National HIV Testing Day

National HIV Testing Day is a reminder that when you know your HIV status, you can take care of yourself and your partners. HIV testing is recommended, it’s empowering, and it’s easy. Have you been tested?

Get Tested on National HIV Testing Day, June 27

This year marks the 20th annual National HIV Testing Day, a time to promote one of our best tools for HIV prevention.

Too many people—one in six—who are living with HIV are not aware of it. That means they are not getting the treatment they need to stay healthy and may pass the virus on to others without knowing it.

HIV can be spread when someone with HIV has sex or shares injection drug equipment with someone who does not have HIV. If the partner with HIV is on medicine to treat HIV (antiretroviral therapy, or ART), or the partner who is HIV-negative is on medicine to prevent HIV infection (pre-exposure prophylaxis, or PrEP), the risk can be much lower.

Poster Graphic: You feel as if you've known him forever, but that doesn't mean you know everything. Take charge. Take the test. Get a free HIV test. For a fast, free, confidential HIV test near you, text your zip code to "KNOWIT" (566948). Go to hivtest.cdc.gov/takecharge.

Testing Is Recommended

CDC recommends that everyone between the ages of 13 and 64 get tested for HIV at least once as part of routine health care and that some people with risk factors get tested more often. Gay and bisexual men, people with more than one sex partner, people with sexually transmitted diseases (STDs), and people who inject drugs are at high risk and should get tested at least once a year.

You should also be tested if you have been sexually assaulted or if you are a woman who is pregnant or planning to become pregnant.

See our Basic Testing Q&As for more information.

Testing Is Empowering

When you know your HIV status, you can take care of yourself and your partner(s). If you find out that you are infected with HIV (if you test positive), you can seek medical care and get treatment. Besides allowing you to live a longer, healthier life, being on ART can protect the health of your partners because it can greatly reduce the risk that you can pass HIV to others.

If you don't have HIV (if you test negative), you can take steps to stay negative, such as using condoms consistently and asking your health care provider about PrEP if you are at substantial risk. Remember that if you have risky sex or share needles for drug use after you've tested negative for HIV, you need to get tested again to make sure you are still HIV-negative. Your HIV test result "expires" every time you have risky sex or share needles or related works.

Testing Is Easy

Getting tested for HIV is easier than ever. You can ask your doctor for a test, check National HIV and STD Testing Resources for a nearby testing site, call 1-800-CDC-INFO, or text your ZIP code to "KNOW IT" (566948). Health insurance usually covers the test, and some sites offer free testing. You can also use one of the FDA-approved home testing kits.

What You Can Do

Everyone can

Get tested at least once for HIV.
Get tested once a year or more often if you are at risk of getting HIV.
Lower your risk of getting HIV by using condoms, using PrEP if appropriate, limiting your number of partners, choosing less risky sexual behaviors, and getting checked for STDs, which can increase the risk of HIV transmission. See our Prevention Q&As for more HIV prevention options.
If you have HIV, get medical care and treatment as soon as possible to stay healthier longer and lower your risk of passing the virus to others.

Health care providers can

Offer patients HIV tests as a routine part of their health care, as recommended by CDC and the US Public Health Service . See resources for the HIV Screening. Standard Care. campaign.
Test women for HIV each time they are pregnant.
Connect people at high risk for HIV to services that help them lower their risk and prevent them from getting infected.
Work to ensure your patients who have HIV get treatment and the services they need to stay healthy and lower their risk of passing the virus to others. Currently only 43% of people who test positive for HIV are in care with their virus under control.
Download materials for health care providers (en Español) from CDC's Act Against AIDS website.

State and local health departments can

Coordinate National HIV Testing Day awareness and testing events to help prevent the spread of HIV and build a local network that responds year-round to address HIV in the United States.
Create programs and adopt policies to get people at high risk tested early and often. Create linkages to care so that those who have a positive test get care quickly. Currently, one in five people who test positive are not linked to care within 3 months.
Provide services, such as medical care, social services, and programs, shown to change behavior and lower risk to people at risk for HIV and those living with HIV.
Promote and use national referral systems for places to get tested, such as National HIV and STD Testing Resources, and let clients know about their home testing options.
Use CDC's Act Against AIDS (en Español) materials to promote HIV testing in high-risk populations.
- Start Talking. Stop HIV. encourages gay and bisexual men to communicate about testing and other HIV prevention issues.
- Reasons/Razones (en Español) promotes HIV testing among gay and bisexual Hispanic/Latino men.
- Testing Makes Us Stronger encourages African American gay and bisexual men to get tested for HIV.
- Take Charge. Take the Test. encourages African American women to get tested for HIV.
- Let's Stop HIV Together, a general-awareness campaign to reduce stigma, urges everyone to "Get the facts. Get tested. Get involved."