The AAC offers free HIV/AIDS testing at the Davis Clinic as well as its satellite office in Florence. Staff schedule testing sites within the immediate Huntsville area on a monthly basis and all county Health Departments offer free and confidential HIV testing.
The standard HIV test looks for antibodies in a person's blood. When HIV enters a person's body, special proteins are produced. These are called antibodies. Antibodies are the body's response to an infection. So if a person has antibodies to HIV in their blood, it means they have been infected with HIV.
Most people develop detectable HIV antibodies within 6 to 12 weeks of infection. In very rare cases, it can take up to 6 months. It is exceedingly rare for someone to take longer than 6 months to develop antibodies.
HIV/AIDS testing is easy and painless. In some cases, the Davis Clinic can administer a rapid test so that results are available in 20 minutes.
