You can do an HIV-test right after the
risky sexual behavior. This test serves to
find out if you were infected BEFORE the
risky sexual event. Then you should do
another HIV-test 3 months after the risky
sex. After any HIV-infection, the body
needs several weeks to create antibodies
(seroconversion) against the HIV-antigens.
The period when the body is infected with
HIV but antibodies are not created yet is
called the “window”-period. That
period can last a different amount of time
in different people but, it is believed
that 3 months is enough time for most of
the infected people.
A blood test will determine if a person is
infected or not. First symptoms are
flu-like and are very unspecific. In many
people, after the flu-like symptoms, their
body recovers and has no symptoms although
there is HIV-infection present. That is
the so called “asymptomatic period”.
This period can last different amounts of
time in different people. The first
serious symptoms that may assume
HIV-infection are prolonged diarrhea,
generalized swollen lymph nodes, weight
loss, prolonged fever, etc. These symptoms
are also not specific but can direct us to
do some medical investigations including
HIV-test. Finally, when the body’s
immune system has completely crashed,
symptoms of various infections dominate.
You SHOULD perform an HIV test as soon as
possible!!!
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