All about HIV | Free HIV Home Testing Kit

What HIV?

blood STI testing tube samples for HIV screening

HIV (human immunodeficiency virus) is a sexually transmitted infection and blood-borne virus.

If it’s not treated, HIV gradually damages someone’s immune system so that they can’t easily fight off infections and cancers. They may eventually develop one or more serious and life-threatening illnesses.


How is HIV passed on?


HIV can only be passed on (transmitted) though certain body fluids, including blood, semen (cum, including pre-cum), vaginal fluids, anal fluids, and breast milk

HIV cannot be passed on through saliva.

People on effective HIV treatment cannot pass on HIV to sexual partners.

HIV can be passed on through sex with someone who is living with HIV but not diagnosed or not on effective treatment, including:

  • Vaginal or anal sex without using a condom or PrEP
  • Less commonly, from oral sex or sharing sex toys that have not been covered with a new condom or thoroughly washed. The risk of transmission from oral sex is likely to be extremely small.

HIV may also be passed on:

  • By sharing any kind of drug injecting equipment such as needles, syringes or spoons
  • To a baby during pregnancy, birth or breastfeeding, although this can be prevented with HIV treatment
  • When receiving blood (transfusion), blood products or other healthcare – but this has not happened in the UK for many years due to strict infection control procedures

HIV is more likely to be passed on if someone does not know they have the virus, especially in the first few months after acquiring HIV. It can be passed on even there are no symptoms.

What are the symptoms of HIV?


Many people get an illness, a bit like flu, within a few weeks of acquiring HIV.

This is called seroconversion illness and can last for around 2 weeks.

Signs and symptoms may include:

  • High temperature
  • Sore throat
  • A general body rash
  • Tiredness
  • Aches and pains
  • Swollen glands in the armpits, neck or groin

Not everyone who acquires HIV will get these symptoms, so a test is the only way to be sure of your HIV status.

After the first few weeks, people can live with untreated HIV for months or years without any signs or symptoms.

Without treatment, a person living with HIV will eventually start to get symptoms which might include:

  • Weight loss
  • Long-lasting diarrhoea
  • Night sweats
  • Skin problems, like warts, cold sores, or genital herpes
  • Thrush in the mouth
  • Shingles
  • Repeated gut infections

In some people, damage caused by untreated HIV can lead to one or more serious and life-threatening conditions such as pneumonia, tuberculosis (TB), and some types of cancer. These are called AIDS-defining illnesses. AIDS stands for Acquired Immune Deficiency Syndrome and is another name for late-stage HIV. With treatment, most people will get better from an AIDS-defining illness.


How is HIV diagnosed?


An HIV test is usually done with a simple blood test.

A free SH.UK home HIV test uses a very small amount of blood from your finger. You collect this yourself and send it back to our lab for testing.

This test is highly accurate if done 45 days or more after the last time you may have been exposed to HIV.

If you think you may have been exposed to HIV recently, you don’t need to wait. You can test now and do another test later.

If you think you’ve been exposed to HIV in the last few days, check if an emergency treatment called PEP is suitable.


HIV home tests


Opening STI blood samples from home test kit

The only way to know if you have HIV is to get tested, so we make it easy for you to get a free HIV test.

Order a free STI test kit online, take a blood sample yourself, send it to our lab, and get your results in a few days.

If the test shows you have HIV, you can get free treatment and support.

HIV treatment is extremely effective. It stops HIV damaging the immune system and reduces the amount of virus in the body so that HIV cannot be passed on to sexual partners. This is known as “Undetectable equals Untransmittable” or “U=U”.

Test for HIV and other STIs with a free home self-sampling kit

Get a free STI test kit delivered to your door. Take a self sample and return via freepost. Access your results online within a week. Check to see if SH.UK offers NHS funded home test kits in your area.


Find your local services


5 out of 5 stars review Will recommend to everyone who needs a Sexual Health Test and treatment. "Derek"






FAQs: Free home HIV tests




Why should I get a free home HIV test kit?


Most people living with undiagnosed HIV will not have any obvious symptoms for a long time. Testing is the only way to be sure of your HIV status.

If HIV is not treated, it can eventually make you extremely unwell and may be life-threatening. It can also be passed on to other people.

Detecting HIV early and starting treatment as soon as possible is the best way to stay healthy and make sure HIV is not passed on to anyone else.


Who should take a home HIV self-sampling test?


If you’re sexually active it’s a good idea to test for HIV and other STIs at least once a year or when you have a new sexual partner, especially if you have sex without using a condom or PrEP.

Some groups of people are affected by HIV more than others, including men who have sex with men, people of Black African origin, and people who inject drugs.

If you have a higher chance of acquiring HIV, you may benefit from testing every 3 months. When you order a free STI testing kit, we will ask a few questions to check if you could benefit from more frequent HIV testing or an HIV prevention medication called PrEP.


When should I take a home HIV self-sampling test?


If you may have been exposed to HIV in the last 3 days, check if an emergency HIV prevention treatment called PEP is suitable.

Take a test now if:

  • you have symptoms you think may be caused by HIV or
  • a sexual partner has HIV and they are not on treatment or they have a detectable viral load
  • a sexual partner has another STI

Depending on your symptoms, we may advise you to get tested at a clinic instead of doing a home test yourself. Check and order now .

