HIV Symptoms. AIDS HIV Detection and Treatment

How Do I Know If I Have HIV?
The only way to know for sure if you have HIV is to get an HIV test.

If you are at risk of HIV, you should have an HIV test every six months. You should also reduce your risk.

Over time, as the immune system weakens, maybe over months or years, symptoms begin to develop. The following may be warning signs of HIV infection:

• rapid Weight Loss
  
• dry cough
  
• fevers or night sweats
  
• extreme tiredness
  
• swollen lymph glands in the armpits, groin, or neck
  
• diarrhea that lasts for more than a week
  
• frequent yeast infections (oral or vaginal)
  
• pelvic inflammatory disease in women that does not respond to treatment
  
• pneumonia
  
• persistent skin rashes or flaky skin
  
• short-term memory loss

Soon after HIV infection, the body begins to make antibodies that fight the virus. The HIV test looks for these antibodies in your blood. After about three months, most people have enough anti-HIV antibodies to test positive on standard HIV tests. Some people don't test positive for six months or even a year, so repeat testing is needed.

The HIV test is simple. Home tests are available. You can also get tested at labs that keep your identity secret. You can also get tested by your doctor, and at your public health department. If you are doing a home test, or if you order a test from a lab, a positive result means you should see a doctor to confirm that you're really infected.

If you know you are at high risk of HIV infection and come down with a bad case of the flu, see a doctor right away. It could be the early signs of HIV infection. Tell your doctor about your risk behavior. There are very sensitive tests that can tell if you've got HIV - and treatment during this very early stage of infection works best.

Before getting tested, think about what your test result will mean. Most people need help with this, so see a counselor, psychologist, or doctor for advice - or call your local AIDS hotline. Prepare for your result.

If you test negative, you may want to talk about how to reduce your future risk. There are many private AIDS organizations that can give you this kind of help. Usually these organizations have "been-there, done-that" counselors you can relate to.

If you test positive, you'll need help deciding what to do. HIV infection isn't a death sentence. It does mean that you will need to take special care of your health. It also means that you will have to take special care not to infect anybody else with the AIDS virus.