The 28 Day Window
Our test is reliable from 28 days after exposure. A negative result before that does not exclude infection.
Private HIV Testing
Confidential HIV testing, with the window period explained before you choose.
- Eight clinics across the UK
- Same-day at many locations
- In person, telephone or video
- Experienced, GMC-registered doctors
- CQC registered
- Transparent pricing from £95
- Completely Confidential
Book a hiv testing appointment WITHOUT THE WAIT
If Your Exposure Was in the Last 72 Hours, Read This First
PEP, post exposure prophylaxis, is medication that can prevent HIV infection after a high risk exposure, but it must be started within 72 hours and works better the sooner it begins. If a possible exposure happened in the last three days, do not book a test and wait. A test cannot detect an infection that recent. Go to a sexual health clinic or to A and E now and ask for PEP. Call 111 if you are not sure where to go.
Confidential HIV Testing With Next Day Results
For anyone outside that window, testing is straightforward and the result usually settles a worry that has been growing for weeks—a blood sample, next-day results, and a doctor available to explain what they mean.
The timing matters. Our HIV test looks for both HIV antibodies and the p24 antigen, which means it detects infection earlier than an antibody-only test, and it is reliable from 28 days after exposure. Before that, a negative result cannot be relied on. If it has been less than 28 days, we will tell you that honestly, rather than take your money for a test that cannot yet answer your question.
Why patients choose OUR HIV TESTING SERVICE
- Next day results.
- Completely confidential, with results released only to you.
- A fourth generation test, detecting both antibodies and p24 antigen.
- No referral, no NHS registration, no waiting list.
- Same day appointments at ten clinics.
- Honest advice on timing, rather than testing you too early.
- A doctor available to discuss the result, whatever it is.
- Tested alongside other infections in one appointment if you want.
- Your NHS GP registration is unaffected, and nothing is shared without your consent.
When to TEST FOR HIV
For Full Reassurance
UK guidance regards a negative fourth generation test at 45 days as definitively excluding infection from that exposure. If your result at 28 days is negative and you want complete certainty, a repeat at 45 days provides it.
Within 72 Hours of Exposure
This is a PEP situation, not a testing one.
Same Day Appointments
Same-day slots are usually available across all ten clinics, Monday to Friday, 8 am to 7 pm and Saturday mornings.
How to book HIV TESTING
Step 1
Check the Timing
At least 28 days since exposure. Within 72 hours.
Step 2
Book Your Appointment
Same day slots available. Nothing is shared outside the clinic without your consent.
Step 3
Blood Sample
A quick blood sample, tested for HIV antibodies and p24 antigen.
Step 4
Next Day Results
Results come to you with a doctor available to discuss them, and immediate onward referral into specialist care if the result is reactive.
Why choose Private Medical Clinic for HIV TESTING
- CQC registered provider, with documented clinical governance.
- Next day results rather than a week or more of waiting.
- Fourth generation testing, detecting infection earlier than antibody only tests.
- Complete confidentiality, with nothing shared without your consent.
- Honest advice about timing, including telling you when it is too early to test.
- A GMC registered doctor available to discuss the result rather than an emailed report.
- A defined pathway into specialist HIV care if a result is reactive.
- Ten clinics across the UK.
- Treated as ordinary healthcare, without judgement.
Meet our CLINICIANS
What our PATIENTS SAY
Rated ★4.5 by 171+ patients for fast, professional, and personalised care.
- Verified
Exceptional Dr totally understanding…
Exceptional Dr totally understanding totally listened and got the pain. - Verified
Fast appointment
Fast appointment, consultation was not rushed. - Verified
Good and efficient service
I got an appointment immediately on a Saturday. The doctor, Priya, called right on time and was thorough. - Verified
First time coming to the private
First time coming to the private medical clinic in Oxford. Starting with such a warm welcome and professional care.
Showing our 4 & 5 star reviews
HIV Testing ACROSS THE UK
Confidential HIV testing is available at ten CQC registered clinics across the UK. Choose your nearest.
- HIV Testing Service in Birmingham
- HIV Testing Service in Sutton Coldfield
- HIV Testing Service in London
- HIV Testing Service in Newcastle
- HIV Testing Service in Leicester
- HIV Testing Service in Bournemouth
- HIV Testing Service in Oxford
- HIV Testing Service in Derby
- HIV Testing Service in Manchester
- HIV Testing Service in Cambridge
STI Testing Fees
STI Early Detection
Less than 10 days£295
Next Day Results
- Chlamydia
- Gonorrhoea
- Syphilis
- Herpes (HSV I and II)
- Ureaplasma/Mycoplasma
- Trichomonas
- Chancroid
STI Complete
After 10 days£495
Next Day Results
- HIV
- Hepatitis B & Hepatitis C
- Chlamydia
- Gonorrhoea
- Syphilis
- Herpes (HSV I and II)
- Ureaplasma/Mycoplasma
- Trichomonas
- Gardnerella
- Chancroid
HIV Only Test
After 28 days£195
Next Day Results
- HIV Antibody
- HIV p24 Antigen
Should you TEST FOR HIV?
