HIV Testing in the Window Period

HIV testing is done for those who are infected newly with the virus, for identifying conditions that were previously unrecognized and for relieving the minds of people who are not yet infected. Indeed, analysis should be a routine aspect of medical practice. It is important for pregnant women to undertake the test as medications have provided efficient in reducing the transmission of the virus from the mom to the infant. The examination is carried out in 2 steps – diagnosing for antibodies and the western blot analysis. In the first, antibodies are examined in the saliva or blood. In the western blot examination, the accuracy of the initial result is determined.

If the results of both examinations are positive, there are around 99% chances that the person will test positive. The examinations might miss out some infections, leading to false negative tests. This usually takes place right after the antibodies are beginning to develop and have a low level for detection (usually less than 4 weeks or around that time). Free HIV testing locations are available. At times, the examinations are required to be taken by doctors as a part of the evaluation and remedy for other conditions like women facing assisted reproductive technologies for their infertility or patients of viral hepatitis.

An increasing concern is that enough people are not tested for the virus. There are various ways of performing the HIV testing. These include the RNA analysis, antibody analysis and a combination of examinations which detect the presence of the p24 viral protein, and antibodies. The analyses are aimed to detect type 1 of the virus and other infections, although none of the analyses are perfect. They might turn out to be falsely negative or falsely positive or even indeterminate, at times. The positive results can be reported to the health department to monitor the spread of the infection.

The names which are sent to the authorities are confidential and not reported to family members, employers and others. Anonymous examinations are also permitted in which the name of the patient is not recorded. The virus contains a lot of unique proteins on the surface and inside as well. If someone has the virus in their system, their body produces substances that are meant to neutralize the effects of the virus. The substances are known as antibodies and are directed against viral proteins. However, these antibodies do not eradicate the virus.

Antibody examinations are generally done using a blood sample. An enzyme related assay which is known as EIA is often used. The serum of the individual is allowed to react with the viral proteins produced inside the laboratory. If the virus is present in the body of the individual, the antibodies will bind to the proteins. The extent of the binding can be charted. Negative results can be availed within a day. Kits are available in the market. The purpose of these rapid kits is to allow you to do the analysis from inside your home in strict privacy. The best thing is that the results can be obtained within 30 minutes.

HIV Symptoms – Frequently Asked Questions

What is HIV?

HIV stands for the human immunodeficiency virus which weakens the immune system in humans. It is present in the blood (including menstrual blood), vaginal fluid and semen of the person suffering from HIV.

What is AIDS?

AIDS stands for Acquired Immune Deficiency Syndrome. It is acquired and not inherited. Immune Deficiency refers to a breakdown of the immune system of the body. A syndrome is a disease which might be related with another disease. Diseases which use the weak immunity of a person’s body are used to indicate the onset of AIDS.

What is the difference between HIV and AIDS?

HIV leads to AIDS. If someone has HIV, they may not suffer from AIDS. It weakens the body to various cancers and infections. People with HIV experience a slow progression to AIDS. It can take years to develop. If the HIV symptoms are not treated, people might fall ill and develop AIDS within 5 to 10 years. a small number of people do not experience deteriorating health even after a decade.

What are the common symptoms of HIV?

Different symptoms may be the same as those that are seen in many other illnesses. If you suspect a risk of acquiring HIV or demonstrate some specific signs for a month or more, see your doctor. The common HIV symptoms include:

• Flu
• Extreme exhaustion and tiredness
• Chills, night sweats and fevers
• Fast weight loss for no specific reason
• Enlarged lymph glands in the groin, neck or underarm
• Unusual marks or white spots inside the mouth
• Bumps and marks on the skin, flat or raised, usually purplish and painless
• Continuous cough or dry cough
• Reduced appetite
• Diarrhea

What are the stages of HIV infection?

Primary illness and Seroconversion: A few individuals can get infected with HIV without coming to know of it. Some people can experience a seroconversion illness within 2 to 6 weeks of infection. The symptoms of the illness are not too specific and may include fever, diarrhea, rash and exhaustion. These HIV symptoms may be commonly found in other ailments and hence might not seem remarkable or noticeable in the beginning.

