3 GUIDES
Plan your test
Start with why, when, and how often testing may make sense for you.
FROM UNCERTAINTY TO A PLAN
Plan an HIV test with confidence.
Understand when to test, which tests are available, what happens on the day, and what each result means.
03categories09guides
EXPLORE THIS TOPIC
Choose the question closest to yours.
Each category opens into focused guides, with related care and next steps on every page.
FAST FACTS
Testing: the essentials
Verified, plain-language facts to ground the rest of this section.
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.
INFOGRAPHIC
HIV testing window periods
Compare the usual window periods for four common HIV testing approaches.
- A nucleic acid test (NAT) can usually detect HIV 10–33 days after exposure.
- A laboratory antigen/antibody test can usually detect HIV 18–45 days after exposure.
- A rapid antigen/antibody test can usually detect HIV 18–90 days after exposure.
- An antibody test can usually detect HIV 23–90 days after exposure.
VISUAL SUMMARY
How Testing is organized
Use this map to choose a category, open a focused guide, and continue to a practical next step.
Plan your test
Start with why, when, and how often testing may make sense for you.
Testing options
Compare common test types and decide where you would feel comfortable testing.
The test and your result
Know what to expect before, during, and after testing.
This visual is a guide to the page—not a personal diagnosis or treatment recommendation.
3 GUIDES
Testing options
Compare common test types and decide where you would feel comfortable testing.
3 GUIDES
The test and your result
Know what to expect before, during, and after testing.
DETAILED GUIDE
A quick guide to Testing
What Testing means for you
Understand when to test, which tests are available, what happens on the day, and what each result means. 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 Testing
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 start the first testing guide—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.