HIV Virus - Get Tested NOW!

Test for HIV involves a simple blood test and the results can tell if a person is infected with HIV virus or human immunodeficiency virus that causes AIDS. HIV virus is acquired through having unprotected sex or exposure to someone's blood. If you found out that you are infected with HIV virus, you need to consult your doctor so that you can have medical treatment immediately. Early detection and treatment together with a healthy lifestyle are best to delay the occurrence of AIDS, which is known to be a life-threatening and chronic condition caused by HIV virus.

It is necessary to get tested if you feel that you have acquired HIV virus. HIV testing is recommended every year especially for people who are at high risk of the virus. It is a good idea to consider HIV testing once a year before having contact with a new partner especially if a person has had unprotected oral, anal or vaginal sex with several sexual partners or with an unknown partner. Men who have sex with other men should also consider HIV testing. In addition, people who use IV drugs and those who have been diagnosed with STD or sexually transmitted diseases including syphilis or hepatitis must have HIV testing.

There are no special preparations needed of HIV tests. It is necessary to see your doctor for an appointment. However, there are public clinic that allow people to walk in for the tests.

HIV virus is diagnosed through blood testing or oral mucus. However, theses tests do not have accurate results right after the infection. This is because HIV virus takes time to produce antibodies that usually takes two to eight weeks. In some cases, HIV antibodies can take up to six months to develop and this is when the types of HIV tests can be accurate.

Though there is no cure for HIV and AIDS, there are available treatments in the past decades that provide improved and extended the quality of life for those who are infected with the disease. Early treatment is helpful to keep an individual stay well and delay the signs of AIDS.

It is necessary to discuss advance treatment and testing with your doctor. Doctors use PCR tests to be able to measure the virus amount in the blood that helps identify the progress of the disease.

Having a healthy lifestyle can be a great help to keep an infected individual to stay well. It is advisable to avoid using illicit drugs, consuming too much alcohol and smoking because these make the immune system weak.

Get tested for STDs or sexually transmitted diseases and TB or tuberculosis. Having STD or TB can cause severe illness if not treated immediately.

Make use of condoms to avoid acquiring the virus. However, abstaining from having sex is the best way to prevent transmitting HIV virus to other people or getting other sexually transmitted diseases, which can definitely harm your well-being. If you want to have sex, always be safe and use condoms, which are very effective in avoiding STD or HIV transmission.