What tests are needed for AIDS and syphilis?

Written by Ye Xi Yong
Infectious Diseases
Updated on September 20, 2024
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If a general person wants to test for HIV and syphilis, there is a quick and easy method, which is to do a blood test called the "pre-transfusion four tests." This specifically includes four components: HIV antibodies, syphilis antibodies, hepatitis B, and hepatitis C. Therefore, by going to the hospital for a blood draw and taking the pre-transfusion four tests, you can early screen for both HIV and syphilis. However, if it is the early stage of infection with these diseases, also known as the window period, it may result in a false negative. You mentioned that you might have HIV or syphilis, but the result could temporarily be negative. Therefore, to be certain, it is recommended to retest after 3-6 months.

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Written by Xie Ming Feng
Dermatology
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Is AIDS scary?

AIDS, also known as Acquired Immune Deficiency Syndrome, can be understood literally as a sexually transmitted disease characterized primarily by severe immune deficiency caused by HIV infection. Once it develops into AIDS, it ultimately leads to death due to various opportunistic infections and secondary tumors. It spreads very quickly and has a high mortality rate. Currently, there is no effective treatment, making it one of the main lethal infectious diseases in humans. Therefore, AIDS is currently considered terrifying.

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Written by Ye Xi Yong
Infectious Diseases
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How is AIDS transmitted?

The HIV virus primarily exists in the blood, semen, vaginal secretions, ascitic fluid, and bodily fluids of infected persons. There are three main transmission pathways: sexual contact, blood products, and mother-to-child transmission, which include homosexual, heterosexual, and bisexual contact; sharing needles for intravenous drug use, invasive medical procedures, tattooing, as well as transmission from an HIV-positive mother through placental delivery and breastfeeding. Normal activities such as handshaking, hugging, polite kissing, sharing meals, and living together do not transmit the HIV virus.

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Written by Xiong Hong Hai
Infectious Disease
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initial symptoms of AIDS

People infected with HIV may experience a series of symptoms in the early stages of the disease, about two to three weeks after being infected with the virus. At this time, due to the virus's rapid growth and reproduction in the body, symptoms such as viral viremia can occur, including rash, fever, sore throat, and swelling of lymph nodes throughout the body. These symptoms are reversible and can subside after one to two weeks. Many people infected with HIV may not show any symptoms. The diagnosis of HIV is mainly confirmed through tests such as HIV antibodies, and it is not possible to infer HIV infection based merely on external symptoms.

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Written by Xie Ming Feng
Dermatology
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AIDS is divided into four stages.

AIDS clinical stages are divided into four phases: acute infection phase, asymptomatic infection phase, AIDS prodrome, and AIDS phase. The acute infection phase refers to the period after a person is infected with HIV, where symptoms similar to a common cold can appear after half a month, and the symptoms generally disappear after a month. Two months later, HIV antibodies can be detected through blood tests. After this, the person enters the asymptomatic infection phase, which on average can last for 7-8 years, and in some cases, up to about 10 years, followed by the AIDS prodrome, and the final phase is the AIDS phase.

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Written by Xiong Hong Hai
Infectious Disease
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Does AIDS cause headaches?

People with AIDS may experience headaches. This can occur when individuals with AIDS develop fevers due to opportunistic infections, leading to an increase in body temperature which may cause cerebral blood vessel dilation and result in headaches. Additionally, some AIDS patients may also have intracranial opportunistic infections, such as infections with Toxoplasma, Cryptococcus, and Tuberculosis, which can cause serious meningitis or encephalitis, leading to severe and intense headaches accompanied by fever. These conditions are very dangerous and require prompt diagnosis and treatment.