Why test

• HIV stands for human immunodeficiency virus. In most cases, the virus attacks the immune system (CD4 cells) and weakens your ability to fight infections and disease
• Therefore a person with HIV is at risk of developing serious infections, which a healthy immune system would normally fight off
• When a person with HIV develops certain illnesses and cancers, they are said to have developed acquired immunodeficiency syndrome (AIDS)
• AIDS is the late stage of HIV infection, when, without treatment, your body has difficulty fighting life-threatening infections
• There is no cure for HIV, but there are treatments to enable most people with the virus to live a long and healthy life
• HIV is transmitted through contact with blood, genital fluids and breast milk
• The main routes of transmission are through unprotected sex and by sharing injecting equipment

For most people, being diagnosed with HIV is a life-changing experience and it is likely to have emotional and practical implications. At the time it may not feel like it is, but it is always better to know.

By learning you are living with HIV you are in the best position to look after your health, including accessing timely HIV treatment and care. With the treatments available today someone with HIV can live healthily for a long time, especially if they have been diagnosed early. Treatment can also reduce the likelihood of onward transmission to others.

Evidence shows that HIV prevalence is highest amongst certain populations. The populations at higher risk of HIV vary from country to country but in general they include:

• Men who have sex with men
• Injecting drug users
• Sex workers
• Migrants (including persons originating from a high prevalence country) and mobile populations
• Prisoners

• The tests used today can usually tell if a person has HIV within a month of their infection. In the past you might have had to wait three months to be certain that your test result is accurate
• The most common form of HIV test is a blood test – a small amount of blood is taken and examined
• In some areas, saliva tests are available. In this test, a sample of saliva is taken using a mouth swab. In others, dried blood spot tests are available, in which the finger or heel is pricked and a spot of blood is blotted onto filter paper
• Before someone is given a positive result the blood is tested several times to be completely sure
• If you test positive for HIV, you will undergo a number of tests to monitor the progress of the infection to work out when HIV treatment should be started
• The sooner you get tested, the sooner you can start life-saving treatment and diminish the risk of transmitting the virus to someone else
• Delaying testing and access to treatment will allow the virus to spread in your body and damage your health
• HIV tests should be voluntary and offered in an appropriate setting, protecting the individual’s rights to privacy and confidentiality

Depending on what country you live in, there are various places to go for an HIV blood test, such as:

• Sexual health clinics, also called genitourinary medicine (GUM) clinics
• Hospitals, department of infectious diseases
• Clinics or testing sites run by community based HIV organisations or charities
• Some GP surgeries
• Some contraception and young people’s clinics
• Local drugs agencies
• At an antenatal clinic, if you are pregnant
• A private clinic

To find a testing centre near you visit the e-atlas page on the NAM website at: http://www.aidsmap.com.

• HIV testing should be voluntary, confidential and offered in a wider range of settings than is currently the case, including both healthcare and community-based settings, as well as outreach programmes
• Research shows that 95% of people accept an HIV test when offered by their healthcare professional, so don’t be afraid to talk about HIV and offer an HIV test in the same way you would other routine tests. HIV testing should be routinely offered to individuals who may have been exposed to HIV, or who have been diagnosed with other sexually transmitted infections, hepatitis C and tuberculosis, as well as all patients presenting with other signs and symptoms that could be related to HIV infection, i.e. HIV indicator conditions
• When people are diagnosed with HIV late they are less likely to respond well to treatment
• A positive HIV test result should always mean that your patient is linked to appropriate care and treatment

For further information about when to offer HIV testing, refer to:

• The ECDC guidelines
• Indicator condition guided HIV testing

If you’ve just been diagnosed with HIV, many questions and emotions may arise. But you are not alone, community and patient organisations across the world offer support to people who are living with HIV. Visit the NAM website to get answers to some of these questions and to find organisations near you.

Some test sites directly link all persons who test positive for HIV to appropriate care. If you haven’t already been referred to follow-up care, it is important for your health that you seek treatment and care. Visit the NAM website for more information.