Asymptomatic HIV infection: The seroconversion might be followed with years or months of the HIV infection damaging the immune system of the individual without demonstrating any outward symptoms or indications. However, a few individuals can experience constant swelling of their lymph nodes. This is the period of asymptomatic infection. At this time, a constant battle is taking place between the HIV infection and their immune system.

Symptomatic HIV infection: The signs of the symptomatic HIV infection can include fevers, the lack of energy, night sweats, prolonged instances of diarrhea and persistent thrushes in women.

How is HIV diagnosed?

Diagnosis of HIV can be done with the rapid test kit. In the test, a preliminary result is available at the clinic within 30 minutes. However, the results should be confirmed with additional laboratory tests. Before and after counseling should be availed.

http://www.headstarttesting.com/

 

What Type of HIV Test is Used in Australia?

If you think that you may have HIV, it is important to go for a test. However, before conducting the HIV test Australia, you need to have a discussion with your health care provider or doctor. The discussion can include the following:

• Meaning of the test and implications of testing positive or negative
• Your behavior since the last test to estimate how much you have been exposed to the condition
• Understanding of HIV, the way it is transmitted and how you can stay protected
• Support available after the result
• What is the window period of the test and whether retesting is required?

Facts to Know before the Test

• Detection of HIV takes time. HIV can be tested within 6 weeks of exposure, although some people may take around 3 months.

• The window period makes the patient highly infectious. The period between HIV infection and antibody production is a highly likely time of transmission for gay men who are unaware that they are in the window period.

• The results of your test are confidential as they are governed by the privacy law.

Rapid HIV Test Australia

This is the most common type of testing method used in Australia. The specialty of the test is that it is done at the point of care viz. the clinic and you can get to know the results within 30 minutes. A preliminary positive or reactive result does not diagnose infection as rapid tests produce not too many false positive results. Hence, the rapid test should always be seconded by a laboratory test. This test is available in particular locations in Queensland, New South Wales and Victoria.

The rapid HIV test in Australia has been used in developed and developing countries for more than a decade with positive results on the testing rates especially in people who are at high risk of infection and have never been tested before. Being the first point of care test in Australia, there was some initial confusion about appropriate implementation. The Queensland Department of Health has announced free testing as a part of regular clinical practice and wanted to investigate how to use point of care testing in the best possible manner for complimenting the existing procedures of testing HIV.

The rapid tests for HIV have certain operational strengths and advantages. One of the main targets of conducting the rapid HIV tests is the aspect of decentralization followed by counseling. One of the key advantages of such point of care testing is the fact that it reduces the person’s dependability on laboratory services and extends the scope of testing to the point of care or community sites including mobile testing. If the rapid tests for HIV are available in your neighborhood, you should talk to your doctor about whether Medicare benefits are scheduled on these.

Positive test results should be followed up with counseling as patients may experience distress, anger, shock and depression. Counseling should be provided before the test too.

hiv test, hiv symptoms - headstarttesting.com

HIV or Human immunodeficiency virus has undoubtedly become a trouble in the medical science, with increasing number of people getting infected with it throughout multiple regions of the world. Not only in underdeveloped and developing nations, it is widely seen that the advanced and developed countries are also getting hooked with this life threating disease of HIV. As per surveys and reviews done by medical professionals, it is revealed that every year almost 14,000 people are affected with this disease in various parts of the world.

HIV and Its Treatment

The most significant and crucial thing to consider about HIV is that there is no proper cure or treatment yet to help patients recover better. It is stated that if a patient is diagnosed at an early stage, there is some chance of treatment whereas the advanced stage of AIDS is without any cure and remedy. However with modern scientific advancements and developments, it is expected that very soon there will be positive HIV cure methods to help patients fight against this fatal disease rightly.

According to medical information, the human immunodeficiency virus is extremely dangerous as it tend to weaken the immunity system of the person, thus making him prone to various infections and diseases easily. Regular check and test is always recommended in order to stay healthy and fit without fear of HIV infection. In order to make this HIV testing process easier and handy for you, there are many HIV test kits available in the market in affordable budget cost.

