REPUBLIKA.CO.ID, JAKARTA — One of the viruses that humans must be aware of is the Human Immunodeficiency Virus (HIV) which attacks the body’s immune system. The virus can weaken the body in fighting disease and infection.
If HIV already at the final stage of infection, this is called Acquired Immune Deficiency Syndrome (AIDS). The United States Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) recommends that everyone between the ages of 13 and 64 should undergo your HIV at least once as part of routine health care.
If they have more than one sexual partner, they should be tested more often. For example every three to six months.
If your last HIV test result was negative, the test was more than one year ago, and you can answer yes to any of the following questions, then you should get an HIV test as soon as possible:
1. Are you a man who has had sex with another man?
2. Have you ever had anal or vaginal sex with a partner who has HIV?
3. Have you had more than one sex partner since your last HIV test?
4. Have you ever injected drugs and shared needles, syringes, or other injecting drug equipment with other people?
5. Would you trade sex for drugs or money?
6. Have you been diagnosed or treated for any other sexually transmitted infection?
7. Have you been diagnosed or treated for hepatitis or tuberculosis (TB)?
8. Have you ever had sex with someone who could answer yes to any of the questions above or someone whose sexual history you didn’t know?
As part of proactive prenatal care, all pregnant women should have certain blood tests to detect infections and other diseases, such as HIV, syphilis and Hepatitis B. You can discuss this with your health care provider.
In addition, anyone who has experienced sexual abuse or is at high risk of exposure to HIV should also consider using post-exposure prophylaxis (PEP) and getting an HIV antigen test which can detect infection more quickly than standard antibody tests. PPH can prevent HIV infection after possible HIV exposure if started as soon as possible within 3 days of HIV exposure.
How can an HIV test help you?
About one in eight people in the United States who have HIV don’t know they have it. The only way to know for sure if you have HIV is to get tested.
Knowing your HIV status will provide you with powerful information to help you take steps to keep you and your partner healthy. Reported HIV gov, Wednesday (14/6/2023), if the test is positive, you can be connected to HIV care to start treatment with HIV drugs as soon as possible. People with HIV who take HIV drugs as prescribed can live long and healthy lives.
There are also important preventive benefits. If you are taking your HIV medication as prescribed and getting and keeping it viral load undetected, you will not transmit HIV to an HIV-negative partner through sex. If you test negative, you have more prevention tools available today to prevent HIV than ever before.
For those of you who are pregnant, you should be tested for HIV so you can start treatment if the test is positive. If you have HIV and take HIV medication as prescribed during your pregnancy and delivery and give HIV medicine to your baby for four to six weeks after delivery, your risk of passing HIV to your baby can be less than one percent. HIV drugs will also protect your own health.
The sooner you know your status, the better. Some people with HIV have it for years before they know it.
During that time, they do not get the care they need to protect their health and prevent transmission of HIV to sexual partners or injecting needle users. Because of this, the CDC encourages more frequent HIV testing for individuals who may be at risk of acquiring HIV.
2023-06-14 17:52:09
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