Knowing your HIV status is an important step in HIV prevention. Learn why, how, and where to get tested. Know your status, know yourself.

Importance of Testing

Anyone can get a blood or oral test for antibodies to HIV. The body produces antibodies to destroy a foreign invader — in this case, HIV. Antibody tests are done confidentially or anonymously at any Florida health department. An individual can also be tested at a private doctor’s office or other testing sites. For Florida testing sites, click here or text your zip code to 477493.

Florida’s Text Message Program

In addition to finding HIV testing sites online or through the Florida HIV/AIDS Hotline, you can also text your zip code to 477493. You’ll receive a response about the nearest testing site to your zip code. Click Here to read the frequently asked questions about the program.

Who Should Be Tested?

Anyone who thinks they might have put themselves at risk for HIV should consider being tested. HIV antibody testing detects antibodies in the blood. The antibodies show that the virus is present in the body and that the immune system has tried to fight it.

HIV Testing and Pregnancy

Florida law requires all pregnant women to be tested for STDs, including HIV, at their initial prenatal care visit and again at 28-32 weeks, unless they refuse. Women who appear at delivery with no record of an HIV test during pregnancy should be tested. If a woman declines HIV testing, the provider should have her sign a refusal form.

Availability of Testing

Confidential testing and anonymous testing are available to anyone who requests it. In Florida, HIV antibody testing is available only by informed consent — that is, a person must give permission before being tested. Testing is available at health departments, doctor’s offices, community-based organizations, and other private and non-profit clinics. Health departments offer testing at a minimal charge, but no fee is charged for those who cannot afford it.

Confidential and Anonymous Testing

Test results are kept private in two different ways: confidential and anonymous. Confidential testing means that the person’s name and test results are kept in their private medical file. Anonymous testing means a person is given a number when being tested, and the person can only be identified by that number. No name is recorded.
For an HIV testing site near you, click here or text your zip code to 477493.

How Do HIV Tests Work?

Most HIV tests currently performed in the United States are antibody tests. This testing procedure isolates the antibody to HIV and not the virus itself. Specimens of human serum (blood), plasma, dried blood spots, and mucosal transudate from the mouth can be used to test for HIV antibodies.

A finger-stick collection test kit has been developed for home use and is intended for use by persons who wish to anonymously determine their HIV status at home. The manufacturing company uses an authorized laboratory to test the blood specimen for the presence of HIV antibodies. Individuals are required to phone a designated number and input their unique identification number to receive their results.

The oral collection device draws antibodies out of the cheek and gum in oral mucosal transudate. This device is not intended to collect saliva for testing. It is highly accurate, provided sufficient time has passed for antibodies to form and the test is performed correctly.

A rapid test for detecting antibodies to HIV is a screening test that produces very quick results, usually in a matter of minutes. It can detect HIV antibodies through a small droplet of blood from a finger stick, or through venipuncture whole blood, plasma, or oral fluid samples. Results are provided in less than an hour.