Symptoms and signs of HIV disease

To determine that a person is infected with the virus of HIV, there are some common signs and symptoms that are observed by doctors such as the following:

• Swollen glands in areas such as groin, armpit and throat.
• Light fever and flu.
• Headache and pain.
• Fatigue and lethargic.
• Muscle pain and aches.

Is there any cure for HIV?

There is currently no treatment or cure for HIV or AIDS. However with multiple ongoing researches and developments, it is expected that there will be proper treatment for people living with this disease within the coming years. The most popular treatment and medication that is used for this disease and virus infection us called as ‘cocktail’. This medicine is manufactured to help regain the strength and power of the immune system, thus preventing spread of HIV virus in other organs and body parts. However it is equally true that this drug is extremely costly and out of common man’s budget. Moreover there are some side effects also which are associated with the usage of this drug which may add to the problem in long run.

As per latest reports and reviews, researchers of Oregon have hinted about a HIV vaccination that can cure the virus of this deadly disease. Portland Business Journals also reveal that this vaccine is currently under verification and is believed to have ability in curing HIV completely. It is also expected that soon this vaccine will be tested on human for more effective results, but that will take some time, may be two more years in average before the start of medical trials.

About The Author:  Get to know all about the latest developments and researches of HIV in order to find a proper cure and remedy of treatment. 

http://www.headstarttesting.com/

How Can I Prevent Getting or Spreading HIV?

HIV or Human immunodeficiency virus is the biggest medical concern in this modern age of globalization which is reported to be growing at a rapid pace among people. According to the latest surveys and researches, it is stated that almost 34 million people of the globe are affected with the fatal disease of HIV and AIDS. The most shocking fact in this survey is that approximately 3.4 million of HIV patients are below 15 years of age, thus making it a dangerous and life threatening disease which is non-curable and without any medical treatment yet.  Hence it is crucially important that you take proper precaution and HIV cure in order to ensure that you stay fit and healthy without any fear.
To make sure that you are not affected by the virus of HIV that tends to damage the immunity system of a body, thus making you weak and easily prone to various acute diseases, it is essentially needed that you know about the simple yet effective steps of preventing the spread of HIV virus within body. Here we have discussed and talked about some of the steps that can assist you from getting infected with the HIV disease:
Do not indulge in unprotected sexual relationship: One of the prominent and primary things to follow in order to stay healthy at your best is to avoid unprotected sexual relationship. It is seen that sex with multiple partners or unsafe intercourse result in transfer of semen that can spread HIV from an infected person to a normal one. One of the most effective methods of preventing HIV is to abstain from casual sex and take proper protection in need.
Stay away from physical relation with multiple partners: There is a growing chance of HIV infection among people who indulge in physical relation with more than one partner. It is seen that if one of the partners is affected with virus of this disease, there is high possibility that the other one will get infected through semen transfer.
Maintain hygienic and safe sex: It is always suggested that you should indulge in safe and protected sex in order to stay fit and devoid of HIV virus. It is recommended that you should use proper contraceptive pills or condoms to ensure that there is no chance for transmission of virus. You should also be aware not to use cheap condoms that are not rightly made to provide with adequate protection.
Regular checkup and medical test: Finally you should always indulge in regular checkup and HIV test in order to stay sure about your health and lifestyle. To stop spreading of HIV virus, maintaining a good lifestyle is essentially needed along with consultation and advice from medical professionals. It is also advised that you should educate yourself first about the disease and its relevant aspects so that you can stay away from this fatal disease at its best. Make sure that you consult and discuss about the disease of HIV and AIDS with your doctor to get better knowledge and understanding.
http://www.headstarttesting.com/how_it_works.html

How to Recognize HIV Symptoms?

