Something is happening. Maybe a condom breaks. Maybe a needle isn’t as sterile as you thought. Or maybe you just realize you haven’t been as safe as you could be.
In the dizzying hours after your realization, you may wonder what might have happened and what danger you might be in. Could you have an STD? Chlamydia? Gonorrhea? Maybe even HIV? How could it have happened? And if so, how soon until you find out?
13% of people who have HIV do not know they have it.
The danger of relying on symptoms
Most people think that if they have an STD, they will know it. Why? Because they will have symptoms.
While this is an understandable assumption, it absolutely is wrong.
If you have almost any STD, from Herpes and Trichomonas to Hepatitis B and Syphilisyou probably won’t know it, especially in the first few weeks of infection.
It is estimated that approx 50% of all STDs show no symptomsthat’s why genital itching, nausea, and sores are a terrible measure to know if you’re infected. The only way to know for sure is to take a test.
Unfortunately, many people do not know this. In 2025, over 45% of all testing appointments with Better2Know took place on a Monday or Tuesdaya strong indicator that patients often attend to potential symptoms over the weekend before seeking professional answers.
What’s more, only one in ten patients explicitly seek testing using the 10-day PCR testmeaning that the vast majority wait out the first few weeks of the incubation period for HIV.
Exactly 90% of Better2know patients booking specific HIV tests choose the standard 28-day Ab/Ag testalignment with the clinical window when symptoms and antibodies typically occur.
What are the symptoms of HIV?
Although most people do not experience initial symptoms of HIV in the first few days of infection, some do. To understand it better, we will divide the symptoms of HIV into two categories: acute and chronic.
Acute
The acute stage of an HIV infection refers to the first few weeks after taking it. During this time, about two-thirds of people infected with HIV will experience flu-like symptoms, including nausea, fever, swollen lymph nodes, mouth ulcers, fatigue, muscle aches, rash, and sore throat.
However, some people never experience any symptoms at all. About 13% of people who have HIV I don’t know that they have it. HIV symptoms can they also differ between men and women.
At this stage, there is a fairly high amount of HIV in your blood. This can make you very contagious. The levels of HIV in your blood will affect your long-term health.
Over the next few weeks, your immune system fights back, scaring the virus back into a latent phase. If the infection is left untreated, however, it can lead to a chronic infection.
Chronic
A chronic HIV infection can cause serious damage to your body. As the virus continues to replicate in your bloodstream, it attacks your CD4 cells – killer cells that help you fight other infections. Over time, as the infection progresses, your body’s ability to produce these killer cells decreases. Slowly, the infections that your body would have easily fought off start to cause you serious problems.
People with chronic HIV infection may experience a number of other symptoms, including: difficulty sleepingunintentional weight loss, chronic diarrhea, skin rashes, increased levels of thrush and cold sore infections, and significant fatigue.
Eventually, HIV can lead to AIDSwhich is often fatal.
How to test for HIV
Getting tested for HIV couldn’t be easier. All it takes is a simple blood test. But there are a few different options you have.
Instant test
Immediate HIV test they are the gold standard of HIV testing, giving patients the valuable information they need about their sexual health. These tests are conducted in clinics with equipment that processes test samples on site. The test will look for both antibodies and the HIV p24 antigen, giving you an HIV test result you can rely on. People taking direct tests will receive their results within 30 minutes of submitting their samples. You must wait at least 28 days from the date you think you were exposed for this test to be accurate.
10 day trial
Anyone who wants to get tested for HIV as early as possible can do a 10 day trial. This test looks for HIV-1 viral RNA in your blood. This test allows you to test for HIV as soon as 10 days after the incident of concern.
28 day trial
This 28 day trial uses antibody and antigen testing to determine your HIV status with 99.8% accuracy. It can be taken 28 days after initial infection.
What happens if I test positive?
Getting a positive HIV test result can be worrisome. But it’s important to remember that HIV is very treatable. Antiretroviral therapy (ART) can help suppress the virus to undetectable and non-transmissible levels, enabling you to live a long and healthy life.
Final thoughts
Don’t rely on symptoms – get tested today. Click the button below to book an STD test at a sexual health clinic near you.
Don’t leave your sexual health to chance
