USC Health Now

Q. I’ve never been tested for HIV, but know it should be part of my routine medical care. How do they test for it and where can I get tested?

A. If one has had unprotected sex, sex with multiple partners, shared needles, or experienced possible exposure to HIV during a medical procedure or at work, then testing for HIV is a good idea in order to receive timely advice and treatment and avoid infecting another person unknowingly, says May Mak, Pharm.D., assistant professor of pharmacy at the USC School of Pharmacy. “HIV testing is easily done,” says Mak. “In most cases, it only takes a blood test at the doctor’s office with your consent.” The most commonly performed blood test is for HIV antibody, which is produced by the immune system when the virus enters the body. However, there are also oral fluid and urine tests for HIV antibodies, says Mak. A rapid HIV test is recently available and is an antibody test that uses either a blood sample or an oral fluid specimen. “The result is usually available within 30 minutes,” she says. “Its accuracy is similar to the traditional blood test looking for HIV antibodies.” In addition, a home collection kit to test for HIV is also available over-the-counter. This test requires pricking of the finger, putting a blood sample on the test pad, mailing in the dried sample to a specified laboratory, and calling in for the result in about a week. Mak points out that all positive results, regardless of methods of testing, require confirmation by doing a second test before a positive diagnosis can be made. In addition, there is also the possibility of a false negative if you are tested too early, before adequate antibody levels are detectable. “If there is a reason to be tested and it turns out negative, you should retest in 3-6 months,” she says. To find a testing location near you, visit www.hivtest.org.