Blood Test
The most common test for HIV is a blood test that is performed in many community clinics, private offices of physicians, health departments, the Red Cross and at special screening programs nationwide. It usually takes a few days to a week to get the results and most places require that you return to receive them. The testing is confidential (secret) and involves counseling about risky sexual practices and should include a discussion about prevention. Ask your healthcare professional if it is there policy to send your results to anyone else. Some clinics have an anonymous testing option that assigns a number to your test and you can call with the number to get your results. States such as Tennessee, North Carolina and South Carolina do not provide this service.
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        Rapid Test
A Rapid HIV Test has been approved by the Food and Drug Administration (FDA) and is as effective as the routine blood test in screening for HIV. This can be a blood or oral swab test that takes only 20 minutes to perform. It is not available at all clinics, offices, hospitals or health departments, but you should ask if it is available when you go for testing. Some community organizations have been allowed to screen this way, as well.
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Home Test
A home testing kit has been approved by the FDA that requires you to prick your finger and mail the blood sample in for evaluation. You are not able to determine if you are HIV positive at your home. You are given a number for your specimen and when you call a toll free number they give you the results over the phone. They also, provide counseling. You can get this kit at many pharmacies or buy it on the Internet.

All Positive HIV Tests Are Confirmed BY A Special Test (Western Blot) To Assure That The Test Is Accurate.
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If I Tested Negative, I’m Safe!

NO, especially if you participate in risky sexual practices. A negative result means the test didn’t notice that your body is trying to fight off HIV. If you have tested negative for HIV, you should take the test again in six months, because there may not have been enough of the virus to cause a response at the time you were tested. Also, you need to stop participating in whatever sexual practices or sharing dirty needles that made you worry that you might have HIV.
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How do you get rid of HIV/AIDS?

There is no cure for HIV/AIDS. For this reason, many people who are infected will develop infections that will kill them. There are medications that will slow the progression of HIV to AIDS and will decrease the infections that could develop because of a weak immune system. There are no medications to prevent someone who has HIV from spreading it to others.
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What does it mean when people who have HIV say "no/very little virus is detected" in their body?

Most of the medications work by reducing the amount of active virus in the body, but it doesn’t get rid of the virus completely. To determine how well the medication is working or how infectious someone is, the amount of the virus (viral load) is examined in the blood. If the amount is extremely low, it may not be noticeable. However, this finding doesn’t mean that they are no longer infected with HIV!
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How do I protect myself from getting HIV/AIDS?

Not having sex/sexually related activities is the only way to prevent the spread of HIV through sexual intimacy. Another way is to maintain a long -term exclusive sexual relationship (sex only with one person) with someone who has been tested and has been proven to not have HIV & other STDs.

If you choose to have sex you can decrease, but not eliminate your risk by wearing latex (or polyurethane) condoms, using dental dams or plastic wrap when performing oral sex on the anus, penis or vagina and using a finger cot or latex glove when "fingering" the anus or vagina. Also, you and your partner should first be tested for STDs/HIV and be rechecked in 6 months. Properly used condoms (male or female) have been shown to block the transmission of HIV.
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Is there a relationship between HIV & other STDs?

The presence of other STDs has been shown to increase the spread of HIV into the body. First, the cells that are present to resist the STD infection may connect with the virus and carry it back into the immune system. Second, the lining of the anus, penis, mouth or vagina can be weakened by the infection and the tears that are present become "doors" for the virus to enter into the body. Third, fluids infected with other STDs commonly have large amounts of HIV present in them in a person who already has HIV.
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Can I get HIV from Hugging, Holding Hands or Toilet Seats?

No. The HIV virus isn’t spread by this kind of contact and doesn’t live for long outside of the body.
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