Should I be getting any other tests?
HIV isn’t the only bug in town. What a full STI screen actually includes, and why one sample isn’t a screen.
A 15 minute consultation with a doctor, and your result overnight by SMS.
Dr George Forgan-Smith sees you at Collins Street Medical Centre in Melbourne’s CBD. You get time to actually talk it through, Dorevitch Pathology takes the blood on site, and your result lands by text the next day.
Why a lab test rather than a fingerprick
We used to run point-of-care fingerprick tests here. We don’t any more, and the reason is worth knowing if you’re counting days since an exposure.
A laboratory 4th generation test on a blood sample reads a recent infection considerably better than a fingerprick does. That means your negative result becomes conclusive sooner: 6 weeks rather than 3 months, if you haven’t taken PEP and haven’t had another risk since.
So you wait until tomorrow instead of twenty minutes. In exchange your negative means more, and it means it earlier. There’s the full explanation on how accurate the test is.
What happens
You see Dr George or a doctor trained by him. There’s time for your questions about HIV and sexual health, and a full sexual health screen can be organised at the same visit if that’s useful.
Dorevitch Pathology takes the sample here on site. Your HIV result comes by SMS the next day.
What it costs
The appointment is $120. With Medicare you get $43.90 back, so about $76.10 out of pocket. The pathology is bulk billed, so the test itself costs you nothing on top.
No Medicare card? You can still get tested, and nobody gets turned away. More detail on what it costs.
Worried about something that just happened?
If it’s been less than 72 hours, PEP is the priority, not testing. It can stop HIV taking hold, but the window is 72 hours and sooner is better. Go to a sexual health clinic or an emergency department today, or ring 1800 PEP NOW (1800 737 669).
Not sure how much risk you actually had? The numbers are on the HIV risk page.
Booking
Phone 03 8575 6900 and ask for an appointment with Dr George Forgan-Smith for an HIV test.
Level 7, 267 Collins Street, Melbourne. Close to trams, trains and buses, with on-street and garage parking nearby.
This information is general in nature and not a substitute for personalised medical advice. Fees current as at July 2026 and can change.
Dr George Forgan-Smith, GP, practising in Sydney and Melbourne. AHPRA MED0001197864.
How to Book An HIV Test
How to book an HIV test with Dr George: phone 03 8575 6900. Here’s what to expect on the day.
Is The Test Confidential?
Your records are private. Here’s what appears where, and how to test without using your name if that matters to you.
Do I Need Medicare?
You don’t need Medicare to get tested. Here’s what changes without a card, and what it costs either way.
How Accurate Is the Test
When is an HIV test conclusive? With a lab 4th generation test, and if you haven’t taken PEP, a negative at 6 weeks means you can stop testing.
How Does The HIV Test Work?
How a 4th generation HIV test works, and what a negative at 21 or 28 days actually tells you.
How Much Does It Cost
What an HIV test costs at Collins Street: $120 for the appointment, $43.90 back from Medicare, and the pathology bulk billed.