Testing and treatment

Testing

The only way to find out if you have HIV is to have an HIV test.

If you’re aged 16 or above and living in Bimingham or Solihull, you can request a free sexually transmitted infection (STI) self-sampling kit and get tested from home. An HIV test is included.

All Umbrella sexual health clinics offer free HIV testing. Some GPs also offer HIV testing for their patients.

For many patients, the service we offer is a blood test. Samples are sent to our laboratory and results are available within two weeks.

For certain patients we can also offer a finger-prick test in the clinic, which returns a result within about 20 minutes. A doctor or nurse will advise whether this is suitable for you.

If you think you have put yourself at risk of HIV, you should seek medical advice and get tested. The earlier HIV is diagnosed, the earlier you can start treatment and avoid becoming ill. (It may be two weeks or more after exposure to the virus before a test provides accurate results.)

Gender

For testing purposes, we may need to know if your gender was different at birth, or if you are non-binary. The doctor, nurse or healthcare worker will discuss this with you.

See the FPA website for a range of downloadable leaflets on contraception and sexually transmitted infections.

Treatment

There is no cure for HIV but it is treatable. If we test you for HIV and the result is positive, we will refer you to a specialist HIV clinic that is convenient for you to attend. The doctors there will be able to assess you for starting antiretroviral (anti-HIV) medication.

Treatments for HIV are effective, and you should be able to lead a long and healthy life if the diagnosis is made early, before you become seriously ill. The earlier you are tested and HIV is diagnosed, the better the physical outcome.

Acquired immune deficiency syndrome (AIDS) is a late stage of HIV infection, when your body can no longer fight life-threatening infections. With early diagnosis and effective treatment, extremely few people with HIV will go on to develop AIDS.

Further info on HIV

Detailed information about HIV is available on the NHS website.

See the FPA website for a range of downloadable leaflets on STIs and HIV.