Although many associate HIV and AIDS with men, HIV and AIDS have become one of the leading causes of death among all women behind only cancer and heart disease. It is important for women and girls to know their HIV status if they have engaged in sexual encounters with a partner who has had sex with any other person. African American women are particularly at risk. The rates for black women are higher than the rates for all men, except for black men.
“HIV antibody testing is used to screen for and diagnose HIV infections. Early treatment of HIV infection and immune system monitoring can greatly improve long-term health. Also, knowing your HIV status may help you change behaviors that would put you and others at risk.” (LabTests Online)
HIV virus antibodies may be detected by a screening test called an ELISA. If results of the ELISA test are positive, the test is repeated and requires another test called a Western Blot to confirm. The Western Blot is used to determine if there are false positives. ELISA and Western Blot tests can be done on blood, urine or oral sample and can be ordered online. Once the test is ordered, patients will go to a Lab Corp closest to their location.
What is HIV?
HIV (human immunodeficiency virus) is the virus that causes AIDS. This virus is passed from person to person when infected blood, semen, or vaginal secretions come in contact with an uninfected person’s broken skin or mucous membranes usually during sexual contact. Additionally, infected pregnant women can pass HIV to their baby during pregnancy or delivery, as well as through breastfeeding. People with HIV have what is called HIV infection. Some of these people will develop AIDS as a result of their HIV infection. There is no current cure for HIV, but there are many medications available to help manage the virus.
Risk Factors/Causes
Having unprotected sexual encounter with an infected person
Having high-risk heterosexual contact
Having high risk homosexual contact
Sharing hypodermic needles or syringes
Sharing sex toys with an infected or high-risk person
When should a person order an HIV antibody test?
The Centers for Disease Control (CDC), American College of Physicians (ACP), and HIV Medicine Association (HMA) recommend that anyone over the age of 13 be screened if they are in a high risk group or those who may have been exposed to HIV through an infected person.
Testing is recommended if:
You are sexually active (three or more sexual partners in the last 12 months).
You received a blood transfusion prior to 1985, or a sexual partner received a transfusion and later tested positive for HIV.
You are uncertain about your sexual partner’s risk behaviors.
You are a male who has had sex with another male.
You have used street drugs by injection, especially when sharing needles and/or other equipment.
You have a sexually transmitted infection (STI)
You are a health care worker with direct exposure to blood on the job.
You are pregnant. (There are now treatments that can greatly reduce the risk that a pregnant woman who has HIV will give the virus to her baby.)
You are a woman who wants to make sure you are not infected with HIV before getting pregnant
What is AIDS?
AIDS stands for Acquired Immunodeficiency Syndrome.
Acquired – means that the disease develops after birth (not genetically based) from contact with a disease-causing agent (in this case, HIV).
Immunodeficiency – means that the disease is characterized by a weakening of the immune system. This weakening can make the body vulnerable to other diseases such as cancer, pneumonia and other diseases.
Syndrome – refers to a group of symptoms that collectively indicate or characterize a disease. In the case of AIDS this can include the development of certain infections and/or cancers, as well as a decrease in the number of certain cells in a person’s immune system.
AIDS is diagnosed by a physician using specific clinical or laboratory standards.
There currently is no cure for AIDS, but there are many medications and therapy to help manage the disease.
According to the Center for Disease Control (CDC) HIV infection was cited in 2004 as the leading cause of death for black women, including African American and Hispanic women aged 25 to 34; the third leading cause of death for African American women aged 35-44; fourth leading cause of death for African American women aged 45-54 and the fourth leading cause of death for Hispanic women aged 35-44. The only diseases causing more deaths of all women in 2004 were cancer and heart disease.
The only way to know for certain if you have HIV or AIDS is to have blood tested. According to the CDC, the standard testing schedule for those engaging in high-risk behaviors is as follows:
“Most HIV tests are antibody tests that measure the antibodies your body makes against HIV. It can take some time for the immune system to produce enough antibodies for the antibody test to detect and this time period can vary from person to person. This time period is commonly referred to as the “window period”. Most people will develop detectable antibodies within 2 to 8 weeks (the average is 25 days). Even so, there is a chance that some individuals will take longer to develop detectable antibodies. Therefore, if the initial negative HIV test was conducted within the first 3 months after possible exposure, repeat testing should be considered >3 months after the exposure occurred to account for the possibility of a false-negative result. Ninety seven percent will develop antibodies in the first 3 months following the time of their infection. In very rare cases, it can take up to 6 months to develop antibodies to HIV. Another type of test is an RNA test, which detects the HIV virus directly. The time between HIV infection and RNA detection is 9-11 days.”
http://www.hivtest.org/faq.cfm#exposure
