Testing for HIV

Once someone is infected, the body will produce antibodies or markers in the blood and these can be detected, usually, after 8-12 weeks of infection, with a blood test. Symptoms associated with HIV are also common to many other medical conditions. A proper check-up and an HIV antibody test will only determine whether you have HIV, the common 'flu or something else. If you are concerned, go to clinic. The HIV test detects HIV antibodies, not the virus itself. Antibodies are produced after someone has been infected with the virus. HIV antibodies do not effectively remove the virus from your system and so do not make you immune. It can take up to three months after infection for the test to detect antibodies. This means that if you have become infected within the last three months, a test will not necessarily be positive. If you decide to have an HIV test you should think carefully about the possible results. Positive means antibodies are present, negative means they are not. Some people are convinced they are negative but test positive and vice versa. It's natural to speculate but you could be wrong. A negative test result will mean that you have not got HIV (provided you have not put yourself at risk within the last three months) and that you cannot pass HIV on to anyone else. Recently there have been reports about certain people being immune to HIV. These cases are extremely rare, there are estimated to be only a handful of people in this country. For the majority of gay men, a negative result does not mean they are immune. If you've fucked without a condom in the last 15 years with someone you could not be 100% sure was HIV negative, then you're probably lucky, not immune. A positive test result means you are infected with HIV and can pass it on to someone else. It does not, on its own, necessarily mean that you have AIDS, nor does it tell you if or when you will develop an AIDS-related condition. If you go for a test at a GUM/sexual health clinic you should be offered the opportunity to talk to a counsellor, a health adviser or a doctor beforehand. Staff are there to ensure that you fully understand what the test involves. They are not there to tell you whether you should have a test or to pressure you into making a decision either way. There may be advantages and disadvantages to taking an HIV test. These will depend on you as an individual and what you think your test result might be. There can be no overall recommendation about testing, it is up to you. If you decide to have an HIV test, think about who you tell that you are having one. If someone knows you are going for a test, they might want to know the result. Would you really want them to know? If you or your partner are thinking about testing, don't put pressure on each other to make a quick decision. Respect each other's choices. This online advice guide is an extract from the book TOGETHER, by kind permission of Patriic Gayle and Gay Times Books. The book itself is over 300 pages long and contains:

several chapters more useful advice and information

more in-depth information in some chapters

more pictures and tables

further contacts at the end of each chapter

a comprehensive listing of gay and health organisations Described by Qx magazine as a 'Gay Bible', Together Book is a practical reference work no bookshelf should be without.

Available from Prowler Stores and all good bookshops, or click the link below for price and ordering details.

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