You are better off knowing if you have HIV.

You are better off knowing if you have HIV.

If you know you have HIV, you can get the treatment and care you need to stay healthy and avoid passing it on to others.

If you think you may have been exposed to HIV, it is important to get tested.

• The only way to know if you have HIV is to get tested. The HIV test is a simple blood test.
• After HIV enters the body, it may take time before the test can detect the virus (this is known as the window period). Different HIV tests have different window periods.
• Don’t wait. Speak to a health-care provider about getting tested for HIV as well as other STIs and hepatitis C.

You can’t tell whether you have been infected with HIV by how you feel.

• Some people have flu-like symptoms when they first get infected (fever, sore throat or swollen glands). But some people have no symptoms at all.
• You can have HIV and not know it.

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If you test positive:

• There have been significant advances in the care and treatment of HIV, and with the right treatment, you can stay healthy.
• To protect yourself and your partner(s), practise safer sex and do not share drug equipment.
• Get connected. Contact CATIE for more information on HIV services in your area.