There are currently about 1.2 million people living with human immunodeficiency virus (HIV) in the United States, 150,000 of whom do not know they are sick. In fact, about 30% of new HIV diagnoses are transmitted by undiagnosed infected people.
Therefore, it is best to have a test to determine that you are safe.
Who should be examined?
The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) recommends that all people aged 13 to 64 years of age should have at least one HIV test. All pregnant women should be tested as soon as pregnancy is detected.
People with the following risk factors should be tested at least annually:
1. Men who have had sex with other men
2. After the last HIV test, there is more than one sexual partner
3. Injecting drugs and sharing needles
4. Those who exchange sex for drugs or money
5. People with other sexually transmitted diseases
6. Those who have a relationship with a person with an unknown sexual history
There are other factors that can increase the chance of HIV infection, so it's a good idea to consult your doctor about the frequency of testing that's right for you.
Image source: Stand Cool Helo
2. Screening tests
This is the first test to determine if you have HIV infection.
If the screening results show positive, the testee will undergo a second test to determine it.
The two more common types of screening are:
1. Antibody test
This is one of the most common types of HIV screening. It is not the detection of the virus itself, but the antibodies that the body produces against the HIV virus after infection with HIV.
Antibodies can appear in the blood, urine, or other body fluids. However, it takes 3 to 12 weeks for the body to produce a sufficient number of detectable antibodies.
2. Antigen/antibody detection
Also known as combination or fourth-generation testing. At the same time as HIV antibodies are detected, a portion of the virus (antigen) is also detected. The presence of HIV in the blood can be determined 2 to 6 weeks after exposure.
Two household HIV kits that detect HIV antibodies have been approved by the FDA.
However, more can be bought on the Internet.
If you purchase online, be sure to choose an FDA-approved kit:
Home HIV-1 detection system: When used, you need to take a blood sample on your finger and send it to the laboratory for testing. If the result is positive, the laboratory immediately retests the sample.
By the next business day, the test taker can call to ask for results (including follow-up test results).
OraQuick Home HIV Test: This is a "quick results" test.
The kit contains a swab and a small test tube containing the test solution. The usage is to wipe the gums with a swab and then place it in a small test tube.
Results are usually available within 20 minutes. If the result is positive, the test taker needs to go to an outpatient clinic or clinic to test again to determine.
Image source: Stand Cool Helo
Third, follow-up testing
The second test must be a blood test. Tests commonly used to confirm a positive screening result are:
Antibody differentiation test: used to distinguish whether an infected person is HIV-1 or HIV-2 infected. Doctors can also know how to treat a patient's HIV infection specifically.
HIV-1 nucleic acid amplification test (NAAT): HIV virus in the blood can be detected within 7 to 14 days of infection.
Western blotting test (or indirect immunofluorescence test): As with screening, antibodies are tested to determine whether a person is infected with HIV.
Why should HIV be tested?
Don't refuse to test for HIV for fear of having a positive result. Whatever the outcome, it helps the subjects treat their bodies and health in a more informed way:
If the test is positive: treatment should be received immediately. Consult your doctor about antiretroviral therapy (ART), and you will use some HIV medications in combination therapy, which patients should take daily.
Current treatments do not cure HIV, but they can help infected people live longer and healthier.
If the test is positive: The infected person can take steps to reduce the chance of transmission to others. ART not only helps people living with HIV, but also reduces the chance of transmission to others, up to 96 percent, if taken correctly.
Of course, even so, people living with HIV must still use condoms when they have sex, and if they are on drugs, never allow others to use needles they have used.
If the test is positive: The infected person can take steps to protect themselves. Negative results can remind participants how important condom use is to themselves and to their partners – think about it, 1 in 8 people living with HIV don't know they have HIV infection.
HIV-negative people who are concerned after exposure to HIV may ask their doctor to give post-exposure blocking (PEP) medications for preventive treatment.
Infection may be avoided if HIV medications can be taken within 72 hours of exposure.
Image source: Stand Cool Helo
*The content of this article is a popularization of health knowledge and cannot be used as a specific diagnosis and treatment recommendation, nor is it a substitute for face-to-face consultation by a practicing physician, for reference only.
*The copyright of this article belongs to Tencent Medical Code, unauthorized media reprinting is prohibited, and illegal reprinting will be investigated for legal responsibility according to law. Individuals are welcome to forward to the circle of friends.