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AIDS Vancouver

Prevent. Act. Support.
 

From testing to prevention, you will find on this page answers to questions such as "What is HIV", "What are the side effects of HIV medication", and many more.

 

How is HIV detected?

HIV is detectable by a blood test. Newer tests can detect HIV antibodies in mouth fluid (not the same as saliva), urine, or from a scraping sample taken from inside the cheek. "Rapid" HIV test results are available within ten to thirty minutes after a sample is taken. One of these tests has produced a high rate of false positives. A positive result on any HIV test should be confirmed with a second test.