How to Book An HIV Test

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Booking is simple.

  • Call Collins Street Medical Centre on 03 8575 6900
  • Ask for an appointment with Dr George Forgan-Smith for an HIV test
  • If you don’t have a Medicare card, or you’d rather nothing was claimed through Medicare, say so when you book. Both are fine, and it’s easier to sort out beforehand than at the desk.

What to expect on the day

It’s a 15 minute consultation. You see a doctor, not a machine.

We’ll talk through what your risk actually was, what the test can and can’t tell you at this point, and whether anything else is worth doing. If a full sexual health screen makes sense, we can organise that at the same visit.

Dorevitch Pathology takes the blood here on site. Your HIV result comes through by SMS the next day.

One thing worth knowing: the front desk staff aren’t doctors. They can book you in, but they can’t answer questions about the test or your risk. Save those for me.

My office is easy to find, on Collins Street in the middle of Melbourne’s CBD.

Before you book

If it’s been less than 72 hours since the exposure you’re worried about, don’t wait for an appointment. PEP 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 it’s worth coming in? The HIV risk numbers will tell you what your exposure actually carried, and how accurate the test is covers whether it’s too early to bother.

What it costs: $120 for the appointment, $43.90 back from Medicare, and the pathology bulk billed. Full detail here.

Melbourne HIV Testing Map

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.