At each visit you’ll have tests to see how HIV is affecting you and to check on your general health. If you’re on HIV treatment, the tests will also look at how well the treatment is working. On other occasions, for example if you are feeling unwell or have some symptoms, you might need to have other tests as well.

Generally, you will have two to four visits to your HIV clinic a year for a check-up. The frequency will depend on the health of your immune system and how well any treatment is working, as well as on your general health.

At each of these visits, your doctor will ask you about your health and how you are feeling, both physically and emotionally. They will examine you, taking into account any symptoms you may have, and you will have blood tests to look at your liver function.

At least twice a year, you will have your CD4 cell count and viral load measured and be asked about your sexual activity.

At least once a year, you will be weighed, your blood pressure taken, and your body mass index (BMI, a way of checking if your weight is right for your height) calculated. Also yearly, you will have your kidney function monitored, your blood fats and sugars measured and your cardiovascular risk and bone health calculated. You may be tested for hepatitis B and C. You should be offered a full sexual health screen and women should have a cervical screening every year (see Cervical and anal screening).

You may have some of these tests or examinations more frequently because of your particular circumstances, such as the type of HIV treatment you’re on, your family history, or if you have another condition as well as HIV.

As you get ready to start HIV treatment, many of these tests will be done in preparation. These will measure the health of your key organs (such as your liver and kidneys). This can help guide the choice of the best anti-HIV drugs for you and provide baseline information so you can be accurately monitored for possible side-effects. You can find out more about these topics in the Anti-HIV drugs and Side-effects booklets in this series. 

You will have a check-up at your clinic two to four weeks after starting HIV treatment to see how you are doing, and at least once a month until you have an undetectable viral load. After you are stable on treatment and your viral load has become undetectable (see Viral load), you will have routine clinic visits every three to six months. These will be similar to those you had before starting treatment, but will use the results of the tests to monitor how well your anti-HIV drugs are working and whether you are developing any side-effects. Your doctor will also talk to you about taking your anti-HIV drugs (often called adherence), and whether you are having any difficulty with this. You can find out more about taking your HIV treatment, and getting help if you need it, in NAM’s Adherence & resistance booklet.

If your doctor feels you have any symptoms that need exploring further, they may arrange for more tests or, in some cases, refer you to another service for specialist care.

At some clinics (generally larger ones), you may also be offered the opportunity to take part in a clinical trial looking at an aspect of HIV treatment and care. You shouldn’t feel any pressure to take part, but you may be interested. If you do take part in a trial, you will probably have some additional monitoring visits to your clinic or the trial centre. You find out more about what taking part in a clinical trial involves in our factsheet on clinical trials.