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Do I have HIV?

HIV is a manageable, treatable virus, and early diagnosis dramatically improves outcomes. Answer a few questions about your symptoms and risk factors to see how concerned to be, when a test is reliable, and where to get tested. This is a guide, not a diagnosis.

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Medically reviewed by Mark Riegel, MD · Updated June 2026

Americans living with HIV
1.2M
~13% don't know their status
New diagnoses (2022)
~39,000
CDC estimate
Effective on ART
U=U
Undetectable = Untransmittable
Life expectancy on ART
Near-normal
when diagnosed and treated early

Many infections are silent. A low result here doesn't rule hiv out. If you've had a new partner or any concern, testing is the only way to be sure.

About HIV/AIDS

What is HIV/AIDS?

Worried you might have HIV? Checking is a calm, responsible thing to do — and the picture today is far more hopeful than many people expect. HIV attacks the immune system, but most of its course is completely silent: people can feel perfectly well for years while carrying it. Of the roughly 1.2 million Americans living with HIV, around 13% don't know — not because they ignored symptoms, but because there often aren't any. A test is the only way to know your status.

If you think a high-risk exposure happened in the last 72 hours, don't wait to test — a course of PEP can stop HIV from taking hold, but only if it's started quickly, so see a clinic, urgent care or ER now. Beyond that window, the reassuring truth is that HIV is treatable: modern medication keeps people healthy and, once the virus is undetectable, unable to pass it on (U=U), and PrEP can prevent it in the first place. This check just weighs your answers to show how concerned to be.

Screening guidance

Who should get tested for HIV/AIDS?

Because HIV/AIDS is often silent, the CDC recommends routine screening for the groups most likely to have it — not just people with symptoms.

  1. 1

    You've never tested, or not in a while

    The CDC suggests everyone aged 13–64 test at least once, and yearly if you have ongoing risk — since most of HIV's course has no symptoms, a test is the only way to know.

  2. 2

    You're a gay or bisexual man, or a transgender woman

    These groups see the largest share of new diagnoses, so testing at least yearly — every 3–6 months with multiple or anonymous partners — is recommended.

  3. 3

    You share needles or injection equipment

    Sharing any injecting gear is a real route, so test at least yearly, use sterile equipment, and ask a clinician about PrEP.

  4. 4

    You have a new partner, a recent STI, or a possible exposure

    Any of these is a reason to test — and a possible exposure in the last 72 hours is a reason to ask about PEP straight away.

Timing

When a HIV/AIDS test is reliable

How soon a test is reliable depends on the type: an RNA (NAT) test can pick up HIV about 10–33 days after exposure, a 4th-generation lab test about 18–45 days, and a rapid or self antibody test about 23–90 days. For a standard 4th-gen test, waiting at least 45 days gives a dependable answer, with a 90-day re-test to be certain if there's ongoing concern. A negative before the window closes isn't conclusive — and if a high-risk exposure was within 72 hours, seek PEP now rather than waiting to test.

Your HIV/AIDS testing window

After a possible exposure, a HIV/AIDS test becomes reliable around 10–33 days (RNA / 4th-gen) later.

Exposure Day 0 Earliest reliable Day 10 Conclusive Day 33

Before day 10 a test can miss it · from day 10 it's reliable · re-test after day 33 if you tested early.

When can I test? Exposure-window calculator

Testing too soon can miss an infection. Enter the date of possible exposure to see the earliest a test can reliably detect each STI.

Full HIV/AIDS testing guide — cost, treatment & where to test

U.S. data

HIV/AIDS in the United States

Gay, bisexual, and other men who have sex with men account for 68% of new HIV diagnoses. Black/African American individuals are disproportionately affected — 42% of new diagnoses while representing 13% of the population. With modern ART, people diagnosed with HIV and started on treatment early can expect near-normal lifespans.

39k
New HIV diagnoses (US) (2022)
1.2M
People living with HIV in the US

Related reading

Good to Know

HIV questions

Common questions about hiv and hiv testing, answered.

What are the early symptoms of HIV?

Some people get a flu-like illness 2–4 weeks after exposure — fever, sore throat, swollen glands, rash, body aches. Many have no early symptoms at all. Because it looks like a common virus, symptoms can't confirm or rule out HIV — only a test can.

I think I was exposed in the last few days — what do I do?

Don't wait. PEP (post-exposure prophylaxis) can prevent HIV if started within 72 hours of exposure, and sooner is better. Go to an urgent care, ER, or sexual-health clinic now and ask for PEP.

How soon after exposure can I test?

It depends on the test: a NAT (RNA) test detects HIV about 10–33 days after exposure, a lab antigen/antibody test about 18–45 days, and a rapid or self antibody test about 23–90 days. A negative test before its window isn't conclusive — retest after it passes.

Should I test if I have no symptoms?

Yes. The CDC recommends everyone aged 13–64 test at least once, and people with ongoing risk test at least yearly. Most of HIV's course has no symptoms, so testing is the only way to know.

Can HIV be prevented or treated?

Yes. PrEP (a daily pill or an every-2-month injection) prevents HIV in people at risk, and those living with HIV who take treatment and reach an undetectable viral load cannot pass it on sexually. Early diagnosis makes both possible.

Trust & transparency

How this assessment works

  • Grounded in public-health guidance

    The questions — and how heavily each answer counts — follow the risk factors and symptoms the CDC and WHO describe for HIV.

  • A risk guide, not a diagnosis

    Your answers produce a risk level — how concerned to be — and flag anything that needs urgent care. Only a lab test can confirm or rule out an infection.

  • Private by design

    It runs in your browser. We never ask for your name, email, or anything that identifies you.

Medically reviewed · Updated

Reviewed by Mark Riegel, MD · Sexual Health Physician · Chief Medical Reviewer

Physician focused on sexual health — STI testing, treatment and prevention — and EasySTD's chief medical reviewer. Owns the condition guides and is the clinical backstop for any page without a more specific specialist. Our editorial guidelines →

Sources & references

8 Sources

Data & references

  1. CDC HIV Surveillance Report 2022 https://www.cdc.gov/hiv/library/reports/hiv-surveillance.html
  2. CDC — HIV Statistics Overview https://www.cdc.gov/hiv/statistics/

Clinical guidance

  1. CDC — HIV Testing https://www.cdc.gov/hiv/testing/
  2. CDC 2021 STI Treatment Guidelines — HIV https://www.cdc.gov/std/treatment-guidelines/hiv.htm
  3. CDC — HIV PrEP Information https://www.cdc.gov/hiv/risk/prep/
  4. Prevention Access Campaign — U=U https://www.preventionaccess.org/
  5. USPSTF — HIV Infection Screening Recommendation https://www.uspreventiveservicestaskforce.org/uspstf/recommendation/human-immunodeficiency-virus-hiv-infection-screening
  6. CDC — About HIV https://www.cdc.gov/hiv/about/index.html

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