Other Treatments:

Other Treatments:
The ELISA test is the first blood test done to see if you are infected with HIV. If this test is positive, another more specific blood test, usually the Western blot test, is done to confirm the results. Once you have confirmed positive HIV test results, you must have a thorough medical exam. Your health care professional will ask about your medical history and symptoms, if any, and will examine you. The complete medical history and physical exam includes discussing your history of sexual practices and sexually transmitted diseases and any history of drug abuse. The results of your physical and lab exams give your health care provider a baseline for comparison if you develop symptoms later. It is also necessary to screen for certain infections, such as tuberculosis (TB), syphilis, and hepatitis B, which may worsen rapidly or pose a serious risk to others. HIV-positive women should have a Pap smear according to the schedule recommended by their health care professional (usually every 6 to 12 months). Your treatment will include lab tests that will determine how well your immune system is working, measure the amount of HIV present in your blood, and to screen for infections or other medical problems. Prescription medications may include antiviral treatment, such as with the drugs zidovudine (also called ZDV or AZT), didanosine (ddI), lamivudine (3TC), and protease inhibitors. You should also schedule regular dental exams because people who are HIV positive have a high rate of mouth abnormalities, including gum disease. Preventive treatment for such diseases such as Pneumocystis carinii pneumonia (PCP), Tuberculosis, Toxoplasmosis (avoid raw meat and cat litter boxes), Tetanus, hepatitis B, pneumococcus, flu, and treatments for opportunistic infections and tumors as they develop must also be addressed. The CD4 lymphocyte cell count is an important lab test. CD4 cells are a type of white blood cell.