The most common test for HIV is the antibody test (called ELISA). It can be done on blood, saliva, or urine. According to the CDC, it is more than 99% accurate. Results are generally available within two weeks. (There is a rapid ELISA test that gives results in less than half an hour.)
A positive result means your body has developed antibodies for HIV, so you are infected with the virus. To be completely certain, positive results are confirmed with a more sensitive test called the Western blot.
A negative result means your body has not developed antibodies and are probably not infected. To get truly accurate results, it's necessary to wait three to six months after your last possible exposure to the virus before being tested. That is because the immune system can take anywhere from three to twelve weeks to make antibodies. In this "window period," someone may get an unclear result or a false negative.
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