What Does A Positive Hiv Test Result Mean
If you have a positive HIV test result, a follow-up test will be conducted. If the follow-up test is also positive, it means you are HIV-positive.
If you had a rapid screening test, the testing site will arrange a follow-up test to make sure the screening test result was correct. If you used a self-testing kit at home, a positive HIV test result must always be confirmed by additional HIV testing performed in a health care setting. If your blood was tested in a lab, the lab will conduct a follow-up test on the same sample.
If your follow-up test result confirms you are infected with HIV, the next thing is to take steps to protect your health and prevent transmission to others. Begin by talking to your health care provider about antiretroviral therapy . ART is the use of HIV medicines to treat HIV infection. People on ART take a combination of HIV medicines every day. ART can keep you healthy for many years and greatly reduces your chance of transmitting HIV to your sex partner if taken the right way, every day. Your health care provider will help you decide what HIV medicines to take.
If you have health insurance, your insurer is required to cover some medicines used to treat HIV. If you dont have health insurance, or you need help because your insurance doesnt pay for the treatment you need, there are Federal resources that may help you.
To lower your risk of transmitting HIV,
If You Have A Negative Test Result Does That Mean That Your Partner Is Hiv
No. Your HIV test result reveals only your HIV status.
HIV is not necessarily transmitted every time you have sex. Therefore, taking an HIV test is not a way to find out if your partner is infected.
It’s important to be open with your partner and ask them to tell you their HIV status. But keep in mind that your partner may not know or may be wrong about their status, and some may not tell you if they have HIV even if they know they’re infected. Consider getting tested together so you can both know your HIV status and take steps to keep yourselves healthy.
Do Positive Std Results Take Longer
Unfortunately, if you cant get friends over due to busy schedules, youre left alone. While normally this would be fine, most likely youre having a million questions and doubts running through your mind, leaving you no choice but to turn to the internet for answers.
Who isnt guilty of resorting to that panicked research and research loop until youve found enough sources that either confirm your suspicions or worsen the most worst case of worst case scenarios? While knowledge is power, this isnt what I recommend doing.
Youre going to find answers to one part of your question but itll end up planting a million other tiny seeds in your brain. Those seeds are going to grow into suspicions thatll nag and nag until they have you on the internet once again.
Some of these seeds might whisper things like, what if they get it wrong, what if Im positive, what if I got something from that time I touched that gross part of the gas station toilet, etc.
Those sneaky what ifs can run through your mind for hours on end. Thats okay if it happens here and there, but if you continue to entertain the negative ideas theyll only put a damper on your day.
Tips
#4 Add Gratitude to that Attitude
Lets say youve hit the gym, your friends are busy, youve banned yourself from the internet, and yet the test is still in the forefront of your brain. Heres another tip for you:
Eber also states that writing down things youre grateful for,
Tips
#5 Lower Your Caffeine Intake
Tips
Tips
You May Like: How Long Does Hiv Take To Show
No Call Back After Std Test
Ways to Stay Calm
#1. Exercise to Ease Restlessness in Your Brain
When stress attacks, our brain fires excitatory neurons indicate this anxious emotion. In order for this feeling to go away, it needs the neurotransmitter GABA to essentially hush these excited neurons.
Dr. Gould, director of the Gould Lab at Princeton, researched the difference in the brains of running mice vs. sedentary mice. Gould concluded that the hippocampus of runners was vastly different from that of the sedentary mice.
Both experienced stress but the runners relaxed and recuperated faster due to the increased release of GABA.
Gould notes it was with consistent exercise that the active mice experienced higher levels of GABA in response to the stress.
its not a huge stretch, she concludes, to suggest that the hippocampi of active people might be less susceptible to certain undesirable aspects of stress than those of sedentary people. -The Journal of Neuroscience
It is clear then that when your body feels better, so does your mind. Whether youre a regular gym goer or not, exercise can benefit you now! Make time to focus on your bodys health and keep your mind off of your test results.
Tips
#2 Friends Your Immediate Support System
The problem in being alone between taking the test and getting the results is theres only me, myself, and I in the room. Right now, all three personas are deeply invested in figuring out the results but have no choice other than to wait.
Tips
Protecting Yourself And Others
Regardless of your test results you should always prevent the spread of STIs , HIV and Hepatitis B by:
- Using lubricated condoms for vaginal, or anal sex.
- Using non-lubricated condoms for oral sex on a man.
- Using a latex barrier also called a dental dam or dam for anal-oral sex or for oral sex on a woman.
- Using extra-strength condoms with extra lubricant for anal sex.
- Limiting your number of sex partners.
- Not sharing needles, syringes or drug using equipment.
