You should receive pre-test counselling before you are tested for HIV (pre- and post-test counselling is mandatory in Victoria). If you are thinking about having an HIV test, go to the people who can answer all your questions and explain all the implications. You may feel your family doctor is not the most appropriate person for you to approach, as it is important to be able to speak openly and honestly about the risk factors for HIV. However, there are other places you can go, such as the Melbourne Sexual Health Centre (580 Swanston Street, Melbourne, ph: 9347 0244 or 1800 032 017) which provides an anonymous, free and non-judgmental service.

It will take up to three months from the time of infection for your body to develop antibodies. The test only detects antibodies, which are your body's response to exposure to HIV (not the virus itself) so it will only tell you if you were infected three months previously. You should take particular care and avoid engaging in unsafe behaviour during this three-month period, often referred to as the 'window period', or you may have to start all over again (another test, another three-month wait). So, as always, keep on with the safe injecting and safe sex practices.

Women considering pregnancy should consider having the HIV antibody test. While a combination of intervention methods can reduce the risk of vertical transmission (mother to child) to less than 2%, without such intervention or treatment the possibility of HIV transmission from mother to child is 15–30% in developed countries (and 30–45% in developing countries). The evidence indicates that 50–80% of infants are vertically infected during delivery; however, HIV transmission can also occur during pregnancy, after birth or via breast feeding.

There is also an associated risk (approximately 5%) of passing Hep C on to your unborn child (see the section on Hepatitis C below). HCV/ HIV co-infection appears to increase the risk of vertical transmission (15–20%).