HIV or the Human Immunodeficiency Virus is one of the most fatal and life threatening disease that causes AIDS by damaging the immunity system of an individual along with reduction in white blood cells which assist in fighting infections and diseases strongly. According to doctors and medical researches, it is stated that the virus of HIV is commonly transmitted through direct contact of blood or semen of human body, including blood transfusion, using one needle, breast feeding, sexual relation and more. In order to know whether you are suffering from HIV symptoms, it is only through HIV testing that you can get the accurate result. However there are some symptoms of HIV that are observed by doctors when diagnosing the disease at its initial stage for better treatment options. It is always suggested that you opt for HIV cure and treatment at its earliest as the advanced stage, also known as AIDS, is non-curable and life threatening.
Specific HIV Symptoms To Know
To fight off the virus and stay healthy, it is needed that you recognize the HIV symptoms rightly to ensure proper precaution and protection in advance. Here we have discussed about some of the prominent signs and symptoms that are associated with this disease as a warning that you may have HIV virus in your body.
To mark the early symptoms of HIV is essentially important in order to stop the virus from affecting other body parts which gradually makes the body non-resistant and weak. Some of these early signs and symptoms that are observed by medical professional to determine HIV possibility include the following:
•    Fever and fatigue is the first sign that is seen in HIV patients which makes the person tired and depressive in nature. It is seen that patients of HIV suffer from lethargy, extreme tiredness and mental depression without any proper reason. It is also observed that they tend to feel sleepy and sluggish even after a good night’s sleep.
•    Excessive sweating during night hours is another primary HIV symptom in men that should not be ignored. It is suggested that you take instant medical advice and HIV test to make sure that you do not have the virus of this fatal disease in your body. Added to this, some related symptoms of HIV include sudden chills, pain in joint and muscle, sore throat and severe headache to name a few.
•    Nausea and vomiting tendency are two more HIV symptoms that can help diagnose the disease rightly. It is seen that when these signs are associated with flu, there is chance of HIV infection in its early phase. Mouth ulcer, dry cough and skin rash are added symptoms of HIV that need to be treated with the right medication and care for maximum positive results.
The best way to get relief from this confusion is to get HIV test done through either under the supervision of a doctor or with help of HIV testing kit that is approved by Food and Drug Administration (FDA) to stay healthy and fit at its best.

Is There Any Way to Tell If You Have HIV without Being Tested

HIV is a growing medical problem in modern age that is widely observed among people, especially in Asian and African nations. Human Immunodeficiency Virus or HIV is basically a virus that attacks the immune system of human body, resulting in gradually development towards AIDS or Acquired Immunodeficiency Syndrome which is a life threatening and devastating infection that can turn out to be extremely chronic and dangerous.
In order to avoid the side effects and problems of HIV, it is always suggested that you have proper knowledge and update about the disease and its symptoms to stay aware and cautioned. Even though it is only through HIV testing that you can get accurate conclusion, it is seen that some symptoms are also associated with this disease which can help you detect chance of HIV without being tested. Here we have discussed about HIV and some of these prominent symptoms that are associated with this chronic disease of AIDS.
What is HIV?
Human Immunodeficiency Virus or HIV is the virus that damages the immunity system of a person and reduces his ability to fight back diseases, thus resulting in AIDS. The virus of HIV is revealed to pass through contact of blood or semen from an infected person to a normal one through some common methods such as sexual intercourse, blood transfusion, usage of same needle and more. It can also get transferred from a mother to her child through the process of breast feeding.
There are some physical symptoms of HIV which certainly help doctors to diagnose the disease rightly. However it is only through a proper medical test that it can be confirmed whether a person has HIV or not. To make the process easy and accessible, nowadays there are HIV test kit packages available in the market which can be used to detect HIV virus in human body.
Symptoms to Detect HIV without Test
Some HIV symptoms that help doctors diagnose this chronic disease at an initial stage include loss of appetite, fever, weight loss, fatigue, dry cough and excessive sweat at nighttime. Apart from these, skin infection, cancer, tuberculosis, speech impairment and forgetfulness are some more symptoms that also assist in diagnosis of HIV without any test.
Expression as well as physical problems are also connected as aftereffect of HIV virus attack. The signs and symptoms of this life threatening disease that can be identified without any medical test are stated below for better understanding:
Depression and fatigue: If you are feeling extreme depression and hopelessness in life, it can be a sign towards being affected with Human Immunodeficiency Virus. However it is also true that everyone suffers from small fatigue and despair in life which has nothing to do with HIV.
Loss of body weight: Rapid fall in body weight without any exercise or activity is another symptom that is associated with the disease of HIV and AIDS.
Thrush on tongue: If you start developing a white coating on the tongue which cannot be removed by brushing, immediate medical help is suggested as ‘thrush’ is one of the most prominent symptoms of HIV problem.