Plan your test
Why get an HIV test?
Testing is the only way to know your HIV status and it connects you with prevention or treatment options.
Read guide →TESTING · 3 GUIDES
Plan your test
Start with why, when, and how often testing may make sense for you.
FAST FACTS
Plan your test: key facts
A quick, accurate orientation before you open a guide.
72h
Exposure within 72 hours? Ask about PEP before you test.
3
Main test types: antibody, antigen/antibody, and nucleic acid (NAT).
Window
A negative result may need repeating after the test's window period.
VISUAL SUMMARY
A path through Plan your test
Start with the guide that matches your question. The sequence is flexible—you can enter at any point.
Why get an HIV test?
Testing is the only way to know your HIV status and it connects you with prevention or treatment options.
When should I test?
The right time depends on when a possible exposure happened and which type of test will be used.
The HIV test window period
The window period is the time between a possible exposure and when a test can detect HIV in the body.
This visual is a guide to the page—not a personal diagnosis or treatment recommendation.
Plan your test
When should I test?
The right time depends on when a possible exposure happened and which type of test will be used.
Read guide →Plan your test
The HIV test window period
The window period is the time between a possible exposure and when a test can detect HIV in the body.
Read guide →DETAILED GUIDE
A quick guide to Plan your test
What Plan your test means for you
Start with why, when, and how often testing may make sense for you. That short answer is the place to begin; what matters next is how it fits your situation—your reason for reading, the timing of any event, and the support you can reach. Treat this guide as a map: it can help you prepare and ask better questions, while a qualified health professional applies the details to you.
The essentials for Plan your test
HIV tests look for different markers—antibodies, the p24 antigen, or the virus itself—using oral fluid or blood, so no test detects HIV immediately. The date of a possible exposure and the test used both shape how a negative result is read. A reactive screening or self-test result always needs follow-up, and a possible exposure within the last 72 hours means asking about PEP right away.
Turn it into one next step
You do not need perfect medical words. Note any relevant dates, test names, or medicines, then choose one manageable action. For this page, a useful next step is read why get an hiv test?—a suggestion, not a rule. If it feels too big, make it smaller: save a phone number, check opening hours, or tell someone you trust. The plan can change as a result or new information arrives.