How can HIV be tested?

Testing for HIV

Some countries have special facilities where anyone can go and have a blood test for HIV.

A blood test is like a snap shot of a person's status at that moment. More than one test may be needed to determine whether a person is HIV positive.

People who think they may have HIV have to consider carefully whether or not they wish to be tested and should receive counselling beforehand to help them weigh the advantages and disadvantages.

The test should be completely confidential and people should also receive counselling when they get the results to help them cope with the situation and make plans if they are HIV positive.

For example, they need to decide who they should tell, and how to do so.

The advantages of people finding out they are HIV positive are:

• they can get help as soon as they feel ill for any reason;
• they can make sure they don't pass HIV on to anybody else;
• they can help to keep their immune system strong by eating healthy food and cutting down on smoking and alcohol;
• they can make informed decisions about sexual relationships and childbearing;
• they can make plans about how their dependents, children and families, will be looked after when they do become ill;
• they can gain help and support from other people; and
• they can change peoples' attitudes and behaviour by talking about their HIV status

The disadvantages of people finding they are HIV positive are :

• they may be unable to cope psychologically and become depressed and even suicidal; and
• if other people find out, they and their families may suffer prejudice and discrimination, be thrown out of the house or community, or sacked from their workplace.

The audio used in this site was originally broadcast on BBC World Service radio as part of the series Surviving AIDs produced by the BBC's African Service.

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