Why Should I Be Tested?H

Why Should I Be Tested?

Getting tested can give you some important information and can help keep you—and others—safe. For example:

• Knowing your own HIV status can give you peace of mind—and testing is the only way you can know for sure.
• When you and your partner know each other's HIV status, you can make informed decisions about your sexual behaviors and how to stay safe.
• If you are pregnant, or planning to get pregnant, knowing your status can help protect your baby from being infected.
• If you find out you are HIV-positive, you can get into early treatment. This increases your chances of staying healthy.
• If you know you are HIV-positive, you can also take steps to protect your sex or drug-using partners from becoming infected.

When Should I Be Tested?

On average, you may need to wait 1-3 months from the time of possible exposure to get an accurate test result. That's because, if you are infected, it can take your body a while to start making HIV antibodies. This time between when you are exposed to HIV and the time you could test positive for HIV antibodies is called the window period.

If you took an HIV test within the first 3 months after possible exposure, you should consider getting another test 3 months later to confirm your results.

For more information, see CDC's HIV Testing Basics for Consumers.

How Accurate Are My HIV Test Results And What Do They Mean?

HIV tests are over 99% accurate if you take one 3 months after a possible exposure. (Before then, the tests may not pick up the presence of HIV antibodies.)

What Does A "Negative" Result Mean?
If your test comes back negative, it means the test didn't find any evidence of HIV antibodies in your body. But a negative result only means that the test couldn't find HIV. Depending on when you were exposed, it is still possible that you might have HIV. If you are tested earlier than 3 months after exposure, the test may miss any HIV in your body fluids. That's why most healthcare providers encourage you to have a follow-up test 3 months later.

If you engage in risky behaviors between the time you take the test and get your results, or between your first test and a follow-up test, your test result may not be accurate. The test only tells you what your HIV status is when you took it—so if you were exposed to HIV after you took the test, the results may not show your current HIV status.

To get an accurate result, while you are waiting to take your test, or get your results:

• Don't inject drugs—or always use clean equipment and don't share needles or works
• Don't have sex—or always use protection (condom or dental dam) if you do

What Does a "Positive" Result Mean?
If your test comes back positive, it means that it found evidence of HIV antibodies in your blood. If you have a positive HIV test, the testing center will give you another test to make sure the first test result was correct.

Reputable testing centers always do these "confirmatory" tests, because there is a very small chance that the first test was wrong. If the second test has the same outcome, you will be diagnosed as being "HIV-positive."