HIV test

Every gay man should be tested for HIV at least once a year.

In addition, a test is useful if you were at specific risk. This includes, for example, if you had sex without a condom, you do not know your partner's HIV status or the HIV-positive person is not below the so-called detection limit.

When you are tested for HIV, take the opportunity to also have yourself regularly tested for other sexually transmitted infections such as syphilis and chlamydia and vaccinated against hepatitis A and B.

With the HIV rapid test, you have to wait at least three months after a risk situation to rule out an HIV infection with certainty. This period is referred to as the "diagnostic window".

The so-called laboratory test can rule out an HIV infection after just 6 weeks.

HIV rapid tests provide the result after about 30 minutes after the blood sample is taken. However, rapid tests can only detect antibodies and not HIV antigens. It can take longer for enough antibodies to form in the blood after an infection to be detected. For this reason, rapid tests also have a longer "diagnostic window": an HIV infection can only be reliably ruled out with a negative rapid test result three months after a risk contact. If the result of a rapid HIV test is positive, you have to wait around two to five days until the result can be confirmed as reliable by another test.

The result of a laboratory test is usually available after two to five days. If the test is positive, a confirmation test using a different method is also carried out during this time. This ensures that the first test has not produced a false result, which can happen in extremely rare cases.

A negative test result tells you that you are not infected with HIV. However, the test can only reliably rule out an infection if the last risk situation was at least three months (rapid test) or 6 weeks (laboratory test) ago.

There are various safer sex strategies to help you stay HIV-negative:
- the use of condoms
- Protection through therapy (if your partner is positive and the viral load is permanently below the detection limit)
- PrEP, i.e. the precautionary intake of HIV medication according to a specific intake schedule
- After a safe sex accident: the immediate start of a PEP

If HIV antibodies are detected in the blood, you are HIV-infected. Even if the HIV infection is not curable, HIV-positive people today have the same life expectancy as HIV-negative people with a good quality of life if they are diagnosed early, start treatment early and follow it consistently.

With effective drug therapy, the viral load soon falls below the detection limit. Transmission of HIV to sexual partners is then excluded even if a condom is omitted. The prerequisite is regular use of HIV medication and check-ups with the doctor.

If you test positive, support from your social environment, from other HIV-positive people, from the doctor treating you or from AIDS service organisations can be particularly helpful. The latter also provide advice on all questions relating to living with HIV, establish contact with self-help groups and offer or arrange professional support if required.

Both the HIV rapid tests and the laboratory tests are highly sensitive. This means that an infection is recognised with the greatest certainty. For the rapid test, the risk must be at least 3 months old. With the laboratory test, however, only 6 weeks.

In any case, if the result is positive, a confirmation test is carried out to confirm the result.

There is an abundance of offers, unfortunately also very bad ones. We only recommend tests that

- have the CE mark of the European Union,
- designed for use by laypersons and
- are authorised in Europe.

In addition, a good HIV home test should be sensitive to 100%. This means that it will not "miss" an HIV infection if used correctly. The HIV home tests "Autotest VIH", "INSTI" and "Exacto" self-test fulfil these criteria.

The tests offered by health authorities, AIDS service organisations and prevention projects are anonymous. This means that you are assigned a number or a pseudonym and your results are not analysed on a personal basis.

If the HIV test is carried out by your doctor, the result is usually noted in your patient file and is then also known to your health insurance company. With a positive HIV test result on record, you can, for example, block your path to supplementary insurance or life and disability insurance or only take out such insurance with a high premium.

In some AIDS service centres and prevention projects, you can be tested free of charge or for a small fee (usually between 10 and 15 euros). HIV testing is free of charge at many health centres.

You can find the corresponding offers here on our test centre map.

You can find all test options on this page on our test centre map.