5 Reasons to Get Tested for HIV
Sadly, HIV is still a major worldwide problem. The World Health Organization (WHO) says that “nearly half a million people still die every year” as a result of HIV, which shows that there’s still a long journey ahead to beat this virus. With this in mind, you can perhaps understand why it’s still important to get tested for HIV today. However, if you need a little extra convincing, then here are five reasons to get tested for HIV today.
Is It Easy to Get Tested for HIV?
In the current era of health, it’s really easy to get an HIV test. An at-home lab test will allow you to understand your exposure levels and whether you need to see a doctor or not.
Nowadays, most people do self-tests at home because they’re easier to do and don’t require you to travel to any sort of health clinic. Essentially, the whole process is made much simpler.
Benefit 1: Find Out if You Have HIV
At-home HIV tests are extremely reliable. They can detect HIV antibodies quickly, which (if your result comes back positive) means that you can get tested again by a lab to confirm it. If you suspect you have HIV or simply want peace of mind about it, then getting tested for HIV is the answer.
Benefit 2: Start Treatment Early
For anyone who receives a positive result back from their HIV test, it will likely be a huge shock. As unfortunate as this is, it does mean that you can start treatment as soon as possible, which gives you the best possible chance at good long-term health.
Currently, HIV is treated by using antiretroviral medicines. Essentially, these medicines help to prevent HIV from replicating inside the body. With the virus under control, you don’t have to worry about your condition worsening.
Benefit 3: Protect Other People
Next, by getting tested for HIV, it enables you to protect other people if your test comes back positive. This is very important in today’s world, as HIV is easily passed on from person to person when one individual isn’t aware that they have it.
Benefit 4: Make Healthcare Plans
Due to the harsh nature of HIV, it can negatively impact existing health conditions in people. For example, if someone with diabetes or cancer gets HIV, then it will likely cause short and long-term complications. Fortunately, by getting tested, it at least allows individuals to make healthcare plans with their doctors to combat this.
Benefit 5: Spread the Message
Once you understand how easy it is to get tested for HIV, you can then tell your friends about it. They’ll be much more likely to try when they hear through word-of-mouth that you can even get tested at home. Not only will this benefit you and them, but it will also benefit the wider community. The more people that get tested for HIV, the better – as testing is one of the main tools available that helps to prevent HIV from spreading further.