If you don't know your HIV status, if you think that you have HIV, or you want to be sure that you don't, you can have a test that detects antibodies to the virus.

The standard test is NOT a test for AIDS, or for HIV itself, only for the HIV antibodies.

Antibodies are part of the body's natural defence system, and show up when germs or viruses enter the body. Usually, HIV antibodies take from 2 to 6 weeks after you were exposed to HIV, to show up in a blood test. This 2 to 6 week period of time, in which HIV antibodies may not yet show up in a blood test, even though the person being tested has been infected with HIV, is called the 'window period'.

If your HIV test result is negative, depending on when and why you were tested, you may still be advised to have another test six weeks later. This is to check for signs of HIV that weren’t apparent during the window period.

Deciding To Test

It is important to have counselling before being tested, as well as when you get your test results. This will automatically be arranged for you when you book for an HIV test, and counselling will occur at the same place and time as your test. In many cases, the doctor who gives you the HIV test will also do the counselling before and after you get your test results.

The counselling before the test will help you to decide whether or not you actually need to be tested. The doctor, counsellor, or nurse will talk to you about what the test is for, and tell you what it would mean if the test were either positive or negative. They will also talk to you about protected sex and safe injecting, and will help you work out how to get support during the time you are waiting for your results.

Test Results

Test results should be given to you in person and should always be accompanied by some counselling, whether your test result is positive or negative. If for some reason this doesn't happen when you get your results, you might want to talk to someone about it.

Please click on the link below for more information about counselling.

Counselling

If you test HIV positive, there are a number of issues you will need to think about.

The person who gave you the test results should tell you how to get some on-going information and support. You may also be asked to help contact your past and present sex partners, to see if they want to be tested. If you feel that you haven’t received sufficient answers to your questions at the time of your diagnosis, contact the VAC/GMHC for further information or counselling.

Legal Rights

It is also a good idea to learn about your legal rights as an HIV+ person. Various State and Federal laws protect HIV+ people from discrimination and breaches of confidentiality, such as people talking about your HIV status without your permission. The Equal Opportunity Commission, the Anti-discrimination Tribunal, and the Federal Human Rights and Equal Opportunity Commission can give you more information. For information on the latter, please click here.

Regular Health Monitoring

Seeing a doctor to regularly monitor your health can also help you decide on treatment options. Regular monitoring of your health is likely to delay or prevent various HIV-related illnesses, and can also make them less frequent and less severe. Regular monitoring also provides you with the options of making informed choices, planning ahead, and putting you in control. Knowing you are HIV+ enables you to make choices to avoid other risks to your health (such as other sexually transmitted infections), and to generally maintain a higher level of health.

If you test HIV-, you may need to talk about why you wanted the test, and think about what you are going to do to ensure that you don't put yourself at risk in the future.