WHERE TO GET TESTED

IMPORTANCE OF TESTING
We have the power to both prevent and treat HIV. Half of people living with HIV had acquired the virus three or more years before their diagnosis. Earlier diagnosis leads to more successful treatment, so getting tested and learning your HIV status is crucial to your health. There’s also a public health impact of knowing your HIV status. Ending the HIV epidemic hinges on preventing new transmissions.

      FAQ

      • Benefits of Knowing your HIV status

        If you test negative for HIV, you can take steps to help you remain HIV negative. If you test positive for HIV, you can seek medical treatment earlier, gain access to HIV care, treatment, and support, as well as reduce the risk of transmitting to others.

      • Where Can I Get an HIV Test?

        Use the interactive map above to find the HIV testing center nearest you, or contact the Florida HIV/AIDS Hotline. Testing is available at health departments, doctors’ offices, community-based organizations, and other private and non-profit clinics. Health departments offer testing at a minimal charge, but no fee is charged for those who cannot afford it. You can also take a test at home.

      • Are My HIV Test Results Confidential?

        HIV test results are confidential.

        Confidential testing means that the person’s name and test results are kept in their private medical file. Confidential is different from anonymous. Anonymous testing means a person is given a number when being tested, and the person can only be identified by that number. No name is recorded.

      • Should I Be Tested For HIV?

        Short answer: yes. Everyone between the ages of 13 and 64 should get tested for HIV at least once as part of routine health care. Talk to your health care provider about risk factors and whether you should be tested more frequently. For a list of Florida testing sites in your area, use the interactive map above.

        No test can detect HIV immediately after exposure. If you think you’ve been exposed to HIV, get tested, and get tested again 90 days later.

      • I Am Pregnant - Should I Be Tested For HIV?

        Yes. It is very important that you are tested for HIV during your pregnancy. If you are pregnant and you test positive for HIV you can take steps to prevent your baby from acquiring HIV.

        Florida law requires all pregnant women to be tested for STDs, including HIV, at their initial prenatal care visit and again at 28-32 weeks, unless they decline. Women who appear at delivery with no record of an HIV test during pregnancy should be tested. If a woman declines HIV testing, the provider will have her sign a refusal form.

      • How Do HIV Tests Work?

        While the initial sample collection for an HIV test usually only takes a few seconds, how long it takes to get results depends on the type of test. This is because not all HIV tests look for the same thing within the sample provided.

        Conventional HIV tests look for HIV antibodies in your blood or oral fluid. A laboratory performs the test, and it can take a week or two to get results.

        A rapid test can detect HIV antibodies in blood from a finger stick, whole blood, plasma or oral fluid. Rapid antibody screening tests provide results in 30 minutes or less.

        You can anonymously determine your HIV status using an in-home oral swab collection test kit. These tests provide results in 20 minutes. Request your free in-home HIV test.

        It’s important to keep in mind that the type of HIV test you take and where and when you take it can affect how the results should be interpreted. No test can detect HIV immediately after an exposure, therefore a person should consider a follow up test, usually 90 days after exposure.