Thank you for your question and it’s really great that you’re taking steps to look after your health.
Using an expired HIV self-test kit is not recommended. Over time, the chemicals in the kit can break down, which means the results may not be accurate. This could lead to a false negative (showing you’re HIV negative when you’re not), a false positive, or no result at all.
For your peace of mind, it’s best to use a new, unexpired kit. Some community health centres and harm reduction programs offer free take-home HIV self-test kits, and you can also get tested at a walk-in clinic or through a healthcare provider.
If you’d like help finding a nearby testing option, you can visit the Street Connections website.
There are also options to buy self-test kits online. If you go that route, look for ones approved by Health Canada, like the INSTI HIV Self Test.
