World AIDS Day: How to be controlled for HIV

At present, more than 100,000 people in the UK are living with the Human Immunodeficiency Virus (HIV), an incurable disease that damages the cells of the immune system, making it harder for your body fighting daily infections.

Acquired Immunodeficiency Syndrome (AIDS) is the name given to describe life-threatening infections that can occur as a result of an immune system damaged by the HIV virus and early diagnosis is crucial to prevent their development.

To mark World AIDS Day, which is being held on Saturday to encourage people to get tested, here's everything you need to know about getting tested for HIV, including how to get tested. at home.

Visit your doctor

Your doctor's office will be able to take a free HIV test if you ask for one.

This will involve taking a sample of your blood or saliva, which will then be sent to a laboratory and examined for infection.

Many clinics will be able to offer your results on the same day, others will do so in a few days.

Your general practitioner will be able to discuss next steps with you and ask you whether or not you should take an emergency HIV medication that, if taken within 72 hours of contact with the virus, can prevent you from getting the infection.

You can also be tested at a private clinic, but you will have to pay.

Click here to find your nearest HIV testing center.

Visit a sexual health clinic

You may also be screened at a sexual health clinic, as a stand-alone test or as part of a comprehensive STI examination, which includes research for infections such as chlamydia and gonorrhea , although the tests themselves are different for these infections.

Click here to find your nearest sexual health clinic.

Visit a test center run by a charity

A number of UK based charities offer free testing services throughout the country.

For example, the Terrence Higgins Trust is one of the largest providers of HIV and sexual health services in the UK and runs screening services in centers in cities and towns around the world.

Click here to find one near you.

Ask for an HIV test kit at home

If you can not go to a clinic, you can now request home sampling or test kits from a number of providers.

The sampling kit includes collecting a small sample of saliva or blood at home and sending it by mail for testing purposes. You will get your results by phone or SMS a few days later.

Check test.hiv to find out if you are eligible for a free kit. Alternatively, you can buy one online or in a selection of pharmacies.

Do not confuse with a home collection kit, you can also get a home test kit that allows you to take a sample of saliva or blood and test it yourself, delivering results in minutes.

But it is crucial with these tests to verify that it carries the CE quality assurance mark and that it has been sold under license in the UK, as the NHS warns that HIV self test kits purchased at the UK May be of mediocre quality.

For more information on HIV testing and what to do if you get a positive result, visit the NHS website here.