The only way to know if you are HIV
positive or negative is by being tested
by professionals. At the end of the day
diagnosing yourself based on
speculations won’t benefit you or your
family and sexual partner etc. Rather
get tested and know where you stand.
Here are the Top Benefits Of Testing For HIV:
Early intervention means a healthier life
The key to living a healthy life with HIV
is being diagnosed early. Getting into
the care of an HIV specialist is an
essential part of staying healthy. Get
tested and if you are positive, find an
HIV specialist. The sooner you get
tested, the sooner you can access
treatments and information to help you
manage the condition and delay the
onset of Aids, should you test positive
for HIV. The earlier on in the progress
of the infection you get tested and get
effective treatment, the easier it is to
keep your immune system healthy.
Your doctor can monitor your immune
system and help you avoid
opportunistic diseases, or manage
these when they occur.
Knowing your status protects you both
If you find out you are infected, you
can make sure you protect your sex
partner from becoming infected. If
more people know their HIV status and
use the knowledge to act responsibly,
the pandemic can be better controlled.
The more people in your sexual life are
aware of your status the better the
chances of protecting your sexual
relations.
Reduce the risk of your baby becoming infected
If you are pregnant and test HIV
positive, appropriate treatment can
reduce the risk of your baby becoming
infected. Without treatment, HIV-
positive women have about a one-in-
four chance of infecting their baby
during pregnancy or birth. Treatment
can reduce this figure to about one in
12. Rather safe than sorry, you are
also protecting your baby from living a
life of being HIV positive from birth.
Make plans for yourself and your dependents
Finding out your HIV status as early as
possible, gives you time, if you are
infected, to make plans for yourself
and your dependents to be looked
after when you do get sick. It’s good to
have a plan set out as to what happens
at your death, having HIV does not
necessary mean that your life is a
ticking time bomb but it’s best you
know where you stand financially etc.
Educate others about HIV/Aids
You can help educate others about
HIV/Aids, and improve their attitudes
and behaviour related to the disease,
by talking about your HIV status and
your decision to get tested. Remember
that giving out this information is
entirely your decision. The health
professionals and counsellors who
conduct and discuss the test with you
must, by law, keep the results strictly
confidential.
Prevention is always better than cure!
