Should You Get An Aids Test?
(American Red Cross)
Should You Get An AIDS Test ?
You have probably heard about the AIDS Test. The test doesn't actually
tell you if you have AIDS. It shows if you have been infected with the
virus.It looks for changes in blood that occur after you have been
infected. The Public Health Service recommends you be confidentially
counseled andtested if you have had any sexually transmitted disease or
shared needles; ifyou are a man who has had sex with another man; or if
you have had sex with aprostitute, male or female. You should be tested
if you have had sex withanyone who has done any of these things. If you
are a woman who has been engaging in risky behavior and you plan tohave
a baby or are not using birth control, you should be tested. Your
doctor may advise you to be counseled and tested if you are
ahemophiliac, or have received a blood transfusion between 1978 and
1985. If you test positive, and find you have been infected with the
AIDS virus,you must take steps to protect your partner. People who have
always practiced safe behavior do not need to be tested. There's been a
great deal in the press about problems with the test. It isvery
reliable if it is done by a good laboratory and the results are
checkedby a physician or counselor. If you have engaged in risky
behavior, speak frankly to a doctor whounderstands the AIDS problem, or
to an AIDS counselor. For more information, call your local public
health agency. They're listedin the government section of your phone
book. Or, call your local AIDShotline. If you can't find the number,
call 1-800-342-AIDS.
Resumos Relacionados
- Hiv-1 Antibody Test (elisa And Western Blot). (senior Health Advisor 2005)
- Hiv-1 Antibody Test (elisa And Western Blot). (senior Health Advisor 2005)
- The Problem Of Drugs And Aids
- H.i.v Transmission
- Acquired Immune Deficiency Syndrome (aids)
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