Testing and health monitoring

Tests are used to diagnose HIV (to show whether someone has HIV or not). Other tests, including CD4 count and viral load, are used to assess the health of someone who is HIV positive, or can look at the health of other parts of the body, which may be affected by HIV or other conditions. Some tests use blood samples, but tests can also involve giving a urine or stool sample, or having a scan or X-ray.

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  • Less than 40% of adults in the USA have ever tested for HIV

    Baseline HIV testing data reveals sub-optimal testing rates among those living in the most heavily burdened areas of the USA.

    08 July 2019 | Avert

  • Can Self-Swabs Make HIV Exposure and Risk Reporting More Accurate?

    A new study conducted in South Africa finds that when cisgender women are given the tools to assess their HIV exposure risk at home, those tools can yield far more accurate results than a sit-down interview with an HIV clinician. The study also pioneered a new use case for swabbing kits, yielding valuable insights that lead author Maria Lemos, Ph.D., says may one day lead to a new method of self-testing for HIV exposure at home.

    01 July 2019 | The Body Pro

  • Genotype Testing at HIV Diagnosis Provides No Benefit

    For the majority of people with HIV in the US, the current treatment guidelines recommend an integrase strand inhibitor paired with an NRTI as first-line ART. Therefore, baseline genotype results currently guide the choice of initial NRTI pair, given transmitted NRTI resistance (NRTI-R). With this evolution of HIV treatment, the role and value of baseline genotype testing has become uncertain. This study determined the clinical and economic value of baseline genotype testing for people newly diagnosed with HIV in the US.

    25 June 2019 | Infectious Disease Advisor

  • Here’s why you test positive for HIV if you’re undetectable

    Why might people living with HIV get tested for HIV? Now that we know undetectable equals untransmittable (U=U), some people may have the misconception that if you’re undetectable, you will no longer test positive for HIV. They may think that if they test HIV-negative on an HIV test, they’ll be able to show this to their sex partners as a way to “prove” that they’re undetectable and untransmittable. Or, they may think it will be easier to tell partners they’re HIV-negative rather than undetectable and uninfectious.

    11 June 2019 | San Francisco AIDS Foundation

  • More support needed to increase HIV testing in GP practices

    One-off training sessions for GPs are not enough to increase rates of HIV testing in general practice and greater support is needed, according to researchers.

    10 June 2019 | University of Bristol

  • FDA Approves First Throat and Rectal Tests for Detecting Chlamydia and Gonorrhea

    The U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) announced on May 23 that it had cleared the Aptima Combo 2 Assay and Xpert CT/NG to detect chlamydia and gonorrhea by using throat and rectum samples, potentially making it easier for physicians and public health programs to diagnose and treat sexually transmitted infections (STIs) that are often undertreated for lack of testing in those areas.

    02 June 2019 | The Body Pro

  • Churches can help increase HIV testing in South African men

    Religious leaders can play a critical role in reaching hard-to-reach groups with HIV testing, including men and first-time testers.

    21 May 2019 | Avert

  • Thailand: Self-test kits for HIV now available at pharmacies

    Thanks to the latest move by the Food and Drug Administration (FDA), people no longer have to visit a medical centre to undergo an HIV test. If they are worried that they may be infected, people can just buy a self-test kit from a pharmacy and check on their own.

    23 April 2019 | The Nation

  • US: The Porn Industry Is Rethinking How It Works With HIV Positive Performers

    In late January, tucked away in a fluorescent-lit conference room at the Hard Rock Hotel in Las Vegas, dozens of porn industry insiders gathered for a panel on the latest in HIV research.It was a lightning rod for industry debates around HIV, sex worker rights, and homophobia because it raised the possibility of introducing a testing system that meets the needs of performers with HIV.

    27 March 2019 | Jezebel

  • CROI 2019: Interventions raise men’s HIV testing rates

    A financial incentive as small as a $3 voucher for food dramatically increases HIV testing in areas with high HIV infection rates but low rates of testing, researchers said here. In places where HIV testing and linkage to care among men remain low while new infections among women and deaths from HIV among men remain high, scaling up the use of such small incentives may be an effective tool in increasing the number of people who know their HIV status, Hae-Young Kim of the Africa Health Research Institute said.

    14 March 2019 | Science Speaks
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Community Consensus Statement on Access to HIV Treatment and its Use for Prevention

Together, we can make it happen

We can end HIV soon if people have equal access to HIV drugs as treatment and as PrEP, and have free choice over whether to take them.

Launched today, the Community Consensus Statement is a basic set of principles aimed at making sure that happens.

The Community Consensus Statement is a joint initiative of AVAC, EATG, MSMGF, GNP+, HIV i-Base, the International HIV/AIDS Alliance, ITPC and NAM/aidsmap
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This content was checked for accuracy at the time it was written. It may have been superseded by more recent developments. NAM recommends checking whether this is the most current information when making decisions that may affect your health.

NAM’s information is intended to support, rather than replace, consultation with a healthcare professional. Talk to your doctor or another member of your healthcare team for advice tailored to your situation.