When To Call A Professional

When To Call A Professional

Call your doctor if you believe that you have been exposed to the body fluids of someone who has HIV or AIDS. If you test yourself for HIV at home, call your doctor immediately if your result is positive. Even if your result is negative, speak with your doctor about your concerns, questions, how to prevent HIV infection, and the need for follow up testing.

Prognosis

The average time for HIV infection to progress to AIDS is 10 to 11 years if the person does not use antiviral medication or if just one antiviral drug (monotherapy) is used. However, in about 20% of people with HIV infection, usually those with the highest viral load, AIDS develops sooner (5 years after infection). In 2% of people, it develops later (more than 12 years after infection).

Once HIV infection has progressed to AIDS, there is an increased risk of death that varies dramatically from person to person. For example, some people with AIDS have died shortly after they were diagnosed, whereas others have lived 12 years or more. Since the FDA approved newer antiretroviral drugs in 1995, the number of deaths from AIDS has decreased dramatically in the United States. The rate of AIDS hospitalizations and complications also declined.