One in seven people with HIV do not know they have it, according to the CDC. Knowing your status can be life saving and empowering. The sooner you start treatment, and the more consistently you keep up with it, the higher the chance that you will avoid developing AIDS or infecting others.
Stella A. Safo, MD, MPH, is an HIV primary care physician and assistant professor of Medicine at the Icahn School of Medicine at Mount Sinai Hospital.
References
Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. (2025). Clinical testing guidance for HIV.
Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. (2025). Getting tested for HIV.
HIV.gov. (2023). Who should get tested?
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Written by:
Hilary WeissmanHilary Weissman has been a health writer for the past 6 years. She was a senior copywriter at WW (Weight Watchers) before joining GoodRx and was also a copy editor in S&P Global’s structured finance ratings group for 3 years prior.
Reviewed by:
Brian Clista, MDDr. Clista is a board-certified pediatrician who works in private practice in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania. He previously served as a National Health Service Corporation Scholar in the inner city of Pittsburgh for 11 years.
