There has never been a better time to get tested for HIV. Test results and counseling are completely anonymous. Our simple at-home collection method combined with our accurate laboratory testing method insures that you get a reliable HIV test result quickly and conveniently.

STEP 1: Registering your code number

STEP 2: Collecting a blood spot specimen

STEP 3: Shipping your blood specimen card

STEP 4: Getting your results

Getting tested for the Human Immunodeficiency Virus-1 (HIV-1), the virus that causes AIDS, by testing for the presence of antibodies to the virus is very important if you are at all sexually active. Testing can be done at home.

There is one HIV-1 Home Collection Test System that is currently approved by the FDA in which a sample for testing is collected in the privacy of your home and then sent to a laboratory for analysis. The "Home Access Express HIV-1 Test System" manufactured by Home Access Health Corporation is the only HIV-1 Home Collection Test System approved by FDA and legally sold in the United States.

Be aware that there are a number of different HIV home test systems and kits that are being marketed on the Internet and through magazine promotions that claim to detect antibodies to HIV in blood or saliva samples and provide results in the home in 15 minutes or less. The FDA has not approved these rapid HIV-1 home test kits being promoted on the Internet for use in the United States. All HIV home sample collection kits approved to date by FDA require laboratory analysis and provide counseling for the consumer.


The following Questions & Answers may help to explain how Home Access HIV-1 Home tests differ, and how to select a test that you can trust.

Q. How many different kits are available, and how do they work?

A. There are more than a dozen different HIV home test kits being advertised on the market today. Only the Home Access test system is FDA approved and legally marketed in the United States. Because the Home Access test consists of multiple components, it is considered a testing system.

This approved system uses a simple finger prick process for home blood collection which results in dried blood spots on special paper. The dried blood spots are mailed to a laboratory with a confidential and anonymous personal identification number (PIN), and analyzed by trained clinicians in a certified medical laboratory using the same procedures that are used for samples taken in a doctor's office. The results are obtained by the purchaser through a toll free telephone number using the PIN, and post-test counseling is provided by telephone when results are obtained.

The advertisers of the unapproved HIV home test kits claim that the presence of a visual indicator, such as a red dot, within 5 to 15 minutes of taking the test shows a positive result for HIV infection. These unapproved test kits use a simple finger prick process for home blood collection or a special sponge device for saliva collection. The blood or saliva sample is then added to a plastic testing device containing a special type of paper. A developing solution is added to determine if the sample is positive for HIV. The samples are not sent to a laboratory for professional analysis. Although this approach may seem faster and simpler, it may provide a less accurate result than can be achieved using an approved test, which is analyzed under more controlled conditions than is possible in the home.

Q. How reliable are the unapproved HIV home test kits?

A. Diagnostic testing depends on precise science. Unapproved HIV home test kits do not come with any guarantee of the accuracy of the test, or the sensitivity of the reagents used in the analysis. Nor do they have a documented history of delivering dependable results. None of the unapproved tests have undergone the intense scrutiny and validation required for FDA marketing approval. Although unapproved tests might be promoted as sensitive and reliable, the consumer has no guarantee that the results produced by the test are, in fact, accurate. The FDA is unaware of any data to confirm the reliability or accuracy of the process used in the unapproved HIV home test kits.

Q. What about counseling?

A. The unapproved HIV home test kits do not provide direct counseling to help the user understand results, answer questions about the test or about HIV infection, or to discuss available options. The approved HIV test system has a built in mechanism for pre-and post-test counseling provided by the manufacturer.

Counseling is an important part of HIV testing. It is anonymous and confidential. Counseling, which uses both printed material, and telephone interaction, not only provides the user with an interpretation of what positive or negative results really mean, but provides information on how to keep from getting infected if you are negative, and how to prevent transmission of disease you find you are infected.

Counseling also provides you with information about treatment options if you are infected, and can even provide referrals to doctors that treat HIV-infected individuals in your area.

Q. Are approved HIV test systems really confidential?

A. Yes. The approved HIV home test system is anonymous. It can be purchased anonymously at pharmacies, or by mail order from the manufacturers. The mail-in system uses a confidential code number that is unrelated to the identity of the buyer or user. Although some states require that new cases of HIV infection be reported to the health department, only the number of cases detected with home test systems can be reported. The identity of the user remains anonymous.

The number of cases reported allows local or state public health officials to assess the extent of infection to properly budget, plan and administer programs for people with HIV. The lack of reporting of the number of new cases in a geographic area also means that adequate services for people with HIV infection may not be available in your area.

Q. Are there other ways I can be tested for infection with HIV-1?

A. There are several kinds of tests available through your doctor to determine if you are infected with HIV-1, the virus that causes AIDS. In addition to blood tests, there is a test that uses oral fluid, collected from between the cheek and gum of the mouth, and a urine test. All of these tests have been thoroughly tested and reviewed, and provide the highest possible level of confidence in determining HIV infection. All are collected in the doctor's office, and analyzed in a medical laboratory. Only a doctor or clinic can administer these tests.

