HIV is the virus that causes AIDS and the HIV test shows whether a person is infected with HIV. The are many risk factors for HIV infection which include having sex with multiple partners, having unprotected sex, sharing needs/syringes with other persons or injecting drugs with a needle which has been exposed to someone who already has the virus.read this article here!
What is HIV Testing?
A HIV test tells if a person is infected with the HIV virus or not. The test however does not tell how long the person has had the virus for. Taking the test is important because it will help a person get the help that they may need to protect their own health and the health of others.
When to Take HIV Test?
If someone suspects they have been infected with HIV they should get tested at least 3 months after the possible exposure. Free tests are available is most public hospitals and clinics. There are persons who have training and they usually provide help with assessing a person’s risk in order to figure which test is beat to apply and when.The name “window period” refers to the time that it takes for a person who has been infected with the virus to show a positive test result. The 12 weeks (or 3 months) period is the normal time period that persons should consider when they want to get tested. However there may be some special cases where the virus may be harder to detect and this would mean that there are other problems with the person’s health.see the site:http://www.shimclinic.com/singapore/hiv
Are HIV Tests Confidential?
For the most part a person who thinks that they have been infected with the HIV virus may start to have negative feelings. HIV and AIDS is an incurable disease and this news will affect many if not all persons badly. Before taking a HIV test a person would want to ensure that confidentiality is not a concern. There are some cases where a person is allowed to remain anonymous and not provide their name when taking a HIV test. In this case they are given a unique number instead.HIV testing is confidential as even though a person’s name and address is associated with the result only medical professionals have access to it. There are also home tests which a person can use and these are identified by a unique number and not the person’s name.see their website from http://www.windycitymediagroup.com/lgbt/Study-Multiple-barriers-to-HIV-testing-for-teens-/52656.html
Most HIV tests will take anywhere from a few days to a few weeks. There are tests referred to as rapid HIV tests which can give results within 30 minutes.A person should get tested for HIV if they believe they have been exposed to the virus. There are different factors which increase the risk of HIV infection:
• Having vaginal or anal sex without condoms with someone whose HIV status you don’t know or who is already infected with the virus.
• Exchanging sex for drugs or money.
• Having tuberculosis or hepatitis B.
• Injecting drugs or sharing syringes, needles or other drug apparatus.