How to test for AIDS?

Written by Xie Ming Feng
Dermatology
Updated on September 02, 2024
00:00
00:00

If you suspect you might have HIV for various reasons, or if you have had high-risk sexual behaviors, we generally recommend that patients go to a formal hospital and have a blood test for HIV screening. It's usually best to get tested between 1 and 2 months after potential exposure. If the test is negative, HIV can generally be ruled out. If the sexual behavior was high-risk, then another test can be conducted at the end of the third month. If there is frequent high-risk sexual activity, then another follow-up test can be done at six months. If all tests are negative, HIV can be ruled out. If a test is positive, further confirmatory tests should be done at a disease control center.

Other Voices

doctor image
home-news-image
Written by Xiong Hong Hai
Infectious Disease
33sec home-news-image

Can tattoos transmit AIDS?

Indeed, tattooing is a risk factor for HIV infection, especially in informal institutions where tattoo equipment may be shared. If the tattooing equipment is not properly sterilized, there is a risk of HIV infection. Tattooing and other forms of needle injuries are also pathways for HIV transmission. However, the most common route of HIV transmission is through sexual transmission, often via unprotected sexual activities. There are also cases of mother-to-child transmission, which should be considered based on specific circumstances.

doctor image
home-news-image
Written by Xie Ming Feng
Dermatology
30sec home-news-image

Can people with AIDS get pregnant?

People with AIDS can become pregnant, as so far, no country's laws prohibit pregnancy in people with AIDS. However, there is a 25-30% chance of transmitting HIV to the baby if a person with AIDS becomes pregnant. Even with comprehensive intervention from medical staff, it is not 100% guaranteed that the baby will be healthy; there is still at least a 2% risk of the baby being infected. Therefore, we usually recommend that the patient terminate the pregnancy.

doctor image
home-news-image
Written by Xiong Hong Hai
Infectious Disease
35sec home-news-image

Can people with AIDS get married?

Patients with AIDS, after receiving standardized anti-tuberculosis treatment, suppressing the virus, and largely restoring normal immune function and physical state, can actually marry and have children normally. Legally, there is no prohibition against people with HIV/AIDS from getting married. AIDS is not a disease that prevents marriage. Therefore, people with HIV/AIDS can marry normally once the condition and virus are under control, but they should engage in sexual activity and pregnancy under the guidance of an experienced infectious disease doctor.

doctor image
home-news-image
Written by Yang Chun Guang
Gastroenterology
44sec home-news-image

Is dizziness and nausea a symptom of AIDS?

Symptoms such as dizziness and nausea are not directly related to AIDS, and AIDS is generally not considered in such cases. Instead, conditions like insufficient blood supply to the neck or brain, which might cause dizziness and nausea, are considered. The diagnosis of AIDS must rely on laboratory tests because AIDS is an autoimmune deficiency disease, and various symptoms may occur. The most common and likely symptoms of AIDS are prolonged fever and diarrhea, but these symptoms cannot be used as the basis for diagnosis; they are only auxiliary. Therefore, to confirm AIDS, one must undergo laboratory testing at an accredited hospital.

doctor image
home-news-image
Written by Xie Ming Feng
Dermatology
25sec home-news-image

Does blistering at the base of the tongue indicate AIDS?

It is unscientific and inaccurate to judge whether someone has HIV solely based on bubbles at the base of the tongue. To correctly determine if someone has HIV, we need to consider the medical history, whether there has been exposure to the HIV virus, whether screening tests have been conducted, and whether confirmatory tests have been carried out. Only by considering these factors can we accurately determine whether someone has HIV.