Consider waiting for 45 days after your last sexual contact if:

  • you have no symptoms
  • you just want a sexual health check-up

This helps your test be as accurate as possible. HIV may not show up on a test straight away. Testing too early may mean you test negative even if you do have HIV. More about when to take a test.


How do I order a free HIV home test kit?


Order your free confidential SH.UK STI testing kit online.

  • Answer a few quick questions
  • We work out which tests are best for you
  • Your free personalised test kit arrives by post in the next few days – in a discreet plain package

If you would rather get tested at a sexual health service, search for your nearest clinic:


How do I complete my free HIV home self-sampling test?


A home self-sampling HIV test is done with a simple finger-prick blood test .

Your STI testing kit comes with everything you need to take your own blood sample. This is called self-sampling . You need a very small amount of blood – less than 1 millilitre.

We have lots of tips to help you do your blood test.

You pack your samples into the freepost box and send them back to our lab for testing. You can post them in any Royal Mail postbox.


When will I get my HIV test results?


You will usually get your results 2 or 3 days after your sample arrives at our lab.

You will be able to view the results online. They are completely secure and private.

Order your STI testing kit now to get your results as soon as possible.


What happens once I get my HIV test results?


Negative result

A negative result means HIV was not detected.

  • It can take up to 45 days after exposure before HIV can be detected by an SH.UK test, although most cases will be detected after 28 days
  • If you tested earlier than 45 days, it is advisable to test again later to check you still get a negative result

Reactive result

A reactive result means the test has reacted to your blood.

  • This means it is possible you may have HIV, but another test is needed to confirm the result
  • We will discuss your result with you and refer you to a clinic for a test to confirm whether you are living with HIV
  • If you are living with HIV, you will be offered treatment and support straight away

More about what your test results mean



How is HIV treated?


You’ll be referred to an outpatient HIV clinic for treatment and support.

HIV treatment (also called antiretroviral therapy or ART) can’t cure HIV, but it is highly effective at preventing HIV from damaging your immune system. Treatment has very few side effects.

Treatment is either a tablet or tablets which are taken every day, or injections given every 7 to 8 weeks. Your HIV clinic will discuss which treatment suits you. You take the treatment for the rest of your life. HIV treatment is continuously developed and improved. Some future HIV treatments will be different and may be given much less frequently.

Your clinic will do some blood tests to check how HIV has affected your body:

  • The CD4 blood test measures your CD4 cell (or T cell) count. CD4 cells are part of the immune system. They are the main type of cell that HIV destroys. The fewer CD4 cells you have, the less able your immune system is to fight infection. Once you start treatment, your CD4 cell count usually increases.
  • The HIV viral load test looks at the level of virus in your blood, also known as your viral load. In someone recently diagnosed, there may be millions of particles (copies) of the virus in each millilitre of blood. HIV treatment aims to reduce your viral load to fewer than 50 copies of the virus per millilitre of blood. This is known as an undetectable viral load.

It can take up to 6 months after starting treatment to achieve an undetectable viral load. Once your viral load has been undetectable for 3 to 6 months, you cannot pass on HIV to sexual partners.

It’s important to keep taking your treatment to maintain an undetectable viral load.


Contacting partners


If you are diagnosed with HIV, you will usually be asked to tell any sexual partners since your last negative HIV test. If you have not had an HIV test before, a healthcare professional at the sexual health clinic or an SH.UK health adviser will discuss which of your previous sexual partners to tell.

If you had sex without a condom in the last 3 days with a partner who was not taking PrEP, they may be advised to get an emergency treatment called PEP (post exposure prophylaxis) to lower their chance of acquiring HIV.

You don’t have to share your HIV status if you don’t feel ready. If you feel unable to tell sexual partners, staff at the sexual health clinic or an SH.UK health adviser can contact them without revealing your identity.

Informing and testing partners lowers the chances of:

  • Untreated HIV causing serious health problems in a partner who is unaware they have it
  • HIV being passed on to anyone else


Preventing HIV transmission and other STIs in future


Look after your health by using condoms, having regular STI check-ups, and encouraging sexual partners to test for STIs.

If your HIV test was negative but you think you may be at risk of acquiring HIV in the future, consider whether an HIV prevention medicine called PrEP would be a good choice for you.

If you are diagnosed with HIV, it is possible you may also have another STI. It is advisable to have a full sexual health screen, including tests for chlamydia, gonorrhoea, syphilis, hepatitis B and hepatitis C.

Your HIV clinic will discuss how to prevent transmitting HIV, including achieving an undetectable viral load so that you can’t pass on HIV to sexual partners.



Test for HIV at home with a free STI test kit


Get a free STI test kit delivered to your door. Take a self-sample and return it for free. Get results online within a week.

  • Trusted NHS-funded HIV self-testing kits
  • Discreet delivery across the UK
  • Fast confidential results
  • Help getting the right treatment
  • All tests and treatment are free

Check which home STI tests you can get


Find your local STI services




face profile of DR John White
Reviewed by Dr John White on 4th April 2025.



Related Pages:

External Resources