What is type 1 diabetes screening?
Screening identifies the risk of developing type 1 diabetes (T1D). When the body starts mistakenly attacking its own insulin-producing beta cells, certain markers called T1D autoantibodies (AAbs) can be found in the blood. Unlike a blood sugar level test, AAb screening looks for these T1D-related autoantibodies and can detect T1D before symptoms begin.
Screening is often low or even no cost depending on insurance. Early T1D screening can give people critical information to take action and proactively seek out monitoring and management options.
Get screened now
The American Diabetes Association recommends that high-risk individuals proactively screen for type 1 diabetes with a blood test that can detect it in the early stages.
Screening may provide you information that allows you and your doctor to proactively manage your health—but it's important to act. If not screened early, life-threatening complications at diagnosis could seem to happen out of nowhere.
Talk to your Doctor
Starting with your doctor is an important step to getting screened for type 1 diabetes. Your doctor could help you get tested at a participating lab or in office kit. This guide can help you with that conversation.
Watch Adam Schefter play doctor and patient and show how he would ask to be screened.
Watch an at-home screening demonstration
At home testing kits are a way to screen the whole family. To learn how it works, check out this how to video showing screening with an at-home test kit.
What do type 1 diabetes screening results mean?
Interpreting Screening
Screening can't prevent T1D, but it can give you time to prepare and consider your options.
Here we lay out what AAb screening results could mean, and based on those results, we share expert recommended next steps. Even if screening comes back negative, you may still want to consider re-screening regularly if you or your loved ones have a family history of T1D or other higher risk factors:
0
Autoantibodies
If the test finds no sign of T1D now:
- Talk to your doctor about an appropriate rescreening schedule, especially if there’s a family history of TID. Just because screening didn’t detect T1D-related autoantibodies now doesn’t mean they won’t appear in the future.
1
Autoantibody
If the test finds 1 autoantibody, you or your loved one are at a higher risk for developing type 1 diabetes. Talk to your doctor about:
- Ensuring you’ve been screened for T1D-related autoantibodies
- A rescreening schedule as well as monitoring and next steps
2+
Autoantibodies
This is a sign that the earliest stages of type 1 diabetes may have begun:
- See your doctor ASAP to get your blood sugar levels checked, review the results together, and go over monitoring/management options and next steps.
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This content was last reviewed in June 2026