do people get HIV?

HIV is spread through some of the body’s fluids, like blood, semen, vaginal fluids, and breast milk. HIV is passed from one person to another by:

  • Having sex (vaginal, anal, or oral) without a condom or dental dam with a person who has HIV
  • Sharing needles with someone who has HIV
  • Breastfeeding, pregnancy, or childbirth if the mother has HIV
  • Getting a transfusion of blood that’s infected with HIV (very rare in the United States)

Why do I need to get tested for HIV?
The only way to know if you have HIV is to get tested. Many people with HIV don’t have any symptoms. Even if you don’t feel sick, getting early treatment for HIV is important.

  • If you don’t have HIV (you are HIV-negative), you can take steps to make sure you stay HIV-free.
  • If you have HIV (you are HIV-positive), you can take steps to have a healthier future. You can also take steps to protect other people.

Live longer with HIV. If you have HIV, early treatment can help you live a longer, healthier life. The sooner you get to care for HIV, the better.

Protect yourself and others. If you have HIV, you can take steps to protect your partner from the virus. If you are pregnant or thinking about getting pregnant, you can get treatment to prevent passing HIV to your baby.


How can I get tested for HIV?

There are different types of HIV tests. The most common are:

  • Lab tests – It can take a few days to 2 weeks to get the results.
  • Rapid tests – Results are ready in 10 to 20 minutes.

If you test positive, the doctor or nurse will give you a second HIV test to be sure.

What’s the difference between confidential and anonymous testing?
When you get tested at a doctor’s office or clinic, your test results are confidential. This means they can only be shared with people allowed to see your medical records.
Ask your doctor or nurse for an HIV test. Or visit an HIV testing center or health clinic.

To find an HIV testing center near you:
Call 1-800-CDC-INFO (1-800-232-4636).


What about cost?

Free HIV testing is available at some testing centers and health clinics. Thanks to the Affordable Care Act, the health care reform law passed in 2010, insurance plans must cover HIV testing. To learn about other services covered by the Affordable Care Act, visit HealthCare.gov.

Protect yourself from HIV.

Here are other steps you can take to help prevent HIV:

  • Use a latex condom with water-based lubricant every time you have vaginal or anal sex.
  • When you have oral sex, use a condom or dental dam (rectangular sheet of latex placed over the vagina).
  • Limit your number of sexual partners.
  • Don’t inject drugs or share needles.

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