Help & Advice

HIV testing is the only way to know your status and access treatment if you need it. HIV testing is free for everyone on the NHS, but private providers will charge you (and they pay extra to come up first when you search for tests online). Most HIV tests are blood tests, either of a sample drawn from your arm in a clinic, or from a finger-prick test, which can be in a clinic or sent for free to a preferred address.

If you believe you have been exposed to HIV in the last 72 hours, prioritise getting to A&E or a sexual health clinic as soon as possible. They will be able to start you on PEP, a free emergency medication that can stop you from getting HIV. If you’ve only been exposed in the last few days, it’s too soon to test for HIV as it won’t show up on tests.

Here is how you can check your status for free in London, no matter which borough you live in:

• Get a home-testing kit. For most London boroughs, you can order a free HIV test to be delivered to your address or to a preferred location through SHL London. You will need to register for an online account and fill out a short questionnaire before you can order an STI testing kit to be delivered to an address of your choosing. You can also pick up a home-testing kit from a sexual health clinic and select pharmacies. You can watch a video to guide you through how to take a sample yourself. Kits are easy and confidential; after collecting your samples, you simply drop the kit off at any post box (no need for a stamp). Note that Croydon, Greenwich and Hillingdon have their own local provision for home testing kits (see below); you can still order a free kit, just not from SHL.
• Get tested at your GP or at a sexual health clinic. You will usually need to make an appointment, unless your clinic specifies that they also take walk-ins. If you’re under 18, you do not need an appointment. Find your nearest sexual health clinic here. Some clinics will not offer you an in-person appointment for STI testing if you have no symptoms, and will instead direct you to order a home-testing kit.
• Get tested in the community via an outreach service. Many organisations like Positive East, Spectra, Naz and One Voice Network offer confidential STI and rapid HIV tests (as well as free condoms and lube, and other prevention services) in community settings, bars, clubs, saunas, and at events. You don’t need to make an appointment, and you don’t have to be a local resident to access their services- you can just show up.

About HIV testing

When you get tested, your sample is checked for antibodies, not the virus itself. Antibodies are produced by your body as an immune response to HIV, and tests can only detect them once your body has produced a certain amount, which can take up to 12 weeks after exposure. Some tests are more sensitive than others, and can detect antibodies sooner, after 4-6 weeks. The length of time between exposure and when tests are most accurate, called the window period, is between 6 and 12 weeks, depending on the type of test.

If you think you’ve been exposed to HIV and get a negative test result within the window period, you will usually be offered a second test to confirm the result at the end of the window period. If you haven’t been exposed to HIV, then you do not need to test again for at least three months. If you’re sexually active, we recommend STI & HIV testing:

• Annually and/or after changing sexual partner (and ask your partner to do the same)
• Every three months, if you have multiple or anonymous sexual partners, engage in chemsex, or have sex for work

Testing in London borough-by-borough

Testing for under 18s:

If you’re under 18, you can walk into your local clinic during opening hours without an appointment. Some services are specifically for young people aged 13-24. Find young people’s sexual health services near you.