Screening check
HIV screening: should I get tested, and how often?
About 1 in 7 people living with HIV in the US do not know it. Treatment started early protects your health and prevents passing the virus on. Your age, pregnancy and risk decide whether you need one test or regular ones.
About you
For people who do not know they have HIV. Nothing you enter leaves this page.
What you will see
Whether a one-time test, a test in this pregnancy or regular testing is recommended for you, under the USPSTF and CDC advice.
Educational only, not medical advice. Screening decisions are made with your doctor.
Source
US Preventive Services Task Force, June 2019 recommendation (an update is in progress). CDC Revised Recommendations for HIV Testing in Health-Care Settings, 2006. Medicare Part B coverage rules.
Validated in
People 13 and older who do not know they have HIV. The USPSTF covers everyone 15 to 65, all pregnant people and anyone at increased risk; the CDC covers patients 13 to 64.
Limits
It does not estimate your chance of having HIV and does not read a test result. It does not cover a recent possible exposure; if you think you were just exposed, contact a doctor promptly.
What the guidelines recommend
| Who | USPSTF 2019 | CDC 2006 |
|---|---|---|
| Everyone 15 to 65 | Screen (grade A) | Routine screening from 13 to 64 |
| Younger than 15 or older than 65 | Screen if at increased risk | Routine from 13; high risk at least yearly at any age |
| Pregnant | Screen everyone (grade A), including in labor if status is unknown | Part of routine prenatal tests |
| At increased or high risk | Repeat screening is reasonable | At least once a year |
The USPSTF recommends HIV screening for everyone 15 to 65 and for all pregnant people (USPSTF 2019). The CDC recommends routine screening in all health-care settings for patients 13 to 64, after telling them the test will be done unless they decline, and screening people at high risk at least once a year (CDC 2006). The USPSTF found too little evidence to set a best interval for repeat tests (USPSTF 2019).
Who is at increased risk
Most new HIV diagnoses in the US come from sex between men, and injection drug use is another important risk factor. The USPSTF also lists (USPSTF 2019):
- Anal sex without a condom.
- Vaginal sex without a condom with more than one partner whose HIV status is unknown.
- Exchanging sex for money or drugs.
- Having another sexually transmitted infection, or a partner who has one.
- Having a partner who is living with HIV or is in a high-risk group.
- Asking for an STI test, including an HIV test.
Repeat screening is also reasonable for people who live or get care in places where HIV is more common, such as an STD clinic, tuberculosis clinic, jail or prison, or homeless shelter (USPSTF 2019). The CDC and ACOG recommend a repeat test in the third trimester for pregnant women with risk factors (USPSTF 2019).
Why it matters
About 1.1 million people in the US live with HIV, and about 15% of them do not know it. People who do not know their status are estimated to account for 40% of HIV transmission (USPSTF 2019). There is no cure or vaccine, but starting treatment early lowers the risk of AIDS and death, and in studies so far, when treatment kept the virus suppressed, no virologically linked cases of HIV transmission were seen (USPSTF 2019). Treatment in pregnancy greatly reduces the chance of passing HIV to the baby (USPSTF 2019).
Common questions
How often should you get tested for HIV?
At least once between 15 and 65 (USPSTF 2019). If you are at high risk, the CDC advises testing at least once a year (CDC 2006). In pregnancy, test every time (USPSTF 2019).
Do I need to ask for an HIV test?
The CDC recommends that health-care settings test patients 13 to 64 routinely, after telling them, unless they say no; separate written consent should not be required (CDC 2006). If a test is not offered, you can ask for one.
Does Medicare cover HIV screening?
Medicare Part B covers an HIV screening once a year if you are 15 to 65, or younger or older and at increased risk, and up to three times during a pregnancy. You pay nothing if your provider accepts assignment (Medicare).
Also see the HIV PrEP check, all screening tests by age, the hepatitis C screening check, the hepatitis B screening check, the chlamydia and gonorrhea screening check, the latent TB screening check, the syphilis screening check and the cervical cancer screening check.
Sources
- US Preventive Services Task Force. Screening for HIV Infection: US Preventive Services Task Force Recommendation Statement. JAMA. 2019;321(23):2326. www.uspreventiveservicestaskforce.org/uspstf/recommendation/human-immunodeficiency-virus-hiv-infection-screening
- Branson BM, Handsfield HH, Lampe MA, et al. Revised Recommendations for HIV Testing of Adults, Adolescents, and Pregnant Women in Health-Care Settings. MMWR Recomm Rep. 2006;55(RR-14). www.cdc.gov/mmwr/preview/mmwrhtml/rr5514a1.htm
- Medicare.gov. HIV screenings (Part B preventive service). www.medicare.gov/coverage/hiv-screenings
Written and maintained by the uncovermyrisk.com editorial team. We do not have a medical reviewer; every claim links to its primary source above. Last reviewed: 2026-10-29. Spotted an error? See About.