Information about Aids - Tests For the HIV Virus

Tests For the HIV Virus

The Centers for Disease Control recommends HIV testing as part of routine medical care for everyone between the ages of 13 to 64. This may seem like a drastic step but they recommended this step in September 2006. That should tell you how serious they consider the disease of AIDS. The CDC suggests

The sad fact about HIV testing is that it is not accurate immediately after a person has been infected. It takes about twelve weeks for HIV antibodies to develop. In some rare cases it may take six to twelve months for the body to show these antibodies. If you don’t realize you may be at risk, signs and symptoms of HIV and AIDS will not show up for up to ten years. This is a scary thought because even though the signs and symptoms are not visible, they can still infect other people with the virus.

For many years the only test for the HIV virus was the ELISA test that looks for the antibodies in a sample of blood. The emotional toll can be terrible because with the early tests it would take up to two weeks to receive the results. If the first results are possible, then a second test is performed to confirm the first test. The second test is called the Western Blot test. Combining the results of the two tests will tell you if you have HIV. The first test could give you a false positive that is why it is so important to follow through with the another testing.

Did You Know?

The best and most certain way of not getting HIV or AIDS is to avoid contact with body fluids from an infected person. Contact can occur during homosexual or heterosexual activity. Body fluids find an opening in the body and the infection is passed to another person. The virus can get into the vagina, anus, mouth, and eyes.

A person with an open cut or wound can allow the virus into their body. If you are in the medical profession, it is urgent you take precautions while handling patients. Gloves, masks, and goggles are necessary to protect from accidental infection of the HIV virus.

Research on the HIV virus and the disease of AIDS has been continuing since the early 1980’s. The epidemic is growing and scientists and researchers are constantly working on vaccines and new therapies for AIDS and other HIV associated conditions. There are over 30 HIV vaccines are being tested on humans and there are many other drugs for HIV or AIDS related infections are still being developed and tested by major laboratories. Researchers are still trying to trace how the disease progresses and how it damages the immune system.

Today there are newer and more effective tests that also will give the results quicker. Some tests will show results in as little as twenty minutes. These tests will use a sample of your blood or from material collected from your upper and lower gums. This test is just as effective as the blood test and eliminates drawing blood and the risk of an accidental needle prick to the health giver. If the test shows positive, a second blood test will be required with drawn blood. The tests are new and certified to be used in laboratories only, so they may not be available to all areas of the country.

Anyone who can surf the Internet can find many home HIV tests. This gives you the opportunity to have the test in the privacy of your home without going to a doctor or a clinic. These tests cannot be legally marketed in the United States. The Food and Drug Administration has approved one HIV test for home use. Home Access Health makes it and if the test is positive, the test results are retested. It isn’t like a home pregnancy test. You are asked to send in a drop of your blood then call in to a toll-free number to receive the results of the test. You are guaranteed privacy and anonymity because you are identified only with a code number that is in your testing kit.

Better Your Health

HIV and AIDS Information and Resources

◦ World Health Organization’s AIDS Staging
◦ History of AIDS Looking Closer at the HIV Virus and AIDS
◦ Living With HIV and AIDS
◦ Know the Basics about AIDS
◦ What are the Causes of AIDS
◦ Homeopathic Ways of Treating the AIDS Patient
◦ AIDS and the Nervous System
◦ Options If You Are HIV Positive
◦ The AIDS Patient and Opportunistic Infections
◦ Advanced Signs of the HIV Virus
◦ Tests For the HIV Virus
◦ Other Health Concerns For The AIDS Patient
◦ Prayer And Spirituality Used In The Treatment Of AIDS
◦ How To Prepare For Your AIDS Medical Appointment
◦ Aids and Viral Complications
◦ Parasitic Infections Common to HIV Patients
◦ AIDS Related Lymphoma
◦ Treating AIDS Related Lymphoma
◦ Serious Complications Associated With The HIV Virus
◦ White Blood Cells And AIDS
◦ Neurological Complications Associated with AIDS
◦ What To Do If You Think You Might Have Aids
◦ New Developments In AIDS Research
◦ Coping With Your AIDS Diagnosis
◦ The Symptoms of HIV Infection
◦ Education Is The Key To Stopping the AIDS Epidemic
◦ The Emphasis Must Be On Prevention for HIV and AIDS
◦ AIDS Medical Terms
◦ Take An Active Role In Your AIDS Medical Treatment
◦ Reducing The HIV Risk Factors
◦ Keeping A Positive Outlook For AIDS Patients
◦ Acupuncture To Relieve The Side Effects Of AIDS Treatment
◦ A Healthy Lifestyle Can Help You Treat AIDS
◦ AIDS Patients Are In It For Life
◦ Basic AIDS Information
◦ Do You Need To Let Everyone Know That You Are HIV Positive
◦ Important Vitamins and Minerals for a Person with HIV
◦ Treatments Available for the Patient with HIV or AIDS
◦ Ways You Cannot Get The HIV Virus
◦ Treatments Available for the HIV Positive Woman
◦ Understanding the Basics of HIV
◦ The United States AIDS Policy
◦ Treatment Guidelines for the AIDS Patient
◦ Treating Serious Illnesses in The AIDS Patient
◦ HIV Transmission
◦ How The HIV Virus Progresses
◦ The Fear the AIDS Stigma Brings
◦ I Tested Positive For the HIV Virus: What Now
◦ How To Tell Other People You Are HIV Positive
◦ Facts And Myths Regarding HIV Transmission
◦ Some Recent Advances In The Fight Against AIDS
◦ Preventive Measures You Can Take Concerning HIV Infection
◦ Dates In AIDS History
◦ The Impact of AIDS On MSM, Men Who Have Sex With Men
◦ Dealing With Malnutrition For The HIV Infected Person
◦ Know Your Personal HIV Risk Factors
◦ Keeping Yourself AIDS Free
◦ Are Condoms Effective As Protection Against AIDS Transmission
◦ Juicings Possible Benefits To The Person With HIV
◦ What Are The Initial Signs and Symptoms of HIV Infections
◦ AIDS Faqs
◦ Five Classes of Antiretroviral Drugs for Treating AIDS
◦ Dietary Needs And The HIV Patient
◦ Misconceptions About AIDS
◦ Oh No I have AIDS
◦ The Staggering AIDS Statistics
◦ Exercise May Boost Your Imune System
◦ Aids And The Toll On Families
◦ Immunization Needs For Adult AIDS Patients
◦ Acquired Immune Deficiency Syndrome: The Basic Facts
◦ Is There A Silver Lining in The Cloud of AIDS

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