HIV Testing is a service provided by the National STD/AIDS Control Programme free of charge.
Testing offered to
- All clients attending STD services
- All pregnant women who are attending antenatal clinics
- All patients diagnosed with tuberculosis
- Inward patients with indicator diseases for HIV testing
- Confirmatory HIV testing for private sector laboratories
- Prison testing programs
- Key populations
Testing offered at
- STD clinics
- Outreach testing in collaboration with NGO partners
- Drop-in Centers- carried out by NGO Staff
- Prisons
- Community Clinics
Available HIV screening tests. Different types of tests have different window periods
- HIV ELISA test (window period is 21-45 days)
- HIV rapid test (window period is 42-90 days)
- HIV oral fluid test (window period is 90 days)
What is the window period for HIV?
It is the period from exposure to HIV infection to be able to detect by standard HIV tests.
HIV ELISA- 21-45 days
HIV RDT- 42-90 days
HIV self-test- 90 days
Once the screening test becomes positive for HIV, further testing must be done for confirmation of the infection. National Reference Laboratory of National STD/AIDS Control Programme Colombo provides HIV confirmatory service free of charge to both public and private laboratories.
The public can get a self-risk assessment through the “Know4Sure.lk” web application and book an appointment with the closest service provider for HIV testing depending on the identified risk.
The public also can request an oral HIV test by calling the hotline 0716379192 and getting an oral fluid HIV test kit and doing a self-testing.
Hotline for self-test kits 0716379192Figures from 2020
