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.