The only sure shot way to find out if one is affected by HIV or another STD is to get tested. Most people are nervous about getting tested for the first time. There are other concerns too such as actually finding out the results; not knowing what to expect and anxiety about someone else finding out. While concerns are understandable, getting tested is the only way one can take away the anxiety of not knowing.
Getting tested is important especially because:
- Left untreated, STDs, especially HIV, can cause serious health problems.
- Early diagnosis and treatment goes a long way in ensuring that an HIV positive person stays healthy.
- The tests for HIV and other STDs don't take much time.
There are advances in the treatment of HIV/AIDS occurring all the time; and new medications allow people living with HIV to live longer healthier lives. A positive test result is not a death sentence. But finding out and getting care is critical.
Click here for testing centers.
How do tests work?
HIV tests detect antibodies produced by the body to fight HIV once infection has occurred. A positive result means that HIV antibodies are present in the blood. In other words, a person is infected with HIV and can infect others. A negative result means that no HIV antibodies were found in the blood at the time that it was drawn. In many instances this means that a person does not have HIV. However, it might also mean that they were tested too soon after infection to accurately detect the HIV antibodies. It ordinarily takes three to six months (called 'the window period') for people who have been infected with HIV to develop enough antibodies for their HIV status to be accurately detected by the test. This may mean that you need to be tested again if you may have been infected during this period.
|