- Not sharing sex toys
Read Also: Does Nba Youngboy Have Aids
Relax 6 Ways To Stay Calm While Waiting For Std Results
Congrats! You took steps to taking control of your sexual health! Youve knocked out one of the main steps but now face a secondary, often forgotten step the wait.
Depending on the complexity of your test, you may get your results back as soon as 24-48 hours. If you make it to day three and still havent heard anything, bear in mind that things happen and this doesnt always relate to your test results.
Common Blood Tests And How Long It Takes To Get Results
Some of the more common blood tests a doctor may order include:
- Complete blood count .This test measures the presence of 10 cell types in the white blood cells, red blood cells, and platelets. Examples of these results include hematocrit, hemoglobin, red blood cell count, and white blood cell count. CBC results are usually available to your doctor within 24 hours.
- Basic metabolic panel.This test measures common electrolytes in the blood as well as other compounds. Examples include calcium, glucose, sodium, potassium, carbon dioxide, chloride, blood urea nitrogen, and creatinine. You may be asked to fast for a certain period of time before having your blood drawn. These results are also typically sent to your doctor within 24 hours.
- Complete metabolic panel. This blood test measures all the factors mentioned in the test above as well as two protein tests, albumin and total protein, as well as four tests of liver function. These include ALP, ALT, AST, and bilirubin. A doctor may order this more comprehensive testing if they wish to understand more about your liver or kidney function. Theyll usually receive your results within one to three days.
- Lipid panel. Lipid panels measure the amount of cholesterol in the body. This includes high-density lipoprotein and low-density lipoprotein . Your doctor should receive results from the lab within 24 hours.
Also Check: How Long Can Hiv Go Undetected
What Does A Negative Result Mean
If your HIV test result comes back negative it means that the test hasnt found signs of HIV infection.
However, if you have been at risk since your last test then youll need to test again. Also remember that most HIV tests can only detect HIV one to three months after exposure. If you were at risk more recently than this you will need to test again to be sure that your results are accurate.
Using a condom is the best way to protect yourself from HIV.
Be aware that testing negative for HIV doesnt mean that your partners are HIV-negative. HIV tests only apply to the person who took the test. If any of your previous or current partners are worried about HIV, encourage them to take a test.
How Do Hiv Tests Work
There are two basic ways to get HIV test results:
Laboratory tests. For these tests, a technician will take a sample of your blood and test it. Youâll get results within a few days.
Rapid tests. These tests provide results in around 20 minutes. You can get them done in a community clinic or take them at home.
Read Also: Atlanta Hiv Rate 2017
How Long Do I Need To Wait Before I Test
Thereâs a window period between exposure to HIV and a positive test because it takes time for your body to either build a response to the infection or for the virus to replicate enough for a test to detect it. HIV window periods can vary.
For example, if you have unprotected sex on a Friday night, and get an HIV test Monday morning, the test wonât be able to detect HIV or an immune response to HIV yet. There hasnât been enough time for a positive result, even if the virus is in your body.
To get the earliest, most accurate result, first consider when you were exposed and whether youâre showing symptoms.
- If you know exactly when you may have come into contact with the virus, take a test 3 months after that date. Tests 3 months after exposure should be 99% accurate.
- If you are having symptoms of HIV, see your doctor right away. Your doctor may want to use a test that can look for the virus directly in your body.
What Does A Positive Test Result Mean
If you receive an HIV-positive result, the healthcare worker will talk to you about what this means and what will happen next. For most people, receiving a positive diagnosis can be a shocking and emotional experience this is completely normal. The healthcare worker is there to support you and to answer any questions that you have.
Treatment means that HIV is now a manageable illness. Your healthcare provider can link you to support and treatment services, and any other health services that you need. Any questions that you have you can ask them its their job to help answer your worries. You will most likely be asked to schedule another appointment with them in the very near future. Its very important to keep appointments and use the support offered to you. You may also be offered screening tests for other sexually transmitted infections such as chlamydia, gonorrhoea and syphilis.
Find out what questions to ask and what support is available to help you cope with the results on our Newly diagnosed page.
It has almost been eight months since I was diagnosed with HIV. I was confused, ashamed, I kept asking, ‘How this could be?’. Slowly but surely Im beginning to accept that HIV is going to be a part of me and I definitely have control over it.
– Raya
Also Check: Does Nba Youngboy Have Herpes
When To Get Tested For Hiv
FAST FACTS
If you think you might have been exposed to HIV, its best to speak to a healthcare professional immediately.
Even if you dont think you have been at risk, testing regularly is good practice for people who are having sex. Its important to test for HIV during pregnancy. If you know your status, you can avoid passing the virus on to your baby. A window period is the amount of time it takes after infection for a test to give you an accurate result. Its good to know about window periods, but dont delay getting tested if you think you might have been exposed to HIV.
