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.