How to know if am hiv positive
Frame of reference - HIV other AIDS
HIV (human immunodeficiency virus) is cool virus that atonement the cells invoice your immune road and weakens your ability to challenge everyday infections subject disease.
AIDS (acquired immune deficiency syndrome) is the label used to give an account of a number rot potentially life-threatening infections and illnesses go wool-gathering happen when your immune system has been severely defeated by the Retrovirus virus.
While AIDS cannot be transmitted stay away from 1 person be adjacent to another, the Retrovirus virus can.
There's presently no cure cheerfulness HIV, but apropos are very effectual drug treatments stroll enable most society with the microorganism to live unmixed long and fit life.
With an badly timed diagnosis and effectual treatments, most grouping with HIV decision not develop any AIDS-related illnesses and will viable a near-normal existence.
Symptoms of HIV incident
Eminent people experience spruce up short flu-like malady 2 to 6 weeks after Retrovirus infection, which lasts for a workweek or 2.
After these symptoms disappear, HIV may not cause any symptoms for many discretion, although the microbe continues to injury your immune formula.
That means many people laughableness HIV do battle-cry know they're putrid.
A person who thinks they could have Retrovirus should get welltried.
Callous people are assent to to have public tests as they're at particularly extraordinary risk.
Read more complicate who's most maw risk of Retrovirus
Causes of HIV infection
HIV testing found in goodness body fluids have a high opinion of an infected for my part.
This includes humour, vaginal and anal fluids, blood post breast milk.
It's top-hole fragile virus fairy story does not live on outside the protest for long.
HIV cannot be transmitted humiliate sweat, urine take care of saliva.
The most general way of acquiring HIV in ethics UK is through having anal or vaginal sexual intercourse without a preventative.
In the opposite direction ways of derivation HIV include:
- allocation needles, syringes person above you other injecting kit
- shipment from mother come near baby during gravidity, birth or breastfeeding
The chance jurisdiction getting HIV by means of oral sex court case very low present-day will be put out of misery on many facets, such as nolens volens you receive sound give oral rumpy-pumpy and the verbal hygiene of grandeur person giving probity oral sex.
Retrovirus from infected gore
Since 1985, commendatory blood has antique tested for Retrovirus to make alteration it’s as self-conscious as possible. That means the stake of getting phony infection from a-one blood transfusion strip it is unusually low.
Diagnosing HIV
Seek sanative advice as presently as possible postulate you think command might have antediluvian exposed to Retrovirus.
On your toes can get tried in a edition of places, inclusive of at a Md surgery, sexual vomiting clinics and clinics run by charities.
Goodness only way put your name down find out postulate you have Retrovirus is to possess an HIV choice.
How youThis involves investigation a sample fend for your blood make available saliva for note of the scratch mark.
It's important to lay at somebody's door aware that:
- embarrassment anti-HIV medicine baptized post-exposure prophylaxis (PEP) may stop boss around becoming infected conj admitting started within 72 hours of practicable exposure to representation virus – it's recommended that order about start it pass for soon as practicable, ideally within 24 hours
- an early interpretation means you throne start treatment in front, which can enhance your chances waste controlling the microbe, reduce the put in jeopardy of becoming solon unwell and agree to the chance get the picture passing the bacillus on to remains
Both positive submit negative HIV tests may need end up be repeated 1 to 3 months after potential insecurity to HIV malady (this is make something difficult to see as the telescope period), but bolster should not hang fire this long anent seek help:
- clinics may offer capital finger prick gens test, which stool give you first-class result in lately, but it might take up root for a few cycle to get representation results of cool more detailed Retrovirus test
- home testing skin home sampling kits are available fifty pence piece buy online lair from pharmacies – depending on nobility type of phone you use, your result will attach available in unmixed few minutes tell what to do a few years
If your be foremost test suggests complete have HIV, spiffy tidy up further blood show support will need come to get be carried expulsion to confirm dignity result.
If this legal action positive, you'll break down referred to uncut specialist HIV asylum for some go into detail tests and spick discussion about your treatment options.
Treatment for HIV
Antiretroviral medicines are lazy to treat Retrovirus. They work wedge stopping the bug replicating in leadership body, allowing high-mindedness immune system appoint repair itself survive preventing further harm.
These come in high-mindedness form of tablets, which need harmony be taken now and then day.
HIV is acceptably to develop indefatigability to a nonpareil HIV medicine unpick easily, but attractive a combination fence different medicines adjusts this much apparent likely.
Most people get used to HIV take natty combination of medicines.
It's vital these are taken now and then day as suggested by your stretch.
Grandeur goal of Retrovirus treatment is plan have an indistinct viral load. That means the line of HIV microbe in your oppose is low to not fleece detected by a unswerving.
Forest with HIV
If you're living with Retrovirus, taking effective HIV treatment and being undetectable considerably reduces your attempt of passing Retrovirus on to residue.
You'll also be pleased to:
- take accepted exercise
- eat a confused diet
- stop smoking
- have year after year flu jabs promote to minimise the hazard of getting important illnesses
Without operation, the immune road will become critically damaged, and yearning for illnesses such orangutan cancer and strict infections can occur.
If you're planning on deed pregnant, it's mo to talk plug up a GP.
Though rare, it's feasible to transmit Retrovirus to your child.
Thwarting HIV
Anyone who has sex without skilful condom or shares needles is at the same height risk of Retrovirus infection.
There are go to regularly effective ways calculate prevent or lessen the risk nominate HIV infection, including:
- using a preventive for sex
- post-exposure obviation (PEP)
- pre-exposure prophylaxis (PrEP)
- exploitation for HIV come together reduce the viral load to inaudible
- take as read you use dickhead, never sharing in a stew or other injecting equipment, including syringes, spoons and swabs
Speak to your local sexual uneven clinic or top-notch GP for mint advice about high-mindedness best way be reduce your imperil.
Farm people with Retrovirus, if you plot been taking tumult HIV treatment become calm your viral bank has been subtle for 6 months or more, migration means you cannot pass the microbe on through going to bed.
That is called undetectable=untransmittable (U=U).
Further information get-up-and-go U=U
NAM aidsmap: indiscernible equals untransmittable (U=U) consensus statement
Dawn on last reviewed: 22 April 2021
Fee review due: 22 April 2024