Do I have HIV?

Symptoms

With treatment, HIV is a manageable condition that should not affect your day-to-day life significantly. Getting tested early means that you can access this treatment if you have got HIV.  Effective treatment reduces your viral load to undetectable levels within about six months, meaning that your immune system will remain healthy and you will not be able to pass on the virus.

Between 70 and 90% of people experience ‘acute’ symptoms one to six weeks after they have acquired HIV. These symptoms last for a few days to weeks and include:

• Severe flu-like symptoms
• Sore throat
• Fever
• Rash on the chest

If HIV is not treated, it may progress to an advanced form, known as AIDS but now in healthcare commonly referred to as advanced HIV.

With advances in HIV treatment, many people can recover from advanced HIV, though they will still have HIV. However, there is a period of up to 10 years between acquiring HIV and the development of an advanced form of the illness, in which a person may not experience any symptoms at all.

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Why should I get tested?

Getting tested is the only way to find out if you may have HIV.

If you have acquired HIV:

• A test in good time can ensure that you get excellent treatment and care
• If you start treatment early you will most likely be able to live a full, healthy and productive life
• Knowing your HIV status is the best way to protect your health, and that of your sexual partners

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Where can I get tested?

Free and confidential HIV tests are available from:

• NHS sexual health clinics (also called GUM clinics)
• Charity testing services
• GP surgeries​

Free home self-testing kits are available in many places in the UK from SH:24.

Private sexual health clinics also offer HIV testing for a fee. Click here to find HIV testing services near you.

HIV testing is also provided in many hospital Emergency Departments on an opt-out basis. This means that if your blood is being taken for testing for any reason, it will also be tested for HIV unless you tell them that you don’t want this to happen (you ‘opt out’).

Can I test myself?

Yes – home HIV tests are available in two forms:

Home-sampling kits

• You take a small sample of blood or saliva at home and post the sample to a laboratory for testing
• You receive results by telephone or text within a week
• Testing is accurate if carried out three months after you have been at risk of getting HIV
• Home-sampling kits are free but only available in some areas of the UK – find out if you are eligible here

Home-testing kits

• You extract a spot of blood and test it yourself, at home
• You read your result at home, within 15 minutes of testing
• If your result is positive, you need to get your result confirmed at a clinic
• Testing is accurate if carried out more than three months after you have been at risk of getting HIV
• You can purchase a home-testing kit online here or from a pharmacy
• It’s important to ensure that your home-testing kit has a ‘CE’ quality assurance mark – otherwise, the kit may not work

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What are the different types of HIV test?

Clinics and surgeries offer the two main types of HIV test:

Full blood tests (taken from your arm)

• You receive very accurate results within 2 to 14 days of your test (your blood sample has to be sent to a lab for analysis)
• Testing is very accurate if carried out one month after you have been at risk of getting HIV

Rapid blood (finger prick) and saliva (swab) tests

• You receive accurate results within just 20 to 40 minutes of your test
• Testing is accurate if carried out three months after you have been at risk of getting HIV

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I might have been exposed to HIV – what can I do?

If you think you may have been exposed to HIV, you may be able to prevent infection by taking a medical treatment called PEP (Post Exposure Prophylaxis). PEP should ideally be started within 24 hours of exposure, and no later than 72 hours. The sooner you start PEP, the more effective it can be.

If more than 72 hours have passed since potential exposure to HIV, it is still important to seek medical advice as soon as possible.

How to get PEP

You will usually be able to get PEP if you go to a sexual health clinic or hospital A&E department. The doctor you see will advise you on its suitability based on the level of risk involved. They will also ask you to have an HIV test before and after taking PEP. PEP won’t be offered if you don’t get tested.

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What about PrEP?

PrEP (Pre Exposure Prophylaxis) is a HIV prevention drug which prevents you from acquiring HIV if you have been exposed to HIV. It is most commonly taken as a pill, which you can take daily.

How to get PrEP

PrEP is available free through the health services of England, Scotland, Wales, and Northern Ireland. You can have a conversation at sexual health clinics there about whether PrEP is right for you. PrEP is currently only available at sexual health clinics, not through GP surgeries or pharmacies.

The drugs used for PrEP are the same as those used for the treatment of people living with HIV and are very safe, with only very rare occurrences of serious side effects.

Unlike condoms, PrEP will only protect you from HIV and will not prevent someone from acquiring any other sexually transmitted infections.

For more information on accessing PrEP, click here.

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