Ways to test for HIV

Three different ways to see if you have HIV

May 2007     View PDF     En español

Using and in-home kit

Perhaps you feel uneasy talking to someone face-to-face or fear going to an HIV testing site. In this case, you can test by using an in-home collection kit. The Home Access kit can be bought online (www.homeaccess.com) and at many drug stores, but it’s not available in every state.

The kit includes a booklet that discusses and answers some questions about HIV screening. It also contains a needle, a small blotter pad and a postage-paid envelope. You will also find a unique ID code that you must keep in order to get your results.
To use the kit, prick your finger with the needle and put a few drops of blood on the blotter pad, as directed. Mail the blotter pad in the postage-paid envelope. The booklet gives you a toll-free phone number to call for your results.

When you call, an automated machine will ask you to enter your ID code. After you do, you will be passed to a counselor who will explain your test results and answer your questions. Over the phone, the counselor can give you a list of referrals for HIV prevention or other services in your area. If you want, they often can link you directly by phone to them.

The kit costs in the $45–60 range (depending on how quickly you request your results). But before you choose to test this way, consider how you feel about being counseled over the phone, how you feel about getting information about your HIV status over the phone, and whether you may benefit more from face-to-face counseling.

Several in-home HIV test kits are advertised on the internet. Only one is approved by the FDA. That is the Home Access Express HIV-1 Test System, made by Home Access Health Corporation. Other tests are not proven reliable and should be avoided. The FDA offers the warning below to consumers about other HIV testing options.

The advertisers of the unapproved HIV home test kits claim that the presence of a visual indicator, such as a red dot, within 5–15 minutes of taking the test shows a positive result for HIV infection. These unapproved test kits use a simple finger prick process for home blood collection or a special sponge device for saliva collection. The blood or saliva sample is then added to a plastic testing device containing a special type of paper. A developing solution is added to determine if the sample is positive for HIV. The samples are not sent to a laboratory for professional analysis. Although this approach may seem faster and simpler, it may provide a less accurate result than can be achieved using an approved test, which is analyzed under more controlled conditions than is possible in the home.

Going to a local testing site

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