HIV testing in West Virginia, where to get tested, free options, what to expect

2,300 people are living with HIV in West Virginia, and 29% 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 West Virginia: every county health department runs an STI / HIV testing clinic, and West Virginia Bureau for Public Health, Office of Epidemiology and Prevention Services 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 West Virginia HIV info line is 1-304-558-2950; 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 Ryan White Infectious Disease Clinic at CAMC and Covenant House (West Virginia Health Right Affiliate) as the local institutions that show up consistently, both are listed below.

Ryan White Infectious Disease Clinic at CAMC. The Ryan White ID Clinic at Charleston Area Medical Center is West Virginia's largest Ryan White Part C grantee, serving about 900 people living with HIV across the southern half of the state; CAMC hosts the WV CARES regional HIV training program for primary-care providers.

Covenant House (West Virginia Health Right Affiliate). Covenant House in Charleston operates the Ryan White Part B case-management contract for central West Virginia and the state's highest-volume walk-in rapid-testing program at the corner of Capitol and Washington streets.