So, ask yourself what is the best choice for you:
A HIV home test system that has been approved by the FDA for marketing after extensive review and in which you can feel confident about the results? Or, an HIV home test kit that has not even been reviewed by the FDA and may not provide accurate results about whether you are HIV positive or negative?

There are three main types of HIV test.

The first type of test is the HIV antibody test. This test shows whether a person has been infected with HIV, the virus which causes AIDS. Information on this page concentrates on HIV antibody testing. The second type of test is P24 antigen testing. It is primarily used to screen the blood supply but in some places it is used for testing for HIV in individuals. P24 antigen is a protein that is part of the HIV. Early in the infection, it is produced in excess and can be detected in the blood serum by a commercial test. The P24 test can detect HIV infection before the HIV antibody test can. Therefore, P24 antigen testing is used in diagnosing HIV early in the course of infection. The third type of test is used when a person knows that she or he is already infected with HIV. These tests show the level of virus in the blood (viral load test). AVERT.org has more information about viral load.

HIV testing

The HIV test looks for antibodies in a person's blood. When HIV (which is a virus) enters a person's body, special chemicals are produced. These are called antibodies. Antibodies are the body's response to an infection. So if a person has antibodies to HIV in their blood, it means they have been infected with HIV (an exception is the case of an HIV negative baby born to a positive mother, who will retain her antibodies for some months). Most people develop these antibodies within 3 months of infection. In rare cases, it can take up to 6 months. It would be extremely uncommon to take longer than 6 months for antibodies to develop. Getting tested earlier than 3 months may result in an unclear test result, as an infected person may not yet have developed antibodies to HIV. The time between infection and the development of antibodies is called the window period. In the window period people infected with HIV have no antibodies in their blood that can be detected by an HIV test. However, the person may already have high levels of HIV in their blood, sexual fluids or breast milk. HIV can be passed on to another person during the window period even though an HIV test will not show that you are infected with HIV. So it is best to wait for at least three months after the last time you were at risk before taking the test. Some test centers may recommend testing again at 6 months, just to be extra sure. It is also important that you are not at further risk of getting infected with HIV during this time period. The test is only accurate if there are no other exposures between the time of possible exposure to HIV and testing. The only way to know for sure whether you are infected with HIV is to have an HIV antibody test. It is not possible to tell from any symptoms.

What are the reasons to have an HIV test?

Many people who have an HIV test have been worrying unnecessarily. Getting a negative result (which means you are not infected with HIV) can put your mind at rest. If your test result is positive, many things can be done to help you to cope with the HIV positive result and look after your health. If your test is positive, then A doctor can keep an eye on your health. Many people who test positive stay healthy for several years. But if you fall ill, there are many drugs called antiretrovirals that can help to slow down the virus and maintain your immune system. You can also have medicines to prevent and treat some of the illnesses that people with HIV get. You may also have access to trials of new drugs and treatments. If you do fall ill, the doctor is going to take your symptoms more seriously if they know that you are HIV positive. If you know that you are HIV positive, you can take steps to protect other people. For example, by practising safe sex and informing you past sexual partners. Knowing that you have HIV may affect some of your future decisions and plans, for example starting a family. 

What is HIV home sampling? 

With a home sampling kit, a person can take a sample (usually a blood sample) and then sent it off to a laboratory for testing. A few days later, the person phones up a special number, gives their individual identification code, and is then given the result over the phone. If the result is positive a professional health specialist will provide emotional support for the person. For 'home sampling', the major advantages are convenience, speed privacy and anonymity. In countries where HIV tests are not free, home sampling may be a cost-effective way to get tested. But for some people the lack of face-to face counselling before and after the test may be a disadvantage. There is one company in the USA that offers an FDA-approved 'home sampling' kit for HIV.

HIV testing - a personal view

This page has so far contained some factual information about HIV and different types of tests. But testing is also about the lives people lead, and the personal views they hold, as Jenny explains below.

"Hi, I am a 30 year old heterosexual woman and I currently have no children. I am not an intravenous drug user or a haemophilic. However, I have had unprotected sex with a number of heterosexual men. I know this behaviour can produce deadly results and I have had 2 negative HIV tests in the past 10 years with the last one being in 1996. Since my last HIV test I have had unprotected sex 5 times." "I hadn't recently given the subject much thought until I received notice that a local family had contracted HIV. I started thinking about my behaviour and how I have been gambling with my life and also putting the lives of others at risk, since I did not know my current status. I have been blessed with two prior negative HIV results. For the past two weeks I have been reading articles on HIV/AIDS, reading the stories of women who have contracted the virus and are courageously battling the disease, and also reading the signs and symptoms. I have prayed for guidance and for a repeated chance to begin a new pattern in my life if only my test would come back negative just one more time." "This morning I went for another HIV test and, thank god, it came back negative. I urge everyone black, white, gay, and straight to be tested. I also want to thank the women, men and children who have contributed their stories to this site. I must have read your words a thousand times over. You have made a difference in my life."
- Signed Jenny in America