Estimate how behavioral and demographic factors fit into the Denver HIV Risk Score and use the result as an HIV screening and prevention discussion aid.
The Denver HIV Risk Score is a structured HIV screening aid built from demographic and behavioral factors that were associated with newly diagnosed HIV infection in emergency-department screening studies. This page uses that weighted score to summarize how the selected risk factors fit into the original framework and to highlight when a testing or prevention conversation may be worth having.
The result is a screening context tool, not a diagnosis of HIV and not a substitute for a clinician or testing-site review. Recent exposure timing, symptoms of acute infection, partner status, and local testing access still matter. The page is most useful when it helps translate a list of exposures into a clearer prompt for HIV testing, prevention counseling, or a specific PEP/PrEP conversation.
The Denver score is useful when you want a structured summary of HIV-related screening factors instead of an unranked checklist. This page keeps the weighted factors visible and turns them into a testing and prevention discussion aid rather than a stand-alone clinical decision.
Denver HIV Risk Score: Demographic: Male sex (+1), Age 18–21 (+2), Age 22–25 (+1) Behavioral: MSM (+2), IDU (+3), Sex with IDU (+1), Sex with HIV+ partner (+2), ≥5 partners in 6mo (+1), Recent STI (+1), Transactional sex (+2), Inconsistent condoms (+1) Situational: Homelessness (+1), Incarceration (+1) Risk: Low (0–2), Moderate (3–5), High (6–8), Very High (9+)
Result: Denver Score: 5 — Moderate Risk. A shorter repeat-testing interval and a prevention discussion may be worth reviewing.
Male (+1) + MSM (+2) + multiple partners (+1) + inconsistent condoms (+1) = 5 points. This falls in the moderate-risk range and works best as a prompt to review recent exposures, test timing, and whether a PrEP discussion makes sense.
Approximately 1.2 million people in the US live with HIV, and about 13% are undiagnosed. Late diagnosis is associated with worse outcomes, which is one reason structured screening tools remain useful. A worksheet like the Denver HIV Risk Score can help organize exposures and frame whether testing deserves nearer-term review.
PrEP has expanded the options available for people with ongoing HIV exposure risk. Oral and injectable regimens are both used in practice, but uptake still trails the size of the population that could potentially benefit. The Denver score can help frame when prevention counseling may deserve a more focused discussion, but it does not by itself decide PrEP use.
The PARTNER and PARTNER2 studies demonstrated that HIV-positive individuals with sustained viral suppression (<200 copies/mL) do not transmit HIV to sexual partners. This finding — summarized as U=U (Undetectable equals Untransmittable) — is now a central part of modern HIV prevention and counseling.
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This page applies the weighted Denver HIV Risk Score factors for age, sex, and selected behavioral exposures to produce a composite screening score. The output groups the score into simple screening bands and uses those bands to frame testing, PrEP, and PEP conversations in broad terms.
The page is meant to function as an HIV screening and prevention worksheet, not as a diagnostic tool and not as a substitute for exposure-timing review. Actual HIV testing, PEP eligibility, and PrEP prescribing still depend on the details of recent exposures, symptoms, test timing, and clinician review.
The Denver HIV Risk Score is a validated clinical tool developed from a multicenter study of 5,883 patients to identify individuals at elevated risk for undiagnosed HIV infection. It uses behavioral and demographic risk factors to generate a composite score that predicts the likelihood of a positive HIV test.
The CDC recommends at least one lifetime HIV test for most adults aged 13–64. People with ongoing exposure risk often review shorter repeat-testing intervals with a clinician or testing site.
Pre-Exposure Prophylaxis (PrEP) is preventive medication used by HIV-negative individuals who want to lower future HIV risk. Oral and injectable options exist, but the right choice depends on exposure pattern, adherence preferences, and clinician review.
The window period is the time between HIV exposure and when a test can reliably detect infection. RNA/NAT tests: 10–33 days. 4th-gen Ag/Ab (lab): 18–45 days. 4th-gen Ag/Ab (rapid): 18–90 days. Oral rapid (OraQuick): 23–90 days. Antibody-only tests: 23–90 days.
If the exposure occurred within 72 hours, review Post-Exposure Prophylaxis (PEP) urgently with an emergency department, sexual-health clinic, or similar service. This worksheet can add context, but it should not delay that time-sensitive review.
This calculator runs entirely in your browser — no data is transmitted to any server, and no answers are stored or shared. However, if you need confidential HIV testing, contact the CDC hotline (1-800-232-4636), your local health department, or visit gettested.cdc.gov for free, confidential testing locations.