Counselling for HIV tests
Before you are tested for HIV your health care provider should discuss the test, its meanings and its implications. The health care
provider will gauge your understanding of HIV and discuss how it is transmitted and how to protect yourself. This is known as pre-test counselling.
In this discussion the health care provider should discuss the implications of a positive and a negative result with you, including
what supports you might have available after your result. You should find out about the "window period" for HIV (the time after
infection but before an HIV test will show up positive) and if you need to be re-tested.
When you are given the results of your HIV test, your health care provider can discuss the meaning of the test result with you, including
whether you need to be re-tested. This is called post-test counselling. If you have questions or concerns that haven't been addressed during
the discussion, raise them with your health care provider.