First, take a breath

Getting a reactive result is frightening. You may feel shock, fear or numbness, and all of that is normal. It helps to know two things straight away. A single reactive rapid or home test is not a diagnosis. And if HIV is confirmed, it is a treatable, manageable condition today.

Reactive is not the same as confirmed

After a rapid test or home self-test, a reactive result means you might have HIV. You need a follow-up lab test to confirm it. Go to a health care provider, clinic or sexual health service and tell them about the result. Try not to wait.

After a test at a clinic or lab, the lab usually runs the follow-up test on the same blood sample, so your result may already have been confirmed by the time you hear it. Ask your provider if you’re not sure.

If the follow-up test is also positive, you have HIV. Testing positive for HIV does not mean you have AIDS.

Until you know for sure, it’s sensible to use condoms or avoid sex, so you don’t risk passing HIV on if the result is confirmed.

Starting treatment

HIV treatment is called antiretroviral therapy (ART). It uses medicine to lower the amount of HIV in your body. CDC advises starting it as soon as possible after diagnosis.

Treatment won’t cure HIV, but it works very well. According to CDC, people with HIV who get treatment can live long, healthy lives. Worldwide, 93% of people on treatment had their virus suppressed in 2023, according to UNAIDS.

A health care team that knows HIV well, led by your HIV care provider, will help you manage your care. In the US, a local health center or a Ryan White HIV/AIDS Program provider can help you get care and support.

Undetectable means untransmittable (U=U)

Treatment lowers the amount of HIV in your blood, called your viral load. When it stays undetectable, under 200 copies per milliliter, you don’t pass HIV to sexual partners. Getting there can take up to six months of treatment. This has not been established for sharing needles, so keep using new equipment if you inject. Read more about U=U.

Telling partners

Your recent sexual partners, and anyone you’ve shared needles with, should know so they can get tested. You can choose how this happens:

  • Tell them yourself, in person, by phone or by message.
  • Ask the health department to do it. This is often called Partner Services. It also offers partners testing, counseling and referrals.

If a partner was exposed in the last 72 hours, they may be able to take PEP (post-exposure prophylaxis), so tell them quickly. It must start within 72 hours.

Sharing your status with friends, family or an employer is a separate choice, and it’s yours to make in your own time.

Getting support

You don’t have to deal with this alone. Your provider, a social worker or a case manager can connect you with local support groups and mental health care. Many people find it helps to talk to others living with HIV. If you feel overwhelmed, see coping with HIV anxiety for where to get support, and in the US you can call or text 988 at any time.

What to do now

  1. Get a confirmatory test if your result came from a rapid or home test.
  2. Book an appointment with a clinic or HIV provider. In the US, gettested.cdc.gov can help you find services.
  3. Use condoms or avoid sex until you know your result and, if HIV is confirmed, until your viral load is undetectable.
  4. Start treatment as soon as you can if HIV is confirmed.
  5. Let recent partners know, yourself or through Partner Services.
  6. Reach out for support from people you trust or a professional.

If a partner wants to understand their own risk from a recent exposure, the calculator can give them an estimate.