You can get tested for HIV at a number of places, including your local health department, public health clinics, and your doctor’s office. Many AIDS service organizations also offer HIV testing.
One of the easiest ways to find a convenient HIV testing location is to visit the HIV/AIDS Prevention & Service Provider Locator. Just type in your ZIP code and, within seconds, you will get a list of HIV testing sites near you—including those that offer free HIV testing!

fail

TYPES OF HIV TESTS
Antibody Tests: The most common HIV tests look for HIV antibodies in your body, rather than looking for HIV itself:
Enzyme immunoassay (EIA) tests use blood, oral fluid, or urine to detect HIV antibodies. Results for these tests can take up to two weeks.
Rapid HIV antibody tests also use blood, oral fluid, or urine to detect HIV antibodies. Results for these tests can take 10–20 minutes.
If you get a positive result from either of these tests, you will need to take another test, called a Western blot test, to confirm that result. It can take up to two weeks to confirm a positive result.
Antigen Tests
These tests are not as common as antibody tests, but they can be used to diagnose HIV infection earlier—from 1-3 weeks after you are first infected with HIV. Antigen tests require a blood sample.
PCR Test (Polymerase chain reaction test)
This test detects the genetic material of HIV itself, and can identify HIV in the blood within 2-3 weeks of infection.
Babies born to HIV-positive mothers are tested with a special PCR test, because their blood contains their mother's HIV antibodies for several months. This means they would test HIV-positive on a standard antibody test—but a PCR test can determine whether the babies have HIV themselves.
Blood supplies in most developed countries are screened for HIV using PCR tests. PCR tests are also used to measure viral loads for people who are HIV-positive.
Home testing kits are HIV antibody tests that you can take in the privacy of your own home. Currently only one test, the Home Access HIV-1 Test System, is approved by the FDA for this purpose. This is not a true HIV testing kit, but a sample-collection kit. You collect a sample of your blood by sticking your finger with a sterile lancet, put the blood on a special collection card in the kit, and send it back to laboratory for testing. At a later date, you call the lab for your results. For more information, see FDA's Testing Yourself for HIV-1, the Virus that Causes AIDS.
For additional information, see CDC's How HIV Tests work.

aids

GENERAL PRE-TEST AND POST-TEST INFORMATION
Counseling before and after an HIV test is important because it provides critical information about HIV itself and about the testing process. While counseling services may not be available in all health care settings, many testing sites do offer these services. If you would like access to pre-test and post-test counseling, be sure to inquire about the availability of these services at your chosen test site. If they do not have them readily available, the staff may be able to direct you to alternate service providers who do.
Pre-test counseling sessions generally include the following:
Information about the HIV test—what it tests for, what it might NOT tell you, and how long it will take you to get your results
Information about how HIV is transmitted and how you can protect yourself from infection
Information about the confidentiality of your test results
A clear, easy-to-understand explanation of what your test results mean
Once the results are available, you will usually be given the results in private and in person. Post-test counseling generally includes:
Clear communication about what your test result means
HIV prevention counseling, if your results are negative
A confirmatory test, called a Western blot test, if your results are positive. The results of that test should be available within 2 weeks.
IF YOUR HIV TEST IS POSITIVE
Your counselor will discuss what it means to live a healthy life with HIV and how you can keep from infecting others.
Your counselor will also talk about treatments for HIV and can link you to a physician for immediate care. Getting into treatment quickly is important—it can help you keep your immune system healthy and keep you from progressing to AIDS.
All HIV-positive test results must be reported to your state health department for data tracking. Many states then report data to the CDC, but no personal information (name, address, etc.) is ever shared when those data are reported.
For more information, see CDC’s What if I test positive for HIV?
HIV PRE-TEST AND POST TEST COUNSELING FOR PREGNANT WOMEN
CDC has outlined these recommendations for HIV counseling and testing of pregnant women:
All pregnant women should be tested for HIV as early as possible during pregnancy, and HIV screening should be included in the routine panel of prenatal screening tests.
Patients should be informed that HIV screening is recommended for all pregnant women and that it will be performed unless they decline (opt-out screening).
If a pregnant woman declines to be tested for HIV, her healthcare providers should explore and address her reasons for declining HIV testing.
Pregnant women should receive appropriate health education, including information about HIV and its transmission, as a routine part of prenatal care.
Access to clinical care, prevention counseling, and support services is essential for women with positive HIV test results.
HIV screening should be repeated in the third trimester of pregnancy for women known to be at high risk for HIV.
Repeat HIV testing in the third trimester is also recommended for all women in areas with higher rates of HIV or AIDS and for women receiving healthcare in facilities with at least one diagnosed HIV case per 1,000 pregnant women per year.

flaids

babyfinland posted:

I was joking with people the other day about how quietly we neutered the aids problem, like 15 years ago it was thos big scary thing and now its like who cares

http://www.aidsmap.com/Over-half-of-people-living-with-AIDS-in-San-Francisco-are-aged-50-or-older/page/2679010/