HIV Testing Resources: Find a Location, Get Tested, Know Your Status
Find Help
Close

Get Tested

HOW OFTEN SHOULD I GET TESTED? It’s recommended that everyone who’s sexually active, especially those in a nonmonogamous relationship — regardless of sex, gender, race, or orientation — gets regularly tested at least once a year. If you’re a sexually active gay or a bisexual male, it’s recommended you get tested every three to six months.

It may surprise you that the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) recommends everyone be tested once. There are plenty of options to get it done. Meet with your primary care health care provider, visit a clinic, or get an at-home test. There are lots of free options, especially in Dallas County, so don’t let finances keep you from getting tested. Knowledge is power. When you know your status, you can make informed choices. There are resources to help you, regardless of your results. We’re here to help you keep living your best life.

Here’s some information about the different types of tests:

STI – Traditional Test

Detects a full range of STIs

TYPE OF SAMPLE:
Urine or genital swab

TIME TO GET RESULTS:
5-7 days. Health care provider must send sample to a lab for analysis.

DETECTION AFTER EXPOSURE:
Chlamydia and gonorrhea: 1-2 weeks
Syphilis: 3 weeks to 3 months
HPV: 3 weeks to a few months
Trichomoniasis: 3-7 days
Hepatitis B: 1-9 weeks
Herpes: 2-3 weeks

STI – Rapid Test

Rapid tests detect chlamydia, gonorrhea, trichomoniasis, hepatitis B, herpes simplex, HIV, and human papillomavirus (HPV).

TYPE OF SAMPLE:
Urine or genital swab

TIME TO GET RESULTS:
30 minutes

DETECTION AFTER EXPOSURE:
Chlamydia and gonorrhea: 1-2 weeks
Syphilis: 3 weeks to 3 months
HPV: 3 weeks to a few months
Trichomoniasis: 3-7 days
Hepatitis B: 1-9 weeks
Herpes: 2-3 weeks

STI – At-Home Test Kit

Detects a full range of STIs

TYPE OF SAMPLE:
Urine or genital swab

TIME TO GET RESULTS:
A few days to 1-2 weeks. Sample must be mailed to a lab for analysis.

DETECTION AFTER EXPOSURE:
Chlamydia and gonorrhea: 1-2 weeks
Syphilis: 3 weeks to 3 months
HPV: 3 weeks to a few months
Trichomoniasis: 3-7 days
Hepatitis B: 1-9 weeks
Herpes: 2-3 weeks

HIV – NUCLEIC ACID TEST (NAT)

Detects HIV only

TYPE OF SAMPLE:
Blood draw

TIME TO GET RESULTS:
Several days

DETECTION AFTER EXPOSURE:
An NAT can usually tell you if you have an HIV infection within 10 to 33 days after exposure.

HIV- ANTIGEN TEST

Detects a full range of STIs

TYPE OF SAMPLE:
Finger prick or oral fluid

TIME TO GET RESULTS:
30 minutes or less

DETECTION AFTER EXPOSURE:
An antigen test detects the HIV virus itself, which appears in the blood early after infection – within 1-2 weeks.

HIV – ANTIBODY TEST

Detects a full range of STIs

TYPE OF SAMPLE:
Finger prick or oral fluid

TIME TO GET RESULTS:
30 minutes or less

DETECTION AFTER EXPOSURE:

Antibody tests detect antibodies produced by the immune system in response to the virus, which can take 2-12 weeks. Most rapid tests and self-tests are antibody tests.

Generally, antibody tests that use blood from a vein can detect HIV sooner after infection than tests done with blood from a finger prick or with oral fluid.

HAVE MORE THAN ONE SEX PARTNER?

Get tested 1x per year.

SHARED NEEDLES?

Get tested after every use.

HAVE AN STI?

Get tested for HIV.

GAY OR BISEXUAL?

Get tested every 3 to 6 months.