Confidential HIV Test Edinburgh

Better2Know offers you a confidential and anonymous service to test for HIV. Our clinics in Edinburgh are clean and modern; with friendly, discreet staff who can help you. Your sample will be analysed in our accredited Laboratory.  So you will have the fastest and most accurate results.

We also offer a Rapid HIV test at our Edinburgh clinic in Hawthornbank Lane. This test provides you with your test results within one minute . This test is only appropriate for detecting HIV, if exposure occurred more than three months ago.

You can call our booking team 24 hours a day seven days a week, or book your test online.

Our full range of HIV testing options in Edinburgh are:

  • Rapid HIV Test. Provides an accurate HIV test result within one minute.  This test is for potential exposure at least three months ago.
  • HIV 28 Day DUO Test. Provides very accurate HIV testing results for exposures that occurred at least four weeks ago. Results are available the same day your sample is received in the laboratory. The HIV Duo test combines an HIV antibody and HIV antigen test. This detects HIV infection sooner than an antibody only test.
  • HIV 10 Day PCR RNA Test. This test provides accurate HIV testing results for exposures that occurred at least ten days ago. While it is slightly less accurate than HIV DUO testing, it can give peace of mind earlier.  It should be followed up at 28 days with a DUO test. The results for this HIV test take three working days to come back from the laboratory. This HIV testt is available in Edinburgh as our Early Detection Screen.

Symptoms of HIV

The early symptoms of HIV are common to many other illnesses. These symptoms can include: a fever, sore throat, headache, rash, mouth ulcers, vomiting, diarrhoea and abdominal pain.  However, there do not have to be any symptoms, or they can be very mild.  The only way to know if you have HIV, is to have a test.

A person can be infected by HIV if they have had oral, vaginal or anal penetrative sex with someone who is HIV positive.  HIV can also be transmitted by sharing needles/ syringes with a HIV infected person. It is also possible to get HIV through blood transfusions. Most Western countries now screen all blood products, so transmission by this method is now rare within the UK.

 If diagnosed, and appropriately treated early enough, then HIV is not the life threatening illness it once was. The key is to get tested as soon as possible after exposure. Our Early Detection Screen provides highly accurate results only ten days after exposure.

What if I test positive for HIV?

If you do test positive then do not worry, we are here to help you. Every person is different. Your Better2Know Doctor will refer you to a specialist who can help you with the appropriate next steps for you.