antibody tests, antigen/antibody tests, and nucleic acid tests to confirm if you have the illness. After being diagnosed with HIV, you may also need more tests to determine the stage of the illness that you’re dealing with. These tests can check for CD4 T cell count, viral load, and drug resistance.
There are three stages of HIV. The first two denote points of HIV infection that can be managed so you don’t develop AIDS. At stage three, you would have developed AIDS and your doctor would say that you have a severe HIV infection.
How HIV Is Treated
HIV can’t be cured but with the right medical regimen, it can be controlled so that it doesn’t progress. To manage HIV, your doctor will prescribe a mixture of two or three drugs that will make up your antiretroviral therapy.
There are a variety of medications to choose from so it might take some time to determine the right combination that works for you. The different classes of HIV treatment drugs include non-nucleoside reverse transcriptase inhibitors (NNRTIs), nucleoside or nucleotide reverse transcriptase inhibitors (NRTIs), protease inhibitors (PIs), integrase inhibitors, and entry or fusion inhibitors.
Since HIV attacks your immune system, you may also have to take medications to treat opportunistic infections ao your doctor will usually conduct regular tests for them. Some of the infections that can affect people with HIV are pneumocystis pneumonia (PCP), tuberculosis, and candidiasis (thrush).
There has been a lot of progress in terms of HIV education. However, Black people continue to be at a higher risk of contracting the virus than other ethnicities.
It’s always best to prevent infection but if you’re experiencing any of the symptoms of HIV, you need to see your doctor immediately. There’s no cure for HIV but with a proper medical regimen, you can live a long, healthy life with the illness.