Tuesday, March 4, 2014

How to Detect HIV Infection


Anybody who has had sex is already at risk for becoming infected with sexually transmitted diseases. From the term itself, the disease is transmitted by any sexual activities, whether vaginal, oral or anal sex. Other times, it may also be transmitted through direct skin to skin contact or by exchange of body fluids from one who is already infected. This may happen when sharing medical equipments such as injections. A person may be at high risk from infection if he or she is sexually active, has multiple sex partners, frequently changes sex partners and does not use condom protection during sexual activities.

One of the most dangerous and fatal sexually transmitted diseases is HIV or human immunodeficiency virus. This is said to have the most number of fatalities among all STDs. This means that this disease is highly life threatening. The difficult part of being infected with HIV is that it does not show symptoms during its early stages. The only possible time one may determine or notice infection is when it is already severe. A person carrying the disease may not even know that they are already infected with it until symptoms or complications have already showed up.

Some of the common symptoms of HIV are rapid weight loss, dry cough, recurring fever or profuse night sweats, profound and unexplained fatigue, swollen lymph glands in the armpits, groin, or neck, diarrhea that lasts for more than a week, white spots or unusual blemishes on the tongue, in the mouth, or in the throat, pneumonia, red, brown, pink, or purplish blotches on or under the skin or inside the mouth, nose, or eyelids, memory loss, depression, and other neurological disorders.

If one has these symptoms or doubts about his or her health condition, he or she should immediately consult a doctor for an HIV test. This is the surest way to detect infection of HIV. Once HIV is detected early, medications may be given to control the increase its extent may be given. These medications are antiviral drugs. They are known to preempt the effects of the disease to the patient. This means that if a patient takes these medications, he or she may not be immediately affected by the complications that the disease may give.

Some local STD testing is done in local health centers and may need urine or blood samples from patients. Results may come out after a few weeks. Other clinics offer quick or rapid STD testing which provides results within twenty minutes or so. For people who do not want be revealing their personal information while taking the test may go the private HIV or STD testing clinics for more confidentiality. As well known, HIV can lead to AIDS. Both of these diseases are fatal and they are never an easy thing to deal with. This is why it is important for one to be tested immediately to make sure that the situation of getting AIDS becomes farther.

There is lots of STD testing clinics that offer help whichever way you want to be tested. They offer accurate STD testing, counseling, treatment and sometimes others even offer a more affordable STD testing to provide more help to other people.

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