You cannot depend on symptoms to ensure you have HIV, say doctors. Undergoing a test is the sole way to make sure you have HIV. The virus can stay dormant in your body for decades before it surfaces again. The virus can severely compromise your immune system so that you become vulnerable to catching opportunistic infections.
Whether you experience HIV symptom in Arlington, VA, or not, if you have had unprotected sex anytime in life, you must undergo a test. When does the earliest symptom arise? According to doctors, early symptoms surface within a month or two of exposure. In some cases, they can be seen within a couple of weeks of exposure. Yet, do not rely on the arrival of symptoms, warn doctors. Some people never get them and they carry the virus. HIV symptoms are similar to common illnesses. You hardly realize these are HIV symptoms. You may simply visit a doctor and take medication. You get well. However, the virus is still thriving in your body. That’s why HIV test is important. Do you know you can stay asymptomatic for 10 years and more after contracting HIV? This does not indicate that you would never fall sick, inform doctors. HIV can progress to stage three without symptoms. “At this stage, it can make you very sick,” cautions a doctor at a reputable STD clinic in Arlington, VA. Early signs of HIV • Fever • Headache • Sore throat • Muscle and joint pain • Rash • Thrush • Swollen lymph nodes • Night sweats • Ulcers in the mouth and on the genitals • Diarrhea Some of the above signs also seem to be associated with the flu and the novel Coronavirus. So, it’s important you talk to the doctor about the signs and act accordingly. Stages of HIV 1. First stage The first stage is called primary or acute HIV infection. Doctors also call it “acute retroviral syndrome.” In this stage, the patient generally gets flu-like symptoms. They may also look like gastrointestinal infection or some respiratory infection. In today’s times, if you get flu-like symptoms, your doctor may also advise you to undergo Covid-19 test to rule out the possibility of this virus. If you test negative for Covid-19 and have had unprotected sex in the recent past, you must undergo HIV test, suggests a doctor from the Arlington STD clinic. 2. Second stage The second stage is clinical latency stage. In this stage, the virus becomes latent or inactive in the body; but it’s still there. You experience no symptom in this stage. You may think you are absolutely fine. However, the virus is slowly and silently progressing in your body. The latency stage can last upto 10 years or more. 3. Third stage In this stage, your immune system is severely compromised. You are highly vulnerable to all kinds of infections. You may get symptoms related to these infections. Symptoms of stage 3 HIV • High fever • Rashes • Chills • Night sweats • Nausea • Vomiting • Persistent fatigue • Massive weight loss • Persistent cough • Breathing problems • White spots in mouth • Memory problems • Genital sores • Pneumonia Treatment of HIV As per CDC (Centers for Disease Control and Prevention), one of the most effective treatments for HIV is antiretroviral therapy (ART). This therapy suppresses the virus. ART is not a cure for HIV. In fact, there is no cure for HIV so far. ART can help you manage HIV by keeping the viral load at a minimum so that you live a good life and do not infect others. According to CDC, when the viral load is less than 200 copies per ml (milliliter of blood), you cannot infect others. Doctor’s tip: The best thing to do in Arlington early signs of HIV in women and men arise is to undergo a test.
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Vagina is a self-cleansing organ. It features natural bacteria that protects a woman from infection. These good bacteria are called lactobacilli. They reside in the mucous membrane of the vaginal lining. The bacteria secrete acids that are powerful enough to kill microbes and prevent infection. However, certain viruses and bacteria are too notorious to be caught by these friendly bacteria. They escape and get inside the body. One of them is HIV. HIV and women Since the HIV epidemic broke out in the world a few decades ago, women have found to be disproportionately affected by this deadly virus in many countries. At present, the female population constitutes more than 50 per cent of the whole population affected by HIV. The US witnesses millions of new HIV cases in people every year; most of them women. They are of all ages – teenagers, adolescents, women in their 20’s to 50’s, and also older women. HIV symptom in Arlington VA, can be easily diagnosed in a STD clinic, which welcomes men and women to undergo a test at an affordable price. Why are women more vulnerable to HIV infections? In many societies across the world, women’s rights are suppressed. They are not given the freedom to choose. This includes the freedom to say ‘no’ to having sex with their husband and freedom to use a female condom. A lady may know that her husband has cheated, yet she gives in to her husband’s demand for sex. Besides, many women find it hard to convince their husbands to use a condom during sex. Many people wrongly believe that using condoms, both male and female ones, decreases the pleasure of sex. So, they refrain from using it and don’t want their partner to use it either. These and other such beliefs and societal pressures and norms have made women more vulnerable to sexually transmitted infections like HIV. Women who are into prostitution are at a far higher risk of contracting HIV. This holds particularly true in countries where prostitution is illegal. So, sex workers can hardly expect to get an opportunity to undergo STD testing, use condoms, or assert their sexual rights. What should women do to protect themselves from HIV? • Walk in an STD clinic and get yourselves tested. • Insist your partner to get tested too. • Be bold and ask your husband-to-be to undergo a test before tying the knot. You must also undergo a test. • Learn to assert your sexual rights. If you don’t want to have sex with somebody, say NO. • Refrain from having sex with somebody you know is into high-risk sexual behavior or is having sex with other men. Such men are at greater risk of HIV. • Refrain from having multiple sex partners. Practice monogamy. • Do not share sex toys with your female friends or your husband. • Consult a doctor before having sex with your husband, in case he is HIV-infected and under treatment. In a STD clinic in Arlington, early signs of HIV in women can be detected through appropriate test. If you are think you are exposed, consult a doctor at the clinic and act accordingly. |
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