HIV testing in Oregon — where to get tested, free options, what to expect

8,600 people are living with HIV in Oregon, and 18% of new diagnoses in 2022 were among Black residents. Getting tested is the first step — the CDC recommends at least one HIV test for every adult 13-64, and annual testing for anyone sexually active with more than one partner or injecting drugs. Rapid tests return results in about 20 minutes from a fingerstick; laboratory tests take a few days but catch infections sooner after exposure (as early as 10 days with a nucleic-acid test).

Where to test for free in Oregon: every county health department runs an STI / HIV testing clinic, and Oregon Health Authority, HIV/STD/TB Section contracts with community-based organizations to operate walk-in rapid testing with evening and Saturday hours. No ID or insurance is required at these sites. Confidentiality is protected — state law requires public-health HIV testing results to stay out of your medical record unless you authorize release, and anonymous testing (no name collected) is available at most community sites.

What to expect: a pre-test conversation about risk and what a positive result would mean, the test itself (either fingerstick or blood draw), and post-test counseling. If the rapid test is reactive, the counselor draws blood for a confirmatory Western blot or antigen/antibody test. If you're positive, you'll be linked to a Ryan White Part C clinic for same-week HIV primary care and ADAP enrollment if you qualify by income.

The Oregon HIV info line is 1-971-673-0153; staff can point you to the nearest free testing site, schedule PrEP, and help you navigate insurance or no-insurance options. Long-time Black residents name Cascade AIDS Project (CAP) and OHSU Partnership HIV Clinic as the local institutions that show up consistently — both are listed below.

Cascade AIDS Project (CAP). Cascade AIDS Project in Portland — rebranded in 2023 as the Our House of Portland — is the Ryan White Part B case-management contractor for western Oregon, operating the state's highest-volume rapid-testing program at the Pivot Prime clinic on North Russell Street.

OHSU Partnership HIV Clinic. The OHSU Partnership HIV Clinic in Portland is Oregon's largest Ryan White Part C grantee, serving about 2,500 people living with HIV; OHSU co-sponsors the Oregon Health Equity Alliance's Black-community-focused HIV prevention and care training program.