Home › Sexual health › HIV testing
HIV testing
in London
A blood test with your result the same day, usually within four to six hours. Seen by a GP, not a walk-in queue.
Most people booking this test are frightened
Usually it is one specific night, or a condom that failed, or a partner who has told you something. The waiting is the worst part, and the reason people put the test off is almost never that they do not want to know.
The practical answer is that this is a blood sample and a result the same day, usually within four to six hours. You see a GP, you are asked what happened, and nobody reacts.
Timing is the one thing that matters. HIV does not show up in a blood test straight away. We can test from 28 days after the exposure you are worried about. Testing earlier than that is possible, but a negative result does not mean much yet, and Dr Rhea will usually ask you to come back and repeat it.
If you have symptoms now, or a partner has tested positive, do not wait for 28 days. Come in and we will work out the right test and the right timing with you.
What happens
From booking to result in a day
£69 for the test, in addition to the £89 consultation.
The appointment
At our Nine Elms clinic.
The result
Usually four to six hours later.
When to come
Reasons people book this test
A condom failed
The commonest reason. If it was in the last 72 hours and you think it was high risk, read the red panel below before you book a test.
A partner has tested positive
Come in now rather than waiting out the window period. We will advise on timing and on repeat testing.
Sex you regret or cannot fully remember
No detail is required beyond what helps us test correctly. You will not be asked to justify anything.
You think it may be too soon to test
Book anyway. We will look at what happened and when, advise whether testing now is worth doing, and arrange the test at the right time. Better to be told than to sit and wonder.
Symptoms after a possible exposure
Fever, rash, sore throat and swollen glands a few weeks afterwards. These have many causes, but they are worth checking.
A new relationship
Both of you tested before stopping condoms. Straightforward, and often booked together.
Peace of mind, no specific event
Entirely reasonable. You do not need a reason to want a test.
HIV is rarely the only thing worth testing for after an exposure. Most people book this alongside a fuller screen, so ask at the appointment.
If the exposure was in the last 72 hours and you think it was high risk
There is medication that can stop HIV taking hold after an exposure. It is called PEP, and it has to be started as soon as possible: within 72 hours at the absolute latest, and far better within 24.
Whether PEP is right for you depends on what happened and who it was with. That is worth a conversation with a doctor rather than a guess, and for a great many people the answer is that it is not needed. Book an appointment and we will go through it with you today.
We do not dispense PEP ourselves. If it is indicated we will tell you exactly where to go, and you will need to get there the same day. So if you cannot be seen here quickly, or you are already close to 72 hours, go straight to A&E or to one of these free NHS walk-in clinics instead:
Whatever happens with PEP, come back to us for testing once the window period has passed.
Questions
Things people ask us
Can I get a same-day HIV test in London?
Yes. The sample is taken at the appointment and the result usually comes back within four to six hours, so a morning booking means an answer the same day. You are told by a GP, in person or by phone, rather than left to read a result on a portal. Book by WhatsApp or online if you want to be seen today.
Is the test confidential?
Yes. Nothing is sent to your NHS GP unless you ask us to send it. There is no shared record between this clinic and your GP surgery. If a result is positive we will talk you through referral into NHS specialist care, because that is where treatment happens, but the timing and the decision are yours.
What happens if the result is positive?
A doctor tells you, in person or by phone, and you are not left alone with it. HIV diagnosed and treated early is a manageable long-term condition with a normal life expectancy. We arrange referral to an NHS specialist HIV service, usually the same day, and you will leave knowing exactly what the next step is and who will be contacting you.
It has been less than 28 days and I cannot wait
Come in anyway. We will test you and tell you honestly what an early result does and does not rule out, and when to repeat it. Waiting three weeks in a state of high anxiety is not good for anyone, and a conversation with a GP about your actual risk is often more useful than the test itself at that stage.
Related