HIV testing in Vermont — where to get tested, free options, what to expect
The number
15 new HIV diagnoses in Vermont in 2022, 13% among Black residents — all preventable with timely testing and linkage to PrEP.
Ryan White Part B
Vermont Department of Health, HIV/AIDS/STD Program
State ADAP
Vermont Medication Assistance Program (VMAP)
Income cap 500% FPL
State PrEP-DAP
Not operated; federal Ready Set PrEP applies
Where to get tested in Vermont
690 people are living with HIV in Vermont, and 13% 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 Vermont: every county health department runs an STI / HIV testing clinic, and Vermont Department of Health, HIV/AIDS/STD Program 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 Vermont HIV info line is 1-800-882-2437; 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 Comprehensive Care Clinic at University of Vermont Medical Center and Vermont CARES as the local institutions that show up consistently — both are listed below.
Comprehensive Care Clinic at University of Vermont Medical Center. The UVM Comprehensive Care Clinic in Burlington is Vermont's only HIV specialty clinic and the state's Ryan White Part C grantee, serving about 530 people living with HIV through a combination of in-person and telehealth appointments statewide.
Vermont CARES. Vermont CARES in Burlington is the state's Ryan White Part B case-management contractor and operates rapid-testing and harm-reduction services across Chittenden, Rutland, and Washington counties.
For Black families in Vermont
In Vermont, 13% of new 2022 HIV diagnoses were among Black residents. That figure reflects unequal access to testing more than underlying risk: a Black person in Vermont waits longer for an HIV diagnosis on average than a white peer, and late diagnoses translate directly into later treatment starts and worse outcomes. The community organizations listed below — particularly those flagged as Black-community anchors on the directory — operate rapid-testing sites specifically designed to close that wait-time gap.
Named HIV testing + PrEP sites in Vermont
Where to get help in Vermont
- Vermont HIV info line: 1-800-882-2437 — staff can find the nearest free testing site, schedule PrEP, or help enroll you in ADAP.
- Vermont Department of Health, HIV/AIDS/STD Program landing page: https://www.healthvermont.gov/disease-control/hiv-std.
- Federally Qualified Health Centers in Vermont: every FQHC offers sliding-scale HIV testing and has certified application counselors on staff. See our FQHC directory for the state at /clinics/vt/.
- State health data for Vermont: for state-level HIV mortality, maternal health, and life-expectancy context by race, see /health/vermont/.
- Vermont Medicaid: Medicaid is the largest single payer of HIV care in most states. See /medicaid/vermont/ for eligibility + enrollment.
- CDC NPIN testing-site finder: gettested.cdc.gov accepts a zip code and returns every free + low-cost HIV testing site within 50 miles.
References & primary sources
- Vermont Department of Health, HIV/AIDS/STD Program: https://www.healthvermont.gov/disease-control/hiv-std.
- CDC HIV Surveillance Report 2022: cdc.gov/hiv/library/reports/hiv-surveillance.html. Source for state-level new diagnoses and race-stratified counts.
- HRSA HIV/AIDS Bureau, Ryan White HIV/AIDS Program grantee list: ryanwhite.hrsa.gov/grants/part-b.
- NASTAD ADAP Monitoring Project 2024 Annual Report: nastad.org/adap-monitoring-project. Source for ADAP income cap + enrollment + PrEP-DAP data.
- AIDSVu state profile: aidsvu.org/state/vermont/.
Data refreshed: