6 Reasons Why You Should Get Tested for HIV

Knowledge is power! Knowing your status is a source of strength, not a reason for fear. When you know your status, you can take care of yourself, and you are less likely to give the virus to others. Research has shown that if people know they have HIV, they often take steps to protect their partners

Remember, if you test positive, medical care can help you live a longer, healthier life. 
If you test negative for HIV, remember that if you have unprotected sex or share needles for drug use after your test, you need to get tested again to ensure you are still HIV negative. YOUR HIV TEST RESULT EXPIRES EVERY TIME YOU HAVE RISKY SEX.

Here are 6 reasons why You Should Get Tested: 
1. You might have HIV and not know it.

An estimated 1 in 6 people living with HIV in the United States don’t know that they have HIV. If you have had sex with someone you didn’t know or whose HIV status you didn’t know and you didn’t use a condom or if you haven’t consistently taken Truvada® every day as prescribed for Pre-Exposure Prophylaxis (PrEP), you may have HIV.

2. If you have HIV, it is better to start treatment before you get sick.
You don’t have to have symptoms to have HIV, but starting treatment before you develop symptoms could help you live longer with fewer health problems than if you delay. The only way to know if you should start treatment is to get tested.

3. If you have HIV and don’t know it, you can transmit it to people you have sex with.
If you have sex with someone you don’t know, you should always use condoms to prevent transmission of HIV and other sexually-transmitted diseases (STDs) to others and to keep from getting them yourself . If you have HIV, getting treatment can further reduce the possibility of transmission to someone else. Using a condom every time you have sex can be hard; getting treatment doesn’t mean you shouldn’t use condoms, but it can help reduce the risk of transmission if you accidentally forget and don’t.

4. Counseling after getting tested can help with planning for both positive and negative test results.
Counseling can help you make plans to avoid getting HIV if you are negative.

If you are positive, counseling can help you in making important decisions about getting treatment and in finding out about community resources that may help you cope with having HIV.

5. Finding out where to get tested is easy.
6. There is life after HIV.
Many, if not most, people with HIV go on to live normal lives; they do have to take medication every day, but most are able to do so without major side effects and without major disruptions in their lives. They go to school, they work, they play, and they have relationships. That’s not to say that there aren’t challenges, there are. But having HIV is not a death sentence and HIV doesn’t have to take over your life. If you get treatment and stay on it, you can have a productive and meaningful life that is centered on other things that matter to you.

RE-CAP OF WAYS OF GETTING INFECTED
Experts say you are more likely to be infected with HIV if you:

• have ever shared injection drug needles and syringes

•  have ever had sex without a condom with someone who had HIV

•  have ever had a sexually transmitted disease like Chlamydia or gonorrhea

•  received a blood transfusion 

•  If you have ever had sex with someone who has done any of those things.

SYMPTOMS OF HIV
 Fever: within a month or two of HIV entering the body, 40-90 per cent of people experience flu-like symptoms known as “acute retroviral syndrome.” Sometimes, HIV may not manifest for years as such, many people may even be HIV-positive without being aware (Doctor Eugene Osazie).

Fatigue: you should be worried if you now feel fatigued by simple activities that you were used to, such as walking; or if you feel pain in the joints and muscles, among others.

Swollen Lymph, Glands: One of the things that should ginger you up is when you start having swellings in the armpits, groin and neck which may last for a few weeks, as these are some of the parts of the body where you have the lymph nodes.

The lymph nodes are a sort of garrisons as they act as filters for foreign particles and are important in the proper functioning of the immune system. When they are inflamed or swollen, therefore, it is an indication that something has gone wrong in the body, and only a competent medical screening can tell us what is cooking- (Dr. David Anyaegbuna).

 Sore Throat/Rash or Boils: Sore throat and headaches are also things to worry about if you have been engaging in risky behaviours as outlined above, experts warn. Ditto unexplained rash or boils, Anyaegbuna says.

Diarrhoea: Physicians also say nausea, vomiting and constant stooling (diarrhoea), as well as weight loss should be a wake-up call for HIV screening, as these may be signs that the immune system is being depleted systematically.

Prolonged Dry cough/ Night sweats: Doctors also advise that if you have prolonged dry cough that has become resistant to regular antibiotics; or if you always have night sweats even when the weather is cool; or if you develop mouth ulcers or genital herpes, go for HIV screening.

 Nail Coloration: The online portal, health.com, also warns that if the colour of the nail changes, or if it thickens, splits or becomes discoloured with black or brown lines, HIV may be responsible.

Fewer and Lighter Periods: Gynaecologists also warn that if, as a young or middle aged woman, you have fewer and lighter periods, it may be a manifestation of advanced HIV, which sometimes increases the incidence of menstrual irregularities.