HIV test

When should you get tested for HIV?

If you have various sex partners, you should get tested for HIV and STIs 2 times a year. You should also do this if your steady partner has multiple sex partners.

You should absolutely get tested for HIV in these cases:

• If you had unprotected sex with someone who has HIV and doesn’t take medication
• If you had unprotected sex and now you have HIV symptoms
• If you used a needle that was used by someone who has HIV

Discuss with your doctor or with the GGD nurse how often you should get tested for HIV.

From when can you get tested?

Get tested 2 weeks after your exposure to HIV risk. This is when HIV starts being detectable in your blood. Do you have symptoms? Then get tested immediately and say you might have acute HIV.

Did you risk exposure, but is the HIV test result negative? Sometimes it can take a little longer before HIV is detectable in your blood. So get tested again after a couple of weeks. The second result should also be negative. 

Obviously, you could risk exposure to HIV again in the meantime. In that case, get one more test done after 2 weeks.

How is an HIV test done?

An HIV test is done in a couple of steps:

• The doctor or nurse uses a needle to take a blood sample from your arm
• The sample is sent to the lab
• Here your blood gets checked for HIV
• The lab sends the result to your doctor
• You get your HIV test result within 1 week

Does the test show you have HIV? In this case, the doctor or nurse will always discuss the test result with you in person. Then you will get tested again, to confirm the positive result.

The HIV rapid test

Did you run a risk and are you scared you might have HIV? Tell the doctor or nurse that you’re nervous about the result. Sometimes you can get a rapid HIV test. You will get the results within 30 minutes. The rapid test is not available everywhere. 

Do you have symptoms like those of the flu? Then you might have acute HIV. In this case it’s better to get a normal HIV test. With a rapid test, the result could be a false negative. 

Do you use PrEP? Then you should get a normal HIV test because the rapid test is not suitable for PrEP users.

Home testing for HIV

You can also do a self-test for HIV. You can do this at home and get a result quickly. This test has some disadvantages:

• There is a bigger chance of mistakes compared to a test done by a doctor. The result is not as reliable as with a normal test
• You need to pay for a self-test yourself
• Is the test result positive? Then you need to do a second test with your doctor or at the GGD. You must get tested twice anyway. And sometimes you have to pay twice for the HIV test

Are you getting tested for HIV at your doctor’s or at the GGD? Then you know for sure that the result is reliable. And you can get the treatment and medication you need immediately.