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HIV (Human Immunodeficiency Virus) is a lentivirus which means it has a very long incubation period. It is transmitted primarily through sexual contact, but can also be transmitted through sharing needles, breast milk and from mother to baby during vaginal birth. When should you be tested?
If you are sexually active, you should be tested. In fact, the CDC recommends that every person over the age of 13 be tested at least once for HIV. If you are leading a high risk lifestyle that includes: an active heterosexual or homosexual sex lifestyle with more than one partner, sexual contact with a partner who has been diagnosed with HIV or other STDs or STIs, or intravenous needle sharing. Testing is also recommended for women who are pregnant or nursing or planning to become pregnant and believe they may have been exposed. Testing is recommended for those who are risk for HIV at 3 months, 6 months and again at 12 months. If you are experiencing symptoms and have engaged in high risk activities, you should be tested, even if you’ve tested negative in the past.
Human Immunodeficiency Virus (HIV) has become one of the most feared sexually transmitted diseases in the world. It’s true that there is no cure, but careful monitoring and appropriate medical interventions have made living with HIV a fact of life instead of a sentence to death. Early testing and diagnosis are key in getting the best medical care available, stop the spread of the disease and help those with HIV lead a normal and fulfilling life.
This test has been found to be 99.9% accurate in detecting the presence of HIV at 28 or more days after infection.
It can be used earlier to detect HIV but the accuracy before 28 days is not known. HIV infects certain white blood cells called CD4+ cells, which are part of the body's immune system.
Although there is no cure for HIV, early detection allows for treatment with anti-viral therapies that can help to prolong life.
The HIV by PCR test can detect the presence of HIV at 28 or more days after infection. Symptoms for HIV may not appear for some time therefore it is of utmost importance to get tested before you begin to show symptoms.
