Testing Positive For The Hiv Virus
Testing positive does not necessarily mean that you will go on to have full blown-out AIDS the disease right away. What it does mean is that you have been exposed to and have contracted the Human Immunodeficiency Virus and that your body is manufacturing antibodies to fight the foreign virus. These antibodies are special molecules that have the purpose of fighting off the HIV in your system. A medical professional will do a blood test to look for the presence of these antibodies in your blood stream. If the test shows that you indeed have these antibodies in your blood stream you will be told that you are HIV positive.
Being HIV positive and having the disease is NOT the same thing. Persons can remain HIV positive for years and not have any symptoms of the AIDS disease. As time goes on and the HIV continues to remain in your bodies the antibodies become tired of fighting the HIV and your immune system will start to wear down. As the immune system becomes more ineffective at fighting viruses, parasites, fungi and bacteria that invades your body; eventually these foreign invaders start to win over your body’s defenses and symptoms of illness will show up. This is what is called “opportunistic infections” because they take this opportunity to invade and win over your body’s defenses.
So, you don’t really “get aids” per se’, so much as it develops over time after the initial HIV infection. You may not even realize that you have been infected by a sexual partner until years later when you start to exhibit symptoms and are tested for HIV antibodies. Those who are HIV positive do not necessarily look sick or wear a sign proclaiming that they are HIV positive nor do they unfortunately tell you if they know that they are HIV positive. This is why it is so important to not partake of high-risk situations that will expose you to the danger of HIV infection. These high-risk activities are:
Multiple same sex or opposite sexual intercourse
Open mouth kissing or “french kissing”
Having sex with individuals that you do not know (stranger are less likely to share if they are HIV positive or not)
Sharing used needles when shooting up drugs because you run the risk of someone using the needle before you who is HIV positive.
Their moms can infect infants either before or during the birth process or while breast-feeding. These are the innocent victims of AIDS, babies who are born to a lifetime of dealing with this progressive disease.
HIV and AIDS disease cannot be cured. HIV/AIDS is not strictly a “gay disease”. Everyone is at risk no matter what their sexual preferences are because the HIV virus can be transmitted by way of blood-to-blood contact (rare by still minutely possible especially in underdeveloped countries), by sharing of used needles or by participating in unsafe sex. HIV cannot be spread by merely sitting on the toilet seat after someone who has the HIV virus or by touching doorknobs after them or by hugging or holding hands or by being kissed on the cheek or by kissing HIV infected persons on their cheek.
Now that you know what is considered high-risk activities and what is not, you can take appropriate precautions. If you have already participated in a high-risk activity, getting tested immediately to see if you are HIV positive is the smartest and healthiest thing you can do.
Recommended Reading
- Testing For The Hiv And Aids Virus
- Separating Fact From Myth Regarding Aids Transmission
- Why You Need To Let Everyone Know That You Are Hiv Positive
- The Progression Of The Hiv Virus
- Advanced Signs Of The Hiv Or Aids Virus
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