HIV is not the deadly disease it was considered to be in years past. The sooner you know your status, the sooner you can start life-saving treatment, and the higher your chances of living a long, healthy life. The key is to get tested. HIV stands for human immunodeficiency virus. It is the virus that can lead to AIDS acquired immunodeficiency syndrome. HIV is spread mainly by having sex or sharing injection drug equipment, such as needles, with someone who has HIV. Only certain fluidsβblood, semen cum , pre-seminal fluid pre-cum , rectal fluids, vaginal fluids, and breast milkβfrom an HIV-infected person can transmit HIV.
If you have higher risk factors for getting HIVβpeople with more than one sexual partner, people who have recently had an STI, and people who use injection drugs, we recommend getting retested at least once a year and maybe more. If you have had anal or vaginal sex without a condom, shared injection drug equipment with someone who has HIV or are pregnant or planning to become pregnant, we recommend that you get retested. This can take up to weeks. If your test result is negative, protect yourself and get retested after three months.
At HealthQ, we offer rapid HIV testing fingerstick, with results in minutes which can detect HIV weeks after unprotected sex, and lab testing which can detect HIV 2 weeks after unprotected sex results take a week.
Once you get your test results, and if you do have HIV, there are resources and medicines to help you live a long and healthy life. We will refer you to a specialist. If you do not have HIV, you can use condoms, practice safer sex to help protect yourself, talk to your partners about their test results, never share needles, and get retested regularly.
Talk to us about your risk factors, testing, and all the ways you can stay healthy no matter what your status. PrEP is much less effective when it is not taken consistently. To learn more about whether PrEP is right for you, schedule an in-clinic or telehealth visit to talk to one of our medical providers.
