The response of Service-public: “Early detection makes it possible, in the event of contamination, to follow a treatment that is all the more effective the earlier it is started. It is usually done by a blood test prescribed by a doctor. Service-public.fr tells you more. ”
In the event of risk-taking, HIV Screening allows one to know if one is infected with the human immunodeficiency virus (HIV) and possibly to start treatment quickly.
The process of testing for HIV consists of several steps. To have access to an HIV test, people can ask for an HIV test or they may be offered a test. There are three HIV testing options that may be available to them: nominative testing (identifying / including the person’s name), non-nominative testing (not identifying), or anonymous testing. In all cases, the person must give consent before the HIV test takes place.
HIV is a reportable disease. Therefore, if a person receives a positive HIV test result, the result is reported to the local public health authorities. Following the HIV test, the person can be referred to other support, care, and prevention services, among others.
This fact sheet describes the general approach to HIV testing, although each region may take a slightly different approach to test for HIV.
How can a person get tested?
Either people ask for an HIV test (voluntary testing), or they are offered a test by a health professional without having asked for it (testing initiated by the professional / practitioner). Provider-initiated screening can occur in many routine care settings, including antenatal care, hospitals, and physician offices. If the test is offered, there are two approaches:
Screening with consent (opt-in): HIV testing is available, but the person must explicitly agree to pass before the test takes place.
Screening with opt (opt-out): We advise the person that HIV testing is a normal part of care for everyone, but it has the right to refuse. If the person does not refuse the test, it is presumed that they have given their consent.
Several provinces and territories use both voluntary screening approaches and health professional initiated approaches; they vary their strategy depending on the context and the population in question.
The test can be done by means of:
A blood test
- By contacting your own doctor or a doctor working in a private practice who prescribes a blood test to be carried out in a laboratory (it is 100% reimbursable by health insurance);
- By going to an anonymous and free testing center;
- By contacting a laboratory without a medical prescription and therefore without reimbursement from Health Insurance.
Of a rapid biological orientation test (Trod): a reagent detects HIV infection on a drop of blood taken at the tip of a finger or a saliva sample
- In a maternal and child protection center (PMI) or family planning;
- In an anonymous and free testing center;
- In an association for the fight against AIDS for example.
An HIV self-test
- In a pharmacy (it costs depending on the place of sale and is not reimbursed by health insurance). Warning: the reliability of the self-test is not perfect: there are false positives (positive test and absence of contamination) and false negatives (negative test and real contamination).
