Order Your Own HIV Test* with My Lab ReQuest™

HIV is one of the most common sexually transmitted diseases. In fact, having another STD can actually increase your risk for getting HIV. Getting tested for HIV is the only way to find out if you’ve been infected and it’s the best way to help stop the spread of the disease. If you have not been tested for HIV or if you are at risk for the virus, you can order your own HIV test at a lab near you with My Lab ReQuest to confirm your status.

You can order your own HIV at any of our 70 Patient Service Centers located across Arizona. Test results are 100% confidential and are accessible using our secure online results portal. If you you’re in an at-risk group for HIV or you simply want the peace of mind of knowing your status, get tested today!

Why Order Your Own STD Screen for HIV with My Lab ReQuest?

Since the passage of the law in 2015 that allows for consumers in Arizona to order their own lab tests, thousands of patients have used our My Lab ReQuest service to take charge of their health and make more informed healthcare decisions. Our STD Screen for HIV is just one of the several infectious disease screenings we offer to patients to assess their health status for various diseases.

Patients choose Sonora Quest Laboratories to meet their lab testing needs for a wide range of reasons, including:

Award-Winning Quality

As the nation's largest integrated laboratory system, Sonora Quest Laboratories delivers award-winning quality services every day to more than 23,000 patients across Arizona. We are the #1 bioscience company in Arizona, according to Ranking Arizona, and we are also the only healthcare company to even win the Arizona Governor's Award for Quality. Most importantly, we are accredited by the College of American Pathologists (CAP), the organization whose accreditation ensures the highest standard of care for laboratory patients.

Convenient Locations

Schedule an appointment or walk in to any of our 70 Patient Service Centers located across Arizona! We have over 45 locations in Metro Phoenix, 14 locations in Tucson and Southern Arizona, and various other locations across Northern and Western Arizona. Moreover, several of our locations are conveniently located inside of Safeway markets so that you can plan your screening around your trip to your neighborhood grocery store.

Learn More about HIV

What is HIV?

HIV (human immunodeficiency virus) is the virus that causes AIDS. The virus, which is spread by bodily fluids, destroys specific cells that are part of the immune system. As these cells, called CD4 cells or T-cells, are destroyed, the body loses its ability to fight infection and disease. Once the immune system has been compromised, a person is said to have acquired AIDS.

Currently, the CDC estimates that 1.1 million people in the United States are living with HIV. There is currently no cure for HIV, but new treatments are allowing people with HIV to live longer. As a result, the proper diagnosis of HIV can play an important role in helping people to manage the disease.

HIV in Arizona

The Arizona Department of Health Services reports that there were 17,464 Arizonans with HIV/AIDS as of 2016. There were a total of 780 new HIV infections in 2016.

For additional information and resources for HIV-positive individuals in the state of Arizona, please visit https://www.hivaz.org/.

Who is at risk for HIV?

Anyone can contract HIV. A person can be infected by sharing needles or through sexual contact. Additionally, a women can pass HIV to her baby during pregnancy, labor, or while breastfeeding. Risky behaviors such as anal or vaginal sex without the use of a condom can also increase the risk of HIV.

Before having sex with someone, find out if he or she is at risk for HIV. The safest sex is with a partner that only has sex with you. Having sex with multiple partners or with a person that has multiple partners can increase your risk for HIV.

For additional information on determining your risk for HIV, the CDC has created an HIV Risk calculator that can be used to learn the risk of different sexual activities when one individual is HIV positive and the other person is HIV negative.

What are the symptoms of HIV?

During the early stages of HIV, a person infected with HIV may experience flu-like symptoms. According to HIV.gov, some early symptoms of HIV are:

• Fever
  
  
• Chills
  
  
• Rash
  
  
• Night sweats
  
  
• Muscle aches
  
  
• Sore throat
  
  
• Fatigue
  
  
• Swollen lymph nodes
  
  
• Mouth ulcers

Please note, however, that these symptoms may indicate another health issue and do not necessarily mean an individual is HIV positive. 

At later stages of HIV infection, individuals may or may not experience any symptoms. For this reason, it’s important that individuals that are at risk for HIV be tested regularly in order to confirm their status and to prevent possible transmission to another person.

How can you prevent HIV?

There are many ways in which an individual can decrease his or her risk for contracting HIV. According to the CDC, the following methods are all recommended:

• Abstinence
  
  
• Choosing less risky sexual behaviors
  
  
• Taking medicine to prevent or treat HIV
  
  
• Using condoms
  
  
• Reducing the number of partners
  
  
• Partner communication and agreements
  
  
• Male circumcision

Who should be tested for HIV?

Currently, the CDC recommends that all individuals between the ages of 13 to 64 be tested at least once for HIV. Women that have become pregnant may also wish to consider HIV testing in order to prevent the possible transmission of the virus to their children.

In addition, individuals in high-risk groups should be tested at least once, possibly up to four times, a year to prevent the spread of HIV. According to the CDC, individuals in the following groups are considered to be at high risk for HIV:

• Men who have sex with men
  
  
• Have had sex with a person that is HIV-positive
  
  
• Multiple sexual partners since last HIV test
  
  
• Inject drugs or share needles with others
  
  
• Exchange sex for drugs or money
  
  
• Have been diagnosed for another STD, hepatitis, or tuberculosis (TB)
  
  
• Have had sex with a partner that is in a high-risk group or whose sexual history they don’t know

How is HIV diagnosed?

HIV can be diagnosed with a simple blood test, though other options are also available. Sonora Quest Laboratories uses the 4th generation blood test to screen for HIV. With this test, HIV can be diagnosed up to 20 days earlier than with the previous 3rd generation test.

Please note that no test can detect HIV immediately after its onset. If you believe that you may have been exposed to HIV, please contact your physician immediately after you believe you may have been exposed.

How is HIV treated?

Although there is not currently a cure for HIV, several drugs are available that can slow the progression of the virus. Antiretrovial therapy (ART) usually includes 3 drugs that attack the virus. This is important because 1 drug cannot control the virus by itself. Your doctor will select the 3 drugs for you. Then he or she will monitor you regularly to see how the drugs are working.

As soon as you have been diagnosed with HIV, contact your physician about treatment options available to you. Treatment is critical as it can help to stop the onset of AIDS and can also prevent you from passing the HIV virus to someone else.

Sonora Quest Laboratories & the Fight Against HIV

Sonora Quest Laboratories supports the fight against HIV and AIDS by supporting various programs and events through Aunt Rita’s Foundation, the Southern AIDS Foundation, and the Southwest Center for HIV/AIDS.

Testing for Other STDs

Sonora Quest Laboratories offers testing for a complete range of common sexually transmitted diseases. Choose from screenings for specific STDs or order a comprehensive STD Screen, which tests for all common STDs in one test. 

*Certain patient test results are required by Arizona Administrative Code (R9-4-302 and 404.H. and R9-6-204) to be reported to the Arizona Department of Health Services (AZDHS) for public health reasons.

*It is solely your responsibility to promptly discuss all laboratory test results with a physician. Neither Sonora Quest Laboratories nor its Medical Director will provide interpretation, counseling, consulting, or care recommendations on the basis of any laboratory results provided to you.