A Dried Blood Spot (DBS) test is a free, convenient, effective and confidential HIV test you can do at home.
HIV is now a manageable health condition. The first step to living a healthy life with HIV is to get tested.
If you know someone who feels nervous about going to the doctor for a test – tell them about this new way of testing.
The DBS HIV test is a painless finger prick you can do yourself which only takes 5 drops of blood. It means you can get tested for HIV even if you don’t like needles, or you don’t have the time to visit the doctor to test for HIV.
You can order a DBS HIV test if you are a man who has sex with other men, you are from Africa or Asia or have (or have had) a sexual partner who is from those regions.
To do a DBS HIV test, you order the test online and it will be sent to you by post so you can do it where and when you like. Once you post the test back , it will be analysed and you will receive the results over the phone or via text message.
A DBS test for HIV is completely free: it costs nothing but your time!
If your DBS test result suggests you might have HIV, a nurse will contact you to organise the next steps to confirm this and will provide support. For more information and to see if you are eligible go to www.hivtest.health.nsw.gov.au