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These people are said to be HIV-resistant. You have an increased risk of becoming infected with HIV through sexual contact if you:. People who inject drugs or steroids, especially if they share needles, syringes, cookers, or other equipment used to inject drugs, are at risk of being infected with HIV.

Babies who are born to mothers who are infected with HIV are also at risk of infection. Most children younger than 13 years who have HIV were infected with the virus by their mothers.

If you are infected with HIV or caring for someone who is, call or other emergency services immediately if any of the following conditions develop:. Call your doctor if any of the following conditions develop:.

Call your doctor to find out whether HIV testing is needed if you suspect you have been exposed to HIV, particularly if you engage in high-risk behaviour and have any of the following symptoms:. If you have not been tested for HIV, call your doctor if:. Getting tested for HIV can be scary, but the condition can be managed with treatment. So it is important to get tested if you think you have been exposed. Your family doctor or general practitioner can diagnose and may treat HIV. You may be referred to a specialist, such as an internist , infectious disease specialist , or medical microbiologist.

Complications of HIV may require treatment by the following doctors:. Public health units and other organizations may provide free or low-cost, confidential testing and counselling about HIV and high-risk behaviour. If you don't have a doctor, contact one of the following for information on HIV testing in your area:. You and your doctor can decide if testing is right for you.

Some people are afraid to be tested for HIV. But if there is any chance you could be infected, it is very important to find out. HIV can be treated. Getting early treatment can slow down the virus and help you stay healthy. And you need to know if you are infected so you can prevent spreading the infection to other people.

Your doctor may recommend counselling before and after HIV testing. It is usually available at the hospital or clinic where you will be tested. This will give you an opportunity to:. Testing positive for HIV will probably make you anxious and afraid about your future. Denial, fear, and depression are common reactions. Don't be afraid to ask for the emotional support you need. If your family and friends aren't able to provide you with support, a professional counsellor can help.

The good news is that people being treated for HIV are living longer than ever before with the help of medicines that can often prevent AIDS from developing. Your doctor can help you understand your condition and how best to treat it. If you test positive, your doctor will complete a medical history and physical examination. He or she may order several lab tests to check your overall health, including:.

Other tests may be done to check for current or past infections that may become worse because of HIV. You may be tested for:. When you have HIV, two tests are done regularly to see how much of the virus is in your blood viral load and how the virus is affecting your immune system :. The results of these tests may help you make decisions about starting treatment or switching to new medicines if the ones you are taking aren't helping.

HIV often changes or mutates in the body. Sometimes these changes make the virus resistant to certain medicines. Then the medicine no longer works. Medical experts recommend testing the blood of everyone diagnosed with HIV to look for this drug resistance.

You also may be tested for drug resistance when:. It is diagnosed if the results of your test show that you have a certain kind of infection called an opportunistic infection that is common in people who have weakened immune systems, such as Kaposi's sarcoma or Pneumocystis pneumonia.

The most effective treatment for HIV is antiretroviral therapy ART , a combination of several medicines that aims to control the amount of virus in your body. For more information, see Medications. Other steps you can take include the following:. Medical experts recommend that people begin treatment for HIV as soon as they know that they are infected. Research suggests that treatment of early HIV with antiretroviral medicines has long-term benefits, such as a stronger immune system, delay in onset of AIDS, and longer life expectancy.

If you put off treatment, you will still need regular checkups to measure the amount of HIV in your blood and your CD4 cell count to see how well your immune system is working. Learning how to live with HIV infection may keep your immune system strong, while also preventing the spread of HIV to others. If HIV progresses to a late stage, treatment will be started or continued to keep your immune system as healthy as possible.

If you get any diseases that point to AIDS, such as Pneumocystis pneumonia or Kaposi's sarcoma , your doctor will treat them. Many important end-of-life decisions can be made while you are active and able to communicate your wishes. For more information, see the topic Care at the End of Life. Health care workers who are at risk for HIV because of an accidental needle stick or other exposure to body fluids may need medicine to prevent infection.

Medicine may also prevent HIV infection in a person who has been raped or was accidentally exposed to the body fluids of a person who may have HIV. Studies have shown that treatment with antiretroviral medicine also can reduce the risk of an uninfected person getting infected through sex. Practice safer sex.

This includes using a condom unless you are in a relationship with one partner who does not have HIV or other sex partners. If you do have sex with someone who has HIV, it is important to practice safer sex and to be regularly tested for HIV. Talk with your sex partner or partners about their sexual history as well as your own sexual history. Find out whether your partner has a history of behaviours that increase his or her risk for HIV. You may be able to take a combination medicine tenofovir plus emtricitabine every day to help prevent infection with HIV.

