NSW Health

Get a mail order test

Ask for a HIV test today

Testing is available at:

• general practitioner (doctor) *
• Dried Blood Spot
• sexual health clinic
• rapid HIV testing site
• Aboriginal Medical Service

*If your doctor doesn’t direct bill Medicare you may have to pay a fee.

Dried Blood Spot (DBS) is a private way to test for HIV and hepatitis C

DBS is a finger prick test kit that can be ordered online and sent to your home or a mailing address of your choice.

You can order the test if you are:

• a man who has had sex with men
• a person with a transgender history
• a person born overseas, or whose parents were born overseas, or who speaks a language other than English at home
• an Aboriginal person
• a person who currently injects drugs or has ever injected drugs
• a person who has ever been or is in prison.

Get tested by a GP

Find a general practice

Living healthy with HIV is now a reality

Treatment today is highly effective and means you can live a long and healthy life with HIV.

Getting tested is the only way to know your status. If you do have HIV, an early diagnosis and starting treatment as soon as possible is the best way to stay healthy.

HIV testing is easy and confidential

There are lots of testing options including a blood test, a finger stick test or a rapid test. Your results are 100% private.

Effective treatment stops you passing on HIV to others. Routine testing means you are looking after yourself and your partners. Ask for a test today.

Who should get tested for HIV?

You should get tested for HIV if you:

• are a man who has sex with other men
• had sex when traveling in, or with someone from a country where HIV is common
• come from a country where HIV is common
• used injecting equipment after someone else
• think you've been at risk.

You can have a confidential conversation about HIV/STI prevention and testing, HIV symptoms and treatment by calling the NSW Sexual Health Infolink on 1800 451 624 (free call).

Are you an international student and want further information about how to navigate the NSW Health system? Visit the International Student Health Hub.

Prevent HIV and STIs – learn the basics today

The best way to protect yourself and others from HIV and sexually transmissible infections (STIs) is to practice safe behaviours:

• Always use condoms if you have vaginal or anal sex. Condoms are the best way to prevent HIV and STIs. Find where to get free condoms
• Always use new drug injecting equipment available from a Needle and Syringe Program

Talk to your doctor about taking PrEP (HIV pre-exposure prophylaxis) – this is where people at high risk who don’t have HIV, take a pill every day to prevent them from becoming infected with HIV.

Someone confidential to talk to

You can have a confidential conversation with a nurse about STI and HIV symptoms, testing, prevention and treatment by calling the NSW Sexual Health Infolink on 1800 451 624 (freecall).