WHAT YOU SHOULD
KNOW
HIV, the human immunodeficiency virus, is the infection
that leads to AIDS (acquired immunodeficiency syndrome). The
virus attacks the body's disease-fighting immune system,
eventually weakening it so much that it can no longer fend off
disease. The infection may take many years to do its work. When
someone first contracts HIV, there may be no symptoms at all.
Later, AIDS-like symptoms will begin to develop. Finally, AIDS
itself will take hold. If you have an HIV infection,
your body will make antibodies in an attempt to fight it off. A
blood test for HIV searches for evidence of these antibodies. A
positive test means that you have the virus and may need
treatment. It doesn't mean you have AIDS.
If you know that you were exposed to HIV or if you are at
high risk of getting HIV (you are a gay or bisexual man, or an
IV drug user), and your test results are negative, the test
should be done again in 6 months. If you have the virus, your
body can take from 2 weeks to 6 months to make
antibodies. You may have to wait for up to 2 weeks to
get the test results. In some states, only you will be given
the results. In others, results must also be reported to the
Health Department. Before having the test, ask about this.
Although there is no cure for HIV infection, there are
medicines that may slow down the development of AIDS. Other
medicines can fight the infections that AIDS allows to take
hold.
Causes
You can get an HIV infection from
contact with blood or other body fluids, like semen or vaginal
discharge. Most people get the virus from having sex with an
infected partner or from using dirty needles. You can get HIV
from having sex with ANYONE, not just someone who is gay.
Infected blood transfusions are another source of the virus,
and a pregnant woman with HIV can pass the virus to her
baby.
Signs/Symptoms
At first, there are usually no
symptoms. Later, people with an HIV infection may feel tired,
lose weight, have a fever, contract skin or lung infections, or
develop cancer. They can also have diarrhea that lasts for a
long time, swollen glands, mouth sores, or night
sweats.
Care
There is no cure, but your doctor
can give you medicine to try to slow down the HIV infection.
You may develop AIDS months or years later. If this happens,
additional medicines can be prescribed to fight the new
infections.
WHAT YOU SHOULD DO
-
If you test positive for the virus, see a doctor
right away. Early treatment may help.
-
Get tested if you even suspect that a sexual partner
has HIV or AIDS. You also should be tested if you have had
sex with several people. It doesn't matter whether you are
gay or straight.
-
If you have used a needle that might have been used
by someone else, you should be tested.
-
If the test is negative, but you think you might have
had contact with HIV, get tested again in 6
months.
-
If you have the virus, tell all of the people you
have had sex with so they can get tested. Always tell a new
partner BEFORE you have sex. There are ways to have sex and
be safe.
-
Use a condom when you have sex whether you have the
HIV virus or not.
-
If you have the virus, do not give blood or donate
organs, and tell any health care workers you come in
contact with, so they can take steps to avoid
infection.
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