This medicine can lower the risk of getting HIV. If you use alcohol or drugs, be very careful. Being under the influence can make you careless about practicing safer sex. And never share intravenous IV needles, syringes, cookers, cotton, cocaine spoons, or eyedroppers with others if you use drugs. If you are infected with HIV, you can greatly lower the risk of spreading the infection to your sex partner by starting treatment when your immune system is still healthy. Experts recommend starting treatment as soon as you know you are infected.

Studies have shown that early treatment greatly lowers the risk of spreading HIV to an uninfected partner. Your partner may also be able to take medicine to prevent getting infected. The risk of a woman spreading HIV to her baby can be greatly reduced if she:.

The baby should also receive treatment after it is born. If you are infected with HIV, you can lead an active life for a long time. Support groups are often good places to share information, problem-solving tips, and emotions related to HIV infection.

You may be able to find a support group by searching the Internet. Or you can ask your doctor to help you find one. Get the immunizations and the medicine treatment you need to prevent certain infections or illnesses, such as some types of pneumonia or cancer that are more likely to develop in people who have a weakened immune system. A skilled caregiver can provide the emotional, physical, and medical care that will improve the quality of life for a person who has HIV.

Medicines used to treat HIV are called antiretrovirals. Several of these are combined for treatment called antiretroviral therapy, or ART. When choosing medicines, your doctor will think about:. Medicines for HIV may have unpleasant side effects. They may sometimes make you feel worse than you did before you started taking them.

Talk to your doctor about your side effects. He or she may be able to adjust your medicines or prescribe a different one. You may be able to take several medicines combined into one pill.

This reduces the number of pills you have to take each day. Resistance to HIV medicines can occur when:. There are two main reasons that treatment fails:. Reducing stress can help you better manage the HIV illness. Some methods of stress reduction include:. Cannabis has been shown to stimulate the appetite and relieve nausea. Talk to your doctor if you're interested in trying it. Alternative and complementary treatments for HIV need to be carefully evaluated. Some people with HIV may use these types of treatment to help with fatigue and weight loss caused by HIV infection and reduce the side effects caused by antiretroviral therapy ART.

Some complementary therapies for other problems may actually be harmful. For example, St. John's wort decreases the effectiveness of certain prescription medicines for HIV. Make sure to discuss complementary therapies with your doctor before trying them.

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To learn more about Healthwise, visit Healthwise. All rights reserved. Healthwise, Healthwise for every health decision, and the Healthwise logo are trademarks of Healthwise, Incorporated. Top of the page. What is AIDS? HIV-2 infection is uncommon in North America.

What causes HIV? Most people get the virus by having unprotected sex with someone who has HIV. Another common way of getting it is by sharing drug needles with someone who is infected with HIV. The virus can also be passed from a mother to her baby during pregnancy, birth, or breastfeeding. What are the symptoms? Common early symptoms include: Fever. Sore throat.

Muscle aches and joint pain. Swollen glands swollen lymph nodes. Skin rash. These symptoms usually include: Swollen lymph nodes. Extreme tiredness. Weight loss. Night sweats. How is HIV diagnosed? If you think you have been exposed to HIV but you test negative for it: Get tested again.

A repeat test can be done after a few weeks to be sure you are not infected. Meanwhile, take steps to prevent the spread of the virus, in case you do have it. How is it treated? How can you prevent HIV? So it's always important to protect yourself and others by taking these steps: Practice safer sex. Use a condom every time you have sex including oral sex until you are sure that you and your partner aren't infected with HIV or other sexually transmitted infection STI.

Don't have more than one sex partner at a time. The safest sex is with one partner who has sex only with you. Talk to your partner before you have sex the first time. Find out if he or she is at risk for HIV. Get tested together. Use condoms in the meantime. Don't drink a lot of alcohol or use illegal drugs before sex. You might let down your guard and not practice safer sex.

Don't share personal items , such as toothbrushes or razors. Self-testing allows people to get tested for HIV while still following stay-at-home orders and social distancing practices. Ask your local health department or HIV service organization if they offer self-testing kits. Content Source: HIV. Many Federal agencies have developed public awareness and education campaigns to address HIV prevention, treatment, care, and research.

Also included is information about campaigns related to the prevention and diagnosis of hepatitis B and C. El VIH es una amenaza de salud grave para las comunidades latinas, quienes se encuentran en gran desventaja respecto de la incidencia de esta enfermedad en los Estados Unidos.

Want to stay abreast of changes in prevention, care, treatment or research or other public health arenas that affect our collective response to the HIV epidemic? Or are you new to this field? Menu HIV. GOV Search Search. Symptoms of HIV. Was this page helpful? The virus attaches itself to immune system cells called CD4 lymphocyte cells, which protect the body against various bacteria, viruses and other germs.

Once attached, it enters the CD4 cells and uses it to make thousands of copies of itself. These copies then leave the CD4 cells, killing them in the process. This process continues until eventually the number of CD4 cells, also called your CD4 count, drops so low that your immune system stops working.

Page last reviewed: 22 April Next review due: 22 April