HIV

HIV is short for “human immunodeficiency virus”. HIV is a virus that weakens your immune system and makes it harder to fight off infections and diseases.

If HIV isn’t treated, it can lead to acquired immunodeficiency syndrome (AIDS). This is when a person's immune system has been badly damaged by the HIV virus. A person with AIDS can develop infections and illnesses that are life-threatening.

But when people living with HIV receive proper treatment, they can live long and healthy lives. 

Do I need an STI test?

HIV is a virus that weakens the immune system, making it difficult for your body to fight off germs and infection.

HIV can be passed on through body fluids such as blood, semen, rectal and vaginal fluids, and breast milk. HIV can't be passed on by kissing or touching a person living with HIV.

People with HIV may not have symptoms for years, but without treatment their immune system is being weakened, and it's possible to pass on the infection to others.  

Excellent treatment is available, and is funded for everyone in Aotearoa, regardless of residency status. With early diagnosis and treatment, people with HIV will stay well and will not progress to AIDS. Once someone has been on treatment with undetectable levels of HIV for six months, there’s no risk they will pass on HIV through sex. This is known as U=U (undetectable = untransmissible). 

More about preventing STIs

Many people don’t have any symptoms when they first get HIV. That’s why it’s important to get STI tests regularly.

If you do have symptoms, they might be similar to the symptoms of having the flu. These can include:

• Fever
• Rash
• Sore throat
• Fatigue 
• Headache 
• Swollen lymph glands (usually at the neck or armpits) 

If you get HIV, it won’t show up on a test right away. It can take up to three months. Find out more about when to do your STI test. 

To test for HIV, you need to have a blood test. 

If you don’t have STI symptoms, you can request an HIV test through this website. 

Request a test

You can choose to: 

• have a finger prick self-test sent to you, or 
• go to a laboratory for a blood test

It can take up to three months for HIV to show up on a self-test. But if you do HIV testing at a laboratory, it can show up sooner, usually six weeks after being exposed to it.

How it works

Another option is to get tested at a local laboratory or other testing provider. 

If you have symptoms of an STI, make an appointment with:  

• your usual doctor 
• a medical centre 
• Sexual Wellbeing Aotearoa  
• a sexual health clinic 

Find a provider

There’s no cure for HIV, but there is excellent treatment. With early diagnosis and treatment, people with HIV will stay well and the virus will not progress to AIDS.  

HIV treatment is called antiretroviral therapy, known as “ART” for short. In Aotearoa New Zealand this healthcare is funded for everyone, regardless of residency status.

If you requested a laboratory test through Get Tested NZ and it comes back positive for HIV, we’ll be in touch. You’ll need some more tests, especially if the first test isn’t a clear positive. If it’s confirmed that you have HIV, you’ll be set up with a specialist who can talk about your treatment options and get you started on ART.

In Aotearoa New Zealand, HIV and AIDS are notifiable diseases. This means that health professionals need to report all positive cases anonymously. They do this to reduce the risk of further spread, to understand how the disease is spreading, and to understand how effective control measures are. Your personal details are kept confidential.

If you’re diagnosed with HIV, your treatment provider will start contact tracing. This means asking about who you’ve recently had sexual contact with to find out who may have been exposed, and asking them to get tested. Many people do this themselves, but some people prefer to get their treatment provider to help.

What to do if you test positive 

If you got tested through this website

Getting your HIV self-test results

Getting your HIV lab test results

If you got tested somewhere else

Talk to the provider or organisation where you did your test to find out what their process is.

If it's safe, tell the people that you have had sex with recently that they need to get an STI test or treatment. Because HIV is a notifiable disease, an HIV specialist will also talk to you about anonymous contact tracing.

What to do if you test positive

Using condoms or oral dams every time you have sex protects you from HIV and other STIs. 

Using lube with condoms helps to prevent the condom from breaking during sex by reducing friction. Lube can also make sex more pleasurable for some people.

More about safer sex

You can also protect yourself from HIV by taking medication.

HIV PrEP is a medication you can take before and after sex to reduce the risk of getting HIV.

HIV PEP is a medication you can take immediately after sex to help prevent HIV – if you think you might’ve been exposed. 

HIV PEP must be taken within 72 hours (three days) of exposure, so if you think you’ve been exposed, it’s important to talk to someone about getting HIV PEP as soon as possible. 

Many STIs don’t have obvious symptoms, including HIV. You may not know that you have HIV but can still pass it on to your partners or sexual contacts. 

Getting tested for STIs regularly means we can pick up and treat any infections early.

When to get tested