When you read or hear about sexually transmitted disease (STD) or HIV, HIV Symptoms, HIV test or HIV PEP, one question comes in your mind that what is STD. A Sexually Transmitted Disease is an illness caused by pathogens like bacteria or virus. Some examples of STDs are HIV, chlamydia, syphilis, and gonorrhea virus. HIV is Human immune deficiency virus. HIV Symptoms are spread by oral, genetic or anal sexual contact.
Early signs of an HIV infection
In the beginning stages of an infection, many people will develop less or no signs of HIV symptoms. This is, perhaps, reasons why 20% of the 1.2 million Americans suffering with HIV today go undiagnosed before HIV test. They either don’t think they have been infected or will only act when apparent signs appear.
However, in most situations, symptoms like that of flu will develop within eight to 14 days of a contact.
This situation is commonly referred to as acute retroviral syndrome, or ARS (also known as acute seroconversion syndrome or seroconversion infection). (Find more information in this site : http://www.shimclinic.com/singapore/hiv )
ARS can often present with the following symptoms, they range from mild to severe:
- High Fever
- Fatigue
- Severe Headache
- Pharyngitis (sore throat)
- Muscular and joint aches and pain
- Arthralgia (joint pain)
- Swollen lymph glands
Usually, these HIV symptoms will be followed by a morbilliform rash. Moreover, 30% of the patents will likely face short term nausea, diarrhea and vomiting. These HIV symptoms require HIV test and then treatment by HIV PEP.
Most of these HIV symptoms are an outcome of the body’s defense response as HIV rapidly distributes from the infected area to lymphoid tissues, activating an inflammatory response.
It can persist for almost four months until such time as the defense system begins to take control of viral duplication.
While HIV will still duplicate during this later, continual stage of infection, it generally does so at a low level until the HIV virus load is stabilized. Click here.
Confirming an HIV Infection
An HIV infection can be confirmed by HIV test. Before HIV test, few things need to be confirmed:
- You need to know how HIV is transmitted
- Be aware of any possible exposure that might have occurred
- Distinguish the possible HIV symptoms
- Take an HIV test
HIV viral load test should be taken can for the symptomatology is suggestive of an ARS diagnosis. If the person has a negative or indeterminate antibody outcome but an increase viral load, he can be taken as infected.
Benefits of Early Detection
Before taking HIV test, distinguishing the symptoms of ARS is important as it provides a person the opportunity for early discovery. This not only ensure that HIV is not transferred to others, but provides benefits in the way of early treatment.
HIV PEP is the best therapy. Different studies have shown that the early initiation of antiretroviral therapy associates to a less risk of both HIV symptoms and AIDS defining infection. By contrast, delaying HIV test until a patient’s CD4 count drops to 350 cells/mL, it is connected with not just more unfavorable clinical events.
Post-exposure prophylaxis (PEP) involves taking anti HIV medicines as soon as possible. HIV PEP needs to be taken within 3 days after you may have been exposed to. HIV PEP is the use of antiretroviral drugs after a one high risk event to stop HIV symptoms and stop HIV from replicating and spreading through your body.