Anyone who keeps putting off the decision to submit him/herself to an HIV test

Anyone who keeps putting off the decision to submit him/herself to an HIV test, will, if infection is present, lose valuable treatment time.

There are also other reasons why a test should be made: in the case of certain inoculations, e.g. before travelling overseas, the doctor has to adopt a different procedure in the presence of an HIV infection to ensure that the patient comes to no further harm. The same applies to major operations which, as everyone knows, represent an exceptional strain on the immune system. In the interest of the patient the nature of the operation must be considered very carefully.


Only if HIV positive individuals know that they are infected can they take specific precautions to safeguard their health. How many people are aware that birds in the apartment can, with their excrement, cause dangerous fungal diseases in HIV infected persons, or that cat toilets and the soil in flower pots can hold similar risks? Alcohol, cigarettes and drugs are even more harmful for HIV positive persons, since they weaken the immune system additionally. Raw meat and other foodstuffs likely to be contaminated with salmonella should be strictly avoided, as should raw fish, oysters and other sea foods. Mayonnaise and sauce or gravy that have been left standing too long can also be dangerous. In contrast, healthy nutrition rich in calories and vitamins is to be recommended. Contacts with carriers of pathogens (germs) – whether childrens' diseases (e.g. chicken pox) or tuberculosis – can become dangerous. Travelling to countries with a low standard of hygiene – above all tropical countries – may involve above-average dangers of infection. The taking of medicines without first consulting the doctor should be avoided due to possible side effects or weakening of the immune system. And, what many people do not know, severe physical strain or stress, as well as sun-bathing in the open air or in the solarium, can also affect the immune system, and thus accelerate the outbreak of AIDS.

In the interests of all infected persons, all the points mentioned speak in favour of an HIV test. But there is also a further reason: for several years now the medical world has been in possession of virus-inhibiting medications