How to get tested

Why test for HIV?
When it comes to HIV disease, knowledge is power. HIV disease commonly involves a lengthy period – as long as a decade – between infection and the development of symptoms. People who know they are infected can be monitored for changes in their condition and for possible treatment, even before symptoms appear. Individuals who know they are infected with HIV can also aid prevention efforts by taking the necessary precautions to avoid spreading the disease through unprotected sex or sharing needles and other drug paraphernalia.

The HIV antibody test 
The test for HIV is called an HIV antibody test. Antibodies are the body’s response to an infection. It can take up to 3 months for antibodies to appear in your blood after you become infected with HIV. The HIV antibody test detects the presence of antibodies to HIV in the blood or saliva. It is easier and cheaper to detect antibodies to HIV rather than to look for the virus itself.  Even if you’re found to be HIV antibody positive, this doesn’t predict which HIV-related conditions may or may not develop. All it tells you is whether there are HIV antibodies in your blood. It is not a test for AIDS.

HIV (Human Immunodeficiency Virus) 
is the virus that can cause AIDS. But not everyone with HIV infection has developed AIDS. In fact, we know that after being infected for ten years, about one in three people still don’t have any symptoms of AIDS. However, without treatment, two-thirds of people infected with HIV are likely to develop AIDS within ten years of being exposed to HIV.

The window period
HIV antibodies don’t appear the day after you become infected, so it is not possible to find out if you become infected immediately after a possible risk. Antibodies usually take between two and three months to appear in your blood. The time between infection and the development of antibodies is called the window period.  

In the window period people infected with HIV have no antibodies in their blood, but may already have very high levels of HIV in their blood, sexual fluids, or breast milk. In fact, people with HIV are most infectious during this window period before their own immune system has tried to control the virus. So you could pass on HIV to another person during this period even though an antibody test shows that you are HIV-negative.

Clinics generally recommend that you wait three months from the time of a possible risk before taking an antibody test.
National AIDS Manual 2002
NAM Publications

HIV TESTING CENTRES 

LEINSTER

1. HIV Testing Centre, Baggot Street Clinic
19 Haddington Road, Dublin 4
Opening times: Tuesday 2.30 – 5.00pm 
Telephone no:1800 201187 (Thursday 5.00 – 7.00pm)

2. Gay Men’s Health Project, Baggot Street Clinic
19 Haddington Road, Dublin 4
Opening times: Wednesday 6.00 – 7.30pm 
Telephone no:6602189

3. Mater Misercordiae Hospital, Infectious Diseases Unit, 
Eccles Street, Dublin 7
Opening times: Thursday 10.30am – 12.30pm 
Telephone no: 8301122

4. Department of Infectious Diseases, Beaumont Hospital
Beaumont, Dublin 9
Opening times: Thursday 10.00am – 12.30pm 
Telephone no: 8093006

5. GUIDE Clinic, St James Hospital, 
James’s Street, Dublin 8
Opening times: Phone for appointment 
Telephone no: 4162315/2316

MUNSTER

1. Ennis General Hospital, Co Clare
Opening times; Monday 10am-1.00pm App only. 
Telephone no: 065 6824464

2. Limerick Regional Hospital, 
Dooradoyle Limerick
Opening times: Tuesday & Friday 10am-1.00pm App only. 
Telephone no: 061 482382 

3. Nenagh General Hospital, Co Tipperary
Opening times: Wednesday 2.00pm-4.30pm App only. 
Telephone no: 061 482382

4. St Josephs Hospital, Output Dept, 
Clonmel, Co Tipperary
Opening times: Wednesday 2.00-3.00pm App only. 
Telephone no: 052 77000

5. Victoria Hospital Cork, 
Old Black Road, Cork
HIV (Clinic for people diagnosed positive in this region)
Opening times: Mon, Tues & Thursday 9.30am-11.45am 
& Wed 2.30pm-4.30pm App only, 
Telephone no: 021 4966 844

6. Waterford Regional Hospital, 
Ardkeen, Waterford 
Opening times: HIV testing Mon 2.00-4.00pm & Thurs 9.30-11.30am
Telephone no: 051 842646

CONNAUGHT

1. Galway STI Clinic, University College Hospital 
Newcastle Road, Galway
Opening times: HIV testing Mon-Fri App. only. 
Telephone no: 091 525200

2. Mayo General Hospital, 
Castlebar, Mayo
Opening times: Tues morning app. only. 
Telephone no: 094 21733

3. Portiuncula Hospital, 
Ballinasloe Co. Galway
Opening times: Thurs 2.00-5.00pm App only. 
Telephone no: 0905 48372

4. Sligo STI Clinic, Dept of GUM 
Sligo General Hospital, Sligo
Opening times: 5.30pm-9.00pm Tues & Thurs app. only. 
Telephone: 071 70473/086 2623215

ULSTER

1. Altnagelvin Hospital, 
Glenshane Road, Derry,
HIV testing Mon, Wed, & Fri 9.30-11.00am & Mon 5.00-7.30pm, 
Wed 1.30-3.30pm App. only. 
Women only Thurs 9.00-11.00am & 1.30-3.30pm.
STI screening, HIV testing, syphilis testing. Hepatitis testing and Hepatitis B vaccine. Sexual health information and counselling available.

2. Coleraine Hospital, 28a Mountsandel Road, 
Coleraine Co. Derry
Opening times: Tues 5.30-6pm & Fri 2.00-5.00pm. No app. needed. Telephone no: 048 70344177 Ext 2080.
STI screening, HIV testing, Hepatitis testing and Hepatitis B vaccine. Sexual information and counselling available

3. Daisy Hill Hospital, 
5 Hospital Road, Newry
Opening times: Wed 9.00-12.30am. 
Telephone no: 048 3083 500 Ext 2243
STI screening, HIV testing, Hepatitis testing and Hepatitis B vaccine. Sexual information and counselling available.

4. Royal Victoria Hospital, 
Level 3b Austen Boyd Outpatient Centre, 
Grosvenor Road, Belfast BT12 6BA
Opening times: HIV & STI Testing walk in clinic Mon 8.30-11.30am & Tues & Thurs 8.30-11.00am Wed & Fri 1.30-3.30pm 
Telephone no: 048 90894 777 
Health advisor Tel: 048 90 328 222
Social Worker for HIV+ people. Tel: 048 90240 503 Ext 2450
also testing & treatment for genital infections, counselling, support, advice & Hep B vaccine.