Anonymous Testing Service (ATS)
Background
AfA’s Anonymous Testing Service (ATS) is Singapore’s largest and longest-running anonymous HIV test site, approved by MOH.
Staffed by trained and dedicated volunteers, ATS prides itself on providing affordable, safe, and client-centered service to all patrons, regardless of gender, race, nationality or sexual orientation.
No name or NRIC is required. Test results are available within 20-30mins.
UPDATE: Appointment booking is now available for ATS, in addition to walk-in services.
Tap here to book an appointment.
Tests and Prices
- HIV
- 4th Generation – $45
- 3rd Generation – $35
- Self-Testing Kit – $22 (more info here)
Note: Syphilis, gonorrhoea & chlamydia tests are no longer available at ATS
The ATS accepts cash and PayNow (no credit cards).
Funds collected are channelled to supporting advocacy programmes, linkage to care for those who are newly diagnosed with HIV, and providing support services for persons living with HIV/AIDS.
Services are on both walk-in and appointment basis. Booking appointments is only available online. Tap the button below to book an appointment.
Location
31 Kelantan Lane
Singapore 200031
Getting Here
Nearest MRT stations: Jalan Besar/Rochor (DTL), Farrer Park (NEL), Lavender/Bugis (EWL)
Operating Hours
Tuesdays & Wednesdays 6:30pm to 8:30pm
Saturdays 1:30pm to 3:30pm
(except Public Holidays and eves of Public Holidays)
Book an appointment online, or walk in during operating hours.
Note: AfA is not affiliated with DSC Clinic. With kind support from DSC, ATS is allowed to operate within a clinical setting when the DSC Clinic is closed. For more information about DSC, please refer to their website.
Testing Process
1. REGISTRATION: Once you complete the registration form, you will get a unique Client ID. Our reception staff will ask for your Client ID.
2. PRE-TEST COUNSELLING: To do an HIV sexual health risk assessment, a counsellor will ask some personal questions about your sexual history. This will be done in a private consultation room, and all information provided will be kept anonymous and confidential.
You can also take this opportunity to ask your counsellor any questions you have about HIV, sexual health, or safer sex (including access to HIV Pre-Exposure Prophylaxis or PrEP).
3. TESTING: Testing will be conducted in separate rooms. A tester will prick your finger to get a few drops of blood for the rapid test strips.
Only sterile and single-use equipment are used for all testing procedures, including gloves, needles, test strips, swabs, and cotton wool.
4. RESULT & POST-TEST COUNSELLING: 20-30 minutes after the test, your counsellor will give you the results of your HIV test. Counselling and referrals will be provided to clients who test positive (see the FAQ below on “What if I test positive?”).
Window Period
The window period is the time between actual infection and the point when a test will reliably give an accurate result. Testing before the end of the window period may give you false negative results.
Test | Window Period |
HIV (4th Gen) Rapid Test |
14 – 90 days (2 weeks – 3 months) |
HIV (3rd Gen) Rapid Test |
21 – 90 days (3 weeks – 3 months) |
HIV Self-Testing Kit |
45 – 90 days (1.5 – 3 months) |
You are therefore able to do your HIV test at our clinic after 14 days (2 weeks) after exposure, then confirm your status once more at the 90-day (3 months) mark. If you are unsure, our onsite counsellors will advise you on the most appropriate tests for you.
AfA only uses HSA-approved tests with a very high degree of accuracy. Nonetheless, all tests come with a small chance of false results, and our services are not meant to substitute for medical advice. If in doubt, clients should consult their doctor for formal medical advice.
Frequently Asked Questions
- Who should test for HIV/STIs?
- What if I test positive?
- What if I was exposed to HIV less than 14 days ago?
- What is the difference between the 3rd and 4th generation HIV tests?
- Why does it take so long to confirm HIV infection?
The National HIV Programme recommends that everyone aged 21 and above be tested at least once in their life regardless of risk factors. People at higher risk of HIV/STIs should test more frequently (at least once a year).
National HIV Programme HIV Testing Recommendations
In Singapore, most HIV infections continue to be detected during the course of clinical care and typically at a late stage of HIV infection. Only a very low proportion is diagnosed from self-initiated testing. Early HIV detection and treatment is important because it improves health outcomes and prevents future HIV transmission. The earlier you’re diagnosed with HIV, the earlier you can begin treatment and better your prognosis. A person who is on sustained HIV treatment can achieve an undetectable level of the virus in their blood, which means that they cannot transmit the virus to their sexual partners.
Our staff will arrange for a confirmatory test (involving blood drawn from a vein) either on the same day or at a future date. We will request for your phone number to get in touch with you about the confirmation result.
Once the confirmation result is ready, AfA will link you up to treatment locally or overseas (for foreigners). We also provide other support services for persons newly diagnosed with HIV, including counselling and support groups.
If you opt for local treatment, your results and particulars will remain confidential but will no longer be anonymous. Only your counsellor and relevant medical personnel (doctor, nurses) will have access to this information.
Testing is not recommended during this period, unless you have had other previous high-risk exposures and have not gone for HIV testing since.
If the HIV exposure was within the last 72 hours, Post-Exposure Prophylaxis (PEP) can help to prevent infection. Drop by DSC Clinic at 31 Kelantan Lane (on weekdays) or the emergency department of any hospital (on weekends or public holidays), where a doctor will help assess your risk before prescribing the medication.
Both tests detect HIV antibodies, which are produced by your immune system in response to infection. Most people will develop detectable antibodies approximately 28 days (4 weeks) after infection.
The 4th generation tests additionally test for HIV antigens, which are proteins on the surface of the HIV virus. These are detectable from 14 days (2 weeks) after infection, which is why 4th generation tests can be used earlier.
AfA has adopted the full 90-day window period for rapid HIV tests in consultation with several agencies overseas that provide similar voluntary HIV counselling and testing services. This 90-day estimate is evidence-based and reliable.