THIVK. Test. Take Control

• “I think I’m negative. Why test?”
• “I can’t test again because I tested recently”
• “I gave a blood sample. They must’ve tested me for HIV”
• “If I’ve got HIV, isn’t it better not to know?”
• “I couldn’t cope with testing positive”
• “If I test positive I’ll lose the people I care about”
• “If people know I have HIV they’ll say hurtful things”
• “If I test positive I could never have sex again”
• “Test positive and I’ll be put on HIV drugs straight away”
• “If I test positive I might lose my job”
• “Can boyfriends stop using condoms if they test?”
• “Testing could risk my relationship”
• “Is it true testing’s never been easier?”
• “Testing takes too long”
• “I must wait three months after unsafe sex before testing”
• “All HIV tests are the same”
• “Testing means problems with mortgages or life insurance”
• “If I test positive my details go on an official list”
• “I can’t test. I hate needles”

"I think I'm negative. Why test?"

It's always better to test so you are sure of your HIV status and clinics will be happy to test you at any time.

Here's what testing gives you:

• certainty
• peace of mind
• the best chance of good health and a long life

Certainty

Thousands of gay men who have HIV believe they don't. Could this be you? How would you feel if, without realising, you gave HIV to someone you care about?
Knowing your HIV status is better than guessing. It's the best foundation for decisions about sex, the future or using condoms.

Peace of mind

It's good to know where you stand. Knowing for certain that you're HIV negative means you can make a fresh start and an extra effort to stay safe.

If you do test positive, HIV treatments work very well. They're much better than in the past, easier to take and there are fewer side effects. But the drugs work best when they are started before HIV does too much damage to your immune system.

Doctors are confident that people who test positive and start treatment soon enough can expect to live as long as people who don't have HIV.

Avoiding testing means that if you are HIV positive, your immune system will gradually become damaged and you run the risk of falling ill with opportunistic infections like pneumonia or meningitis (a life-threatening inflammation of the brain). If you wait until you get ill to test, your immune system will already be damaged and it will be harder to repair it with HIV drugs. People who test and start treatment later are much more likely to get ill or die.

So testing can save your life. Then add years to it.

"I can't test again because I tested recently"

Gay men are recommended to test at least once a year, more often if you’ve fucked without a condom since your last test or had possible symptoms of ‘seroconversion illness’. This is when your body changes from being HIV negative to HIV positive and people often become unwell up to six weeks after infection with fever, a body rash and/or sore throat. A negative test result is worth little if you've taken risks since.

So testing again is encouraged, especially after unprotected sex. Testing sooner is better than testing later.

"I gave a blood sample. They must've tested me for HIV"

If a doctor, hospital or sexual health clinic take a blood sample, don't assume they’ll test you for HIV. They must ask your permission to do that - so if you weren’t asked this means the blood tests won't include HIV.

If you get the 'all clear' after blood tests, this doesn't mean you’re HIV negative unless you specifically remember being asked permission to test for HIV.

When you visit a sexual health clinic they take a sample of your blood. This is a test for syphilis, not HIV. They’ll probably ask if you'd like an HIV test. If they don't, you can ask for one.

• This article was last reviewed on: 11/10/2011
• Date due for next review: 11/10/2013