context: The only way to know if you have HIV is to get an HIV test. Several types of tests check your blood or body fluids to see if you're infected. Most can't detect HIV right away, because it takes time for your body to make antibodies or for enough virus to grow inside you. It may be up to 6 months before you'll see a positive result, which means an early test could be negative even though you're infected. If you do have the virus, finding out quickly means you can start treatment to help you live a long and full life. You can also take precautions so that you don't pass HIV to other people. These tests check for a kind of protein that your body makes in response to the HIV infection, 2-8 weeks later. They're also called immunoassay or ELISA tests. They're generally very accurate, but they won't catch early infections. Usually, a technician will take a small blood sample and send it to a lab for testing. Some immunoassay tests check urine or fluids from your mouth (not saliva), but there aren't as many antibodies in these, so you may not get a positive result even if you're infected. ( That's called a false negative.) Rapid versions of these blood and oral fluid tests can give results in under 30 minutes, but they may give false negatives, too. The CDC recommends these blood tests. They can detect HIV earlier than antibody screening tests. They check for HIV antigen, a protein called p24 that's part of the virus that shows up 2-4 weeks after infection. They also check for HIV antibodies. A rapid antibody/antigen test can give you results in 20 minutes. This looks for the virus itself and can diagnose HIV about 10 days after you've been exposed. It's expensive, though, so it's usually not the first test. But if you're at high risk and you have flu-like symptoms, your doctor may want to use it. Two kits are available in the U. S. You can buy them at your local store or online. Make sure the one you choose is FDA-approved. One option is to prick your finger to get a small blood sample that you send to a lab. You call to get your result within a few business days, and it's anonymous (you don't have to give your name). If it's positive, the lab will also do a follow-up test. For the other, you'll swab your upper and lower gums and test the sample in a vial. You get a result in 20 minutes. Maybe 1 in 12 people who are infected get a false negative from this test. You should get a lab test of your blood if it's positive. To get a positive result from a home blood test, you'll have to be infected with HIV longer than you would with the in-person tests above. The home oral fluid test needs even more time. A positive result means there were traces of HIV. If you had a rapid test, you should get a standard lab test to confirm it. If you had a lab test, more detailed tests on your blood sample can help confirm the diagnosis: Western blot or indirect immunofluorescence assay Antibody differentiation, between HIV-1 and HIV-2 If you got an HIV test within the first 3 months after you could have been infected and it was negative, get another test at 6 months to be sure. You could have an HIV infection if you: Have had several sexual partners Had unprotected sex with someone who is or could be HIV-positive, including someone whose sexual history you don't know Injected drugs with a needle, syringe, or other equipment someone else had used first Have had or are getting tested for TB, hepatitis, or any sexually transmitted disease, including syphilis, gonorrhea, or herpes. Have had sex for drugs or money Had sex with someone who has a history of any of these Pregnant women should also get tested. And in fact, the CDC recommends that all persons in the United States between the ages of 13 and 64 get tested for HIV at least once. Your doctor's office can do an HIV test. To find out where else you can get tested, check www.aids.gov or gettested.cdc.gov, or call 800- CDC- INFO (800-232-4636). Clinics that do HIV tests keep your results secret; some may do tests anonymously.