HIV Testing

You can have a test for HIV at a Sexual Health Clinic or at your own GP. If you have been at risk through your drug use, you can also be tested at addiction and harm reduction services.

You can also order a free postal testing kit for HIV and other sexually transmitted infections from the sexual health service.

Alternatively, if you live in Scotland, you can order an HIV test online from THT Scotland.  This scheme offers free, fast and confidential testing with additional support available.

If you’ve had unprotected sex in the last 45 days, then we can’t be sure that you don’t have HIV – this is called the “window period”.  It can take your body up to 45 days to make HIV antibodies which is what the test is looking for.  You should have another test 45 days after the last time you had unprotected sex to be sure. A negative test at this time means you don’t have HIV.

You can find more information about HIV and testing at NHS Inform