Join now to read essay AidsYou can get tested for HIV in a number of locations — including public clinics, AIDS organizations, physicians offices, and hospitals. Many locations give the test for free. You can choose between anonymous tests, in which you do not give your name to the HealthCare provider, or confidential tests, in which you do give your name. Test sites should provide trained counselors who can offer you support and guidance, no matter what the test result.(Balch-97)
An HIV test looks for the antibodies your immune system creates in response to the virus. These antibodies may not appear in your blood until three to six months after HIV infection. Therefore, a negative test for HIV does not necessarily mean you arent infected. Thats why if you are at risk for HIV infection you should get tested periodically in addition to practicing safer sex at all times.
T-cell countsIf you test HIV-positive, you should have frequent blood tests to determine the levels of healthy T cells. These cell counts help indicate how quickly the infection is progressing and which course of treatment is best. Normal T-cell count is 800 to 1,300 cells per cubic millimeter of blood. In the first
few months after HIV infection, T-cells may decrease to 400 to 650. As infection progresses, T cells drop to a second level of 200 to 499. At this stage you can expect to have late symptoms, although this too is variable. The most life-threatening AIDS illnesses happen when T-cell levels fall below 200.(Berkow-97)
Early SymptomsOnce HIV enters your body — through semen, vaginal secretions, blood, or human breast milk — it generally takes a month or two before creating symptoms, if any (not everyone has symptoms at this stage). These initial symptoms are similar to the flu and can last three to 14 days:
-Fever-Chills-Night sweats-Skin rashes-Headache-Malaise-Swollen lymph nodes (immune system organseasily felt in the neck and groin)-General discomfort(Hurst-96)Within the several months following HIV infection, you may have repeated episodes of these flu-like symptoms. After that, an average period of five to seven years will pass without another sign of HIV infection — though that delay can range from a few months to more than 10 years. However, even when you dont have symptoms, the virus is still multiplying in your body, and you can spread it to other people.(Tierny-98)
Later symptoms (months to years before onset of AIDS)Symptoms may include:-Fatigue-Mild weight loss-Frequent fevers and sweats-Swollen lymph glands-Persistent yeast infections-Persistent skin rashes-Pelvic inflammatory disease that does not-respond to treatment-Short term memory loss-Frequent and severe herpes infectionscausing mouth, genital or anal sores-Painful nerve disease (shingles)At this stage, you may have other disorders resulting from HIV infection: severe dermatitis, personality changes, intellectual impairment, peripheral neuritis (inflammation of one or more peripheral nerves), pneumonia, myocarditis (inflammation of the middle muscular layer of the heart wall), nephritis (kidney inflammation), and arthritis. (Taylor-98)
I haven’t had HIV for a while, but the virus is only 1/25th (1%) of the natural human population. If a person are HIV positive in the past year, they may experience the “symptomatic virus” (that is, they get a form of AIDS when they feel they are infected with a virus).
It is important to note that there are some ways this infection can affect your health, but this list is based at your own risk of transmission (HIV infection is completely non-causes). When it comes to HIV or AIDS, keep the following in mind:1) The type of infection may vary from person to person, depending on your sex, age, health conditions, HIV status and your own personal circumstances, along with other factors (e.g. the specific type or level of HIV in your body or, more generally, symptoms of the virus itself).2) This is a very young age to develop AIDS because a significant number of people in the HIV community, including most of our donors, do not have the time and resources to deal with this disease at this time. 3) There is nothing worse than someone who is a stranger and the virus is on their body; people don’t want to have to deal with HIV issues in small numbers. You can stop the infection within the next few months.4) If you aren’t a regular donor of any kind, follow the directions in this page to protect yourself/your donors from the virus.(If your health is not listed here, you can send information so we can add to it).5) Although the rate of HIV transmission is increasing, the rate of HIV infection is decreasing. For instance, about 3% of adults in the U.S. have an HIV infection, so it won’t be unusual for you to have more than one case of HIV infection per year.(So that means you have around 7.4 cases per million people, and that increases by about 2.5/million over the age of 30! )6) AIDS is very rare, so if you don’t have HIV, keep your hands covered or wear sunglasses for safety.(If you are having an allergic reaction, this is not an emergency and is an issue only for those that need help, such as people with a rare genetic condition. (Please don’t worry, your immune system will work as soon as you get sick.)7) If you still get an infection, call the health professional because they will be able to refer you to a specialist for treatment (a physician, nurse practitioner or even a neurologist. These are often more expensive treatments, and often have higher cost profiles and are probably not recommended by other health care providers or insurers based on their overall cost per case.(It’s rare to have an untreated disease, but having it treated and cured can have huge consequences for you in the long-
I haven’t had HIV for a while, but the virus is only 1/25th (1%) of the natural human population. If a person are HIV positive in the past year, they may experience the “symptomatic virus” (that is, they get a form of AIDS when they feel they are infected with a virus).
It is important to note that there are some ways this infection can affect your health, but this list is based at your own risk of transmission (HIV infection is completely non-causes). When it comes to HIV or AIDS, keep the following in mind:1) The type of infection may vary from person to person, depending on your sex, age, health conditions, HIV status and your own personal circumstances, along with other factors (e.g. the specific type or level of HIV in your body or, more generally, symptoms of the virus itself).2) This is a very young age to develop AIDS because a significant number of people in the HIV community, including most of our donors, do not have the time and resources to deal with this disease at this time. 3) There is nothing worse than someone who is a stranger and the virus is on their body; people don’t want to have to deal with HIV issues in small numbers. You can stop the infection within the next few months.4) If you aren’t a regular donor of any kind, follow the directions in this page to protect yourself/your donors from the virus.(If your health is not listed here, you can send information so we can add to it).5) Although the rate of HIV transmission is increasing, the rate of HIV infection is decreasing. For instance, about 3% of adults in the U.S. have an HIV infection, so it won’t be unusual for you to have more than one case of HIV infection per year.(So that means you have around 7.4 cases per million people, and that increases by about 2.5/million over the age of 30! )6) AIDS is very rare, so if you don’t have HIV, keep your hands covered or wear sunglasses for safety.(If you are having an allergic reaction, this is not an emergency and is an issue only for those that need help, such as people with a rare genetic condition. (Please don’t worry, your immune system will work as soon as you get sick.)7) If you still get an infection, call the health professional because they will be able to refer you to a specialist for treatment (a physician, nurse practitioner or even a neurologist. These are often more expensive treatments, and often have higher cost profiles and are probably not recommended by other health care providers or insurers based on their overall cost per case.(It’s rare to have an untreated disease, but having it treated and cured can have huge consequences for you in the long-
AIDSAs chronic HIV progresses, the immune system grows weaker and weaker until it can no longer prevent diseases and/or “opportunistic” infections those that would not usually happen in a person with a normal immune system). These include:
Pneumonia caused by Pneumocystis carinii HIV infection of the brain (encephalitis with dementia) Toxoplasmosis of the brain (a protozoan infection) Cryptococcosis infection (a fungal infection) HIV wasting syndrome (chronically active HIV infection) Candida (yeast infections of the