- Worth testing if any of these apply:
- You have had unprotected sex with a new partner.
- A condom failed.
- You are unsure of a partner’s status.
- You have shared needles or injecting equipment.
- You have had a needlestick or other occupational exposure. Report it through your workplace as well, since occupational exposure has its own urgent pathway.
- You have had unprotected sex abroad, particularly in a region with higher prevalence.
- You are pregnant or planning a pregnancy. Testing is routine in UK antenatal care because treatment in pregnancy makes transmission to the baby very unlikely.
- You have tested positive for another STI.
- You are starting a new relationship and want to know where you both stand.
- You have never tested.
What an HIV test ACTUALLY TELLS YOU
HIV, the human immunodeficiency virus, damages the immune system if untreated. Our test is a fourth generation test, which looks for two things: antibodies your immune system makes in response to HIV, and p24, a viral protein that appears before antibodies do. Testing for both is why it detects infection earlier than an antibody only test.
Why the window period matters. Immediately after exposure there is nothing for any test to find. The p24 antigen becomes detectable from roughly two to three weeks, and antibodies from three to four weeks in most people. A fourth generation test is therefore reliable from 28 days, and UK guidance treats a negative result at 45 days as excluding infection from that exposure entirely. Testing earlier is not harmful, but a negative result cannot be relied on, and being told that clearly is more useful than false reassurance.
What a reactive result means. A reactive screening test is not a diagnosis. It must be confirmed at a reference laboratory, and a small number of reactive screens turn out negative on confirmation. If confirmed, the position today is genuinely different from what most people assume. Modern antiretroviral treatment is usually one tablet a day, life expectancy for someone diagnosed and treated promptly is close to that of the general population, and someone on effective treatment with an undetectable viral load cannot pass HIV on to sexual partners. That is well established and it is why testing is worth doing rather than avoiding: the diagnosis is manageable, and the harm comes almost entirely from being diagnosed late.
PrEP is also worth knowing about. Pre-exposure prophylaxis is medication taken before exposure that is highly effective at preventing HIV, and it is available free through NHS sexual health services. If you are testing repeatedly because of ongoing risk, PrEP is likely a better answer than repeat testing.
Hiv testing vs NHS: WHAT IS THE DIFFERENCE?
| HIV Testing | NHS GP | |
|---|---|---|
| Cost | From £195 | Free at point of use |
| Access | Book directly, same day usually | Sexual health clinic, GP, or free postal kit |
| Results | Next day | Same day at some clinics with point of care testing, otherwise days |
| Test type | Fourth generation, antibody plus p24 antigen | Same |
| Confidentiality | Results to you only | Confidential, held separately from your GP record |
| Specialist care if positive | Referral into specialist HIV services | Direct into specialist HIV services |
NHS HIV testing is free, confidential and excellent, and free postal self test kits are available in most areas. Some sexual health clinics offer point of care tests with a result in minutes, which is faster than our next day turnaround. Private testing is worth paying for when you want a specific appointment time, want a broader panel in one visit, or would simply rather attend a private clinic. For PEP, PrEP and ongoing HIV care, NHS sexual health services are the right route.
Hiv testing FAQS
Our test is reliable from 28 days. UK guidance treats a negative result at 45 days as excluding infection from that exposure.
A fourth generation blood test, detecting both HIV antibodies and the p24 antigen.
Completely. Results are released to you and to nobody else unless you ask us to share them.
It is confirmed at a reference laboratory, a doctor discusses it with you properly, and you are referred into specialist HIV care promptly. A reactive screening result is not a confirmed diagnosis.
Medication taken before exposure that is highly effective at preventing HIV, available free through NHS sexual health services. If you are testing repeatedly because of ongoing risk, PrEP is worth asking about.
Only if you want to. If a result is positive, involving your GP is genuinely helpful for your wider care, and we would discuss that with you.
Then PEP, not testing, is the priority. Go to a sexual health clinic or A and E now and ask for it. It must be started within 72 hours.
The next day.
Having an HIV test does not affect life insurance applications, and insurers cannot ask whether you have had a negative test. This is a common worry and a common reason people avoid testing, so it is worth stating plainly.
Usually a single tablet a day. Someone diagnosed and treated promptly has a life expectancy close to that of the general population, and cannot pass HIV on once their viral load is undetectable.
Often sensible. Our STI Complete screen covers HIV alongside nine others.
Yes, and testing is routine in UK antenatal care, because treatment during pregnancy makes transmission to the baby very unlikely.
Ready to book HIV TESTING?
Book a confidential HIV test at your nearest clinic. Next day results, £195, and a doctor to talk to whatever the outcome.