I want to get tested

Great! There are lots of places to get tested for HIV, Hep C, and/or STIs: the doctor, a walk-in clinic, a hospital, or a sexual health or youth clinic. Our first choice is always a youth clinic, because the people who work in these spaces are pros at talking to youth!

Depending on what we're being tested for, we may be asked to provide a blood sample, urine sample, or our health care provider (a nurse or doctor) may need to swab our throat, cervix, or bum. In most cases, we'll provide a sample on our visit to a clinic, and then we'll need to wait for results.

In some places, we may be able to get a rapid HIV test, which can give us a result right away. If we test positive for HIV on this test, we'll need to have our results confirmed with a second test. 

Before and after getting tested, the nurse or doctor will help support us through the process.

• Before getting tested, we'll be asked:
  • Are we ready to get tested?
  • Are we ready for a positive result?
  • Is there someone we could talk to about a positive result? 

• After getting, the nurse or doctor will give us information about safer sex and harm reduction, connect us with community services, such as YouthCO, and explains what the “next steps” are if we test positive.

To find a clinic near you, check out the Clinic Finder from Smart Sex Resource!