Learning
HIV

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Introduction
HIV and the immune system
Disease progression
Monitoring immune health
Symptom observation
Lab studies and blood analysis
CD4 + Testing
Viral Load Testing
Summary: Testing
Intervention against HIV
General health maintenance
Supportive therapies
Antiviral Strategy
Immune modulating strategy
Opportunistic infection strategy
When to start treatment
Available treatments
The Bottom Line

Introduction

A positive HIV antibody test is scary news but it's not a death sentence. Many people are alive and well 15 years or more after testing HIV positive. A positive test result is an important medical message that may save or extend your life. Whether you took the test or not, sooner or later you would have learned of your HIV infection status. If you learn by testing, you have a chance to slow or prevent some of the possible medical consequences.

If you didn't get tested, HIV would announce itself at some point in the form of an infection or damage to your immune system. But if you had waited for the disease to announce itself, many of your best medical options would already be lost.

Most testing services provide counseling to help people handle the news. The real work, however, is up to you. Given the right attitude and the right information, HIV infection can be managed like a chronic illness, one which some people seem able to survive for a long, long time. Getting informed and taking charge of your health will surely help you make the best of your situation. This document can help you with the things you need to do:

  • Developing a strategy for adapting to your new situation
  • Learning more about HIV and how it can affect you
  • Understanding medical tests
  • Finding out about your options for intervention and learn how to use the services of Project Inform

Reading this paper is a good first step. It's a little long, but it's worth the time. It's about saving your life.

Thanks to gay.com
for providing this information