Testing at a clinic (or also at your GP surgery or pharmacy) involves a qualified professional taking either a saliva sample or a small amount of your blood.
There are two types of test used in a clinic, GP surgery or pharmacy:
blood test – where a sample of blood is taken in a clinic and sent for testing in a laboratory. Results are usually available on the same day or within a few days.
point of care test (sometimes called a POCT) – where a sample of saliva from your mouth or a small amount of blood from your finger is taken in a clinic. This sample doesn’t need to be sent to a laboratory and the result is available within a few minutes
If the test finds no sign of infection, your result is negative. If signs of infection are found, the result is positive.
Find out more, including where to go for a local clinic test near you on our HIV testing pages.
