HIV Resources

Why You Should Find Out Your HIV Status

Get STD Test or HIV Test

If you’re at risk for HIV, find out your status! Not knowing you have HIV isn’t going to make the problem go away. In fact, it makes the treatment longer and more complex and it puts your sexual partners moreClick here to read full article ›

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At-Home Confidential HIV Testing Now Available to Everyone

OraQuick In-Home HIV Test

We think the Oraquick at-home HIV saliva test is a good option that protects the confidentiality of your HIV test results. However, it doesn’t provide the anonymity you get when you follow our guide to anonymous STD and HIV testing…. Click here to read full article ›

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What If You Have HIV+ Test Results?

Positive HIV Test Result or STD Test Result

HIV+ Test Results If you just discovered that you tested positive for HIV, the virus that causes AIDS, it’s very natural to be confused, feel scared and be unsure of what you should do next. Here are some recommendations forClick here to read full article ›

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Free HIV and AIDS Education Resources

HIV Bookmark provided by the CDC

You can download or order free HIV and AIDS educational resources for the workplace through the website for the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention…. Click here to read full article ›

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Today is National HIV Testing Day — Know Your Status!

National HIV Testing Day

What is my status? If you don’t know your HIV status and you’ve had unprotected sex, get tested! And what better day to get an HIV test than today, June 27, 2014, which is National HIV Testing Day. There areClick here to read full article ›

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Dongle Gives HIV and Syphilis Test Results in 15 Minutes

HIV Test and Syphilis Tests With a Single Drop of Blood

Researchers developed an iPhone dongle that can test for HIV and syphilis with a single drop of blood and produce results in about 15 minutes…. Click here to read full article ›

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Anonymous STD Testing How-To Guide

Anonymous STD Testing

Follow the instructions in this guide to anonymous STD testing to get an accurate and anonymous test for sexually-transmitted diseases and HIV. The guide shows you how to protect your identity and to destroy all evidence that you even had a test. You might be able to get anonymous treatment over the phone from a doctor, depending on the STDs for which you test positive…. Click here to read full article ›

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HIV Vaccine Alternative Might be Manufactured Protein

Manufactured Protein Could Become HIV Vaccine

Instead of stimulating the body to produce antibodies that fight the HIV virus, researchers at the Scripps Institute decided to manufacture a new protein that attracts the HIV virus and then prevents it from doing any damage to the body. This new research could might a drug that serves as an alternative to an HIV vaccine in humans…. Click here to read full article ›

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What is HIV?

HIV Test

HIV Test

Human immunodeficiency virus, or HIV, is the virus that causes acquired immunodeficiency syndrome, or AIDS. The virus attacks the immune system, which is responsible for fighting off diseases and infections and keeping the body healthy. A person without a strong immune system can’t fight off normal infections that most people get, and often contract infections or cancers that healthy people don’t ever get. HIV infects and destroys a certain kind of white blood cell, called a CD4+ cell, that’s a critical part of the immune system.

How You Get HIV

Most people get HIV by having unprotected sex with an infected person that involves passing blood, semen or vaginal fluid, or by sharing an intravenous needle with an infected person. A woman who is pregnant can also give the disease to her baby. HIV doesn’t survive outside the body, so you can’t get it from kissing or sharing a drinking glass with an infected person.

What is AIDS?

AIDS is an advanced state of HIV infection. It usually takes between 10 and 12 years for someone infected with HIV to develop AIDS. However, there are medicines available that can slow or stop the damage that HIV does to the immune system to prevent a person from developing AIDS. In AIDS patients, the same medicines can slow or stop the damage to the immune system, and it will begin to recover, although it might not return to a normal, healthy level.

Anonymous HIV Testing

There are different kinds of HIV tests available. Some tests you can do at home with a saliva sample and other tests you need to give a blood sample and have them tested in a lab. It might take up to three months after you’ve been infected with the HIV virus to test positive for HIV,  and the CDC recommends getting tested every three months if you’re in a high-risk group. We recommend the Oraquick Oral In-Home Saliva Test for HIV for completely anonymous HIV testing in the privacy of your own home. If you want an anonymous laboratory test that uses a blood sample, follow the instructions in our free guide to anonymous HIV and STD testing.

Resources

For more information, read the CDC Fact Sheet on STDs and HIV and view the video below.

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Types of HIV Tests

HIV Tests

There are three types of HIV tests that test for different indicators of HIV infection. The more sensitive test can also detect HIV earlier than other tests. … Click here to read full article ›

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