HIV Test
An HIV test tells you whether you have been infected with the human immunodeficiency virus. Knowing your status early allows you to start treatment, which keeps you healthy, prevents transmission to partners and, for pregnant women, protects the baby. Today, a person living with HIV who takes treatment regularly can expect a long and healthy life.
At YGOPH, voluntary HIV testing with counselling is free and confidential. Every pregnant woman is offered a test at her first antenatal visit, and partners are encouraged to be tested too. Our Approved Treatment Centre (CTA) provides treatment and follow-up for adults and children, and babies born to mothers living with HIV receive early testing and preventive care.
How is HIV tested?
Screening uses rapid tests that detect antibodies to HIV, and sometimes a viral antigen, in a drop of blood from a finger prick or in a blood sample. Results are available in about 30 minutes. In line with the national testing strategy, a positive result is always confirmed with one or more different tests before a diagnosis is given. When needed, laboratory serology provides additional confirmation.
- At the first antenatal visit, and again later in pregnancy as recommended
- After possible exposure to HIV, including unprotected sex or a needle-stick injury
- For couples, before starting a family
- When a person has weight loss, recurrent infections or tuberculosis
- For babies born to mothers living with HIV
Good to know
Counselling and confidentiality
Before the test, a counsellor explains the process and answers your questions. After the result, you receive advice on prevention or, if the result is positive, immediate support and referral to treatment. Your result is confidential and shared only with the health workers involved in your care.
The window period
After infection, it can take several weeks before a test becomes positive. If you were exposed recently, a negative result may need to be repeated later; the counsellor will tell you when. After a high-risk exposure, come to the hospital as soon as possible: preventive treatment (post-exposure prophylaxis, PEP) must start within 72 hours.
Testing babies
Babies born to mothers living with HIV carry their mother's antibodies for up to 18 months, so standard antibody tests cannot be used to diagnose them. Instead, early infant diagnosis uses a test that detects the virus itself, usually from six weeks of age, followed by further tests until the end of breastfeeding.