Confidential HIV Test Grimsby

Our sexual health clinic in Grimsby offers you a confidential and anonymous HIV testing service.

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

There are two types of HIV test to choose from at our Grimsby clinic:

  • HIV 28 Day DUO Test. Provides very accurate HIV testing results for possible 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 combination can detect an HIV infection sooner than a traditional antibody test.
  • HIV 10 Day PCR RNA Test. This test provides accurate HIV testing results for possible 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 from when the sample is received in the laboratory.

How can you get HIV?

You are at risk of exposure to the HIV virus, whenever an exchange of bodily fluids takes place, with a person who is HIV positive. Most commonly this includes unprotected oral, vaginal or anal penetrative sex with an HIV postive person. It can also be passed through oral sex, but this is less common.

If you share needles or syringes with someone who is HIV positive, then you are also at high risk of exposure to the virues.

You can also become infected with HIV through blood transfusions. In the UK all blod is now is screened, so this has become much rarer.

What are the Symptoms of HIV?

The symptoms of HIV can start to occur between two to four weeks after exposure and may include:

  • High fever
  • Sore throat
  • Headache
  • Rash
  • Mouth ulcers
  • Diarrhoea and vomiting
  • Abdominal pain

As these symptoms are common to many illnesses. The only way you can know if you have HIV, is by getting tested.

The sooner after exposure you get tested, then the greater the chance that the appropriate treatment will be effective.  This means that anyone who tests positive early, and follows their treatment plan, can expect to live a normal length of life.

What if I test positive?

If you do test positive then do not worry, we are here to help you. Your Better2Know Doctor will refer you to a specialist HIV Clinician, who will help to design the right treatment plan for you.

You can also get advice and support through the Terrence Higgins Trust.  The Trust suppoerts Better2Know, and theyhave been providing advice to the newly diagnosed for over 30 years.