Thank you for your question and it’s really great that you’re taking steps to look after your health.
Its not recommended to use an expired HIV self-test kit. 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 an unclear result.
For the most accurate result and your peace of mind, it’s best to use a new, unexpired test kit. Many community health centres and harm reduction programs offer free take-home HIV self-test kits. 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.