Where To Get An Hiv Test
Its never been easier to get an HIV test and to get a result quickly. You can get a test in person or order tests online, with free and paid-for options. Many tests will provide you with a result in a just a few minutes.
You can test in person at:
- An HIV testing centre, including those run by Terrence Higgins Trust.
- A GP/family doctor.
If you test at a sexual health clinic, testing centre or a GP then your test will be free. If you test at a private clinic, you will have to pay.
Face-to-face services may have different arrangements in place as a result of the coronavirus pandemic. Please call them before attending.
You can also order tests online including:
- A self test, which you take yourself and see the result within a few minutes.
- A postal test, where you take a sample yourself and send it off to a lab, who will then contact you with your result.
We sell HIV self testing kits for just £15 to those most at risk of HIV. This site also offers free tests in some areas: Bedford and Central Bedfordshire, Brighton and Hove, Essex and Thurrock, Milton Keynes, Norfolk, Suffolk and the Scottish Health Board areas of Fife, Tayside, Lanarkshire and Ayrshire & Arran. Anyone living in Scotland who isn’t eligible for a free test through our service will be able to access one through the new HIV Self Test Scotland scheme when it reopens.
Try our free online HIV test finder to see what online testing is available in your area.
If youre using a self test, look out for the CE mark.
Also Check: Does Aids Make Your Hair Fall Out
Where To Get Tested For Hiv
Getting an HIV test is easy. Tests for HIV and other STIs are confidential and available from your local doctor , or a sexual and reproductive health clinic.
It is a good idea to have some pre-test counselling. Before the test, talk with your doctor, nurse, or peer tester about any concerns, your level of risk, whether you are likely to be HIV-positive and what a positive result may mean.
How Are Results Reported
Your test centre should clearly explain the results of your test.
If you have questions that were not explained, or that still worry you, ask the test centre first.
Rapid blood tests show two lines if positive or one line if negative, in a similar way as a pregnancy test .
Results from laboratory tests are given as negative, positive or indeterminate.
Negative or non-reactive means you are HIV negative. You do not have HIV .
Positive or reactive means the test shows you are HIV positive and you have HIV infection.
Indeterminate means the test result was unclear and needs to be repeated.
Also Check: Oraquick At Walgreens
How Soon Will Get The Result
Some types of HIV test give a result very quickly. Services that offer rapid testing will take a blood sample using a finger-prick test this will give a result within minutes. The same goes for self-testing kits. With other types of test that require the sample to be sent to a lab, the results may take a few days.
When Should I Get Tested
Better2Know has three testing options depending on how long ago your potential exposure to HIV was.
- For over 10 days you can choose our Early Detection Screen which is an HIV RNA test
- For over 28 days you can choose our HIV DUO test
- For over 26 days, at some locations, you can choose our Instant Test
If you choose the Early Detection Screen, you should follow up at 28 days with the HIV DUO test.
Don’t Miss: How Long Can Aids Go Undetected
Should I Wait To Take An Hiv Test
If you think youve been exposed to HIV, seek medical advice as soon as you can. The doctor or nurse you speak to will be able to advise you about when and how to get tested, so it wont have to be a decision you make on your own.
In some cases, it might be appropriate to get tested more than once. You may be advised to take an early test, and then a second test over 45 days later after the potential exposure.
An early test may show a positive or a negative result, and require confirmation from a second.
Why Are My Std Results Taking So Long
Reasons why it might be taking longer than expected for STDcheck.com to return results
- Some tests take longer. If you ordered the full panel, there may be partial results but the panel is incomplete.
- There may be delays at the lab.
- Possible weather issues. For example, Hurricane Harvey had an impactful delay on labs in Houston, TX.
- Technology is a great thing, but machines might go down and force a technician to start the test over.
- There may be an overload of samples.
- In the case of an initial positive, they run a retest assuring false-positives arent sent out.
- A delay in chlamydia and gonorrhea tests could be due to a lack of materials to sample.
- Some require the sample to get sent out to a second lab with more specialized equipment.
You May Like: Jania Has Herpes
Std Testing Doesn’t Replace Discussion
People often wonder whether they have to tell current/future partners that they might have been exposed to an STD. Whether the question is modified by “What if we only had oral sex?” or “What if it didn’t last long?” the answer is usually the same. These are discussions that everybody should be having before they have sex.
Most people don’t come to sexual relationships completely inexperienced. Therefore, talks about testing and safe sex aren’t just appropriate but smart.
Still, sometimes the discussion can be difficult. That’s why it’s always a good idea to practice safe sex, particularly until you’re reasonably certain of your test results.
Condoms may not be perfect, but latex types still offer protection against STDs.