…remain negative. If you are engaging in high-risk behaviors, let the negative test be a warning for you to change and you should discuss safer practices with your medical team, counselors and social workers.
3. Follow up. If you get a positive test, be sure to get follow-up care (which Case 1. Failed to do). Be sure to protect other individuals for getting infected. Get a medical evaluation and start treatment if necessary
4. Be sure the person testing you is qualified. Get tested by experienced clinicians or testers who are trained to interpret the test correctly, refer for test confirmation and provide mental health counseling if needed.
As a closing note to show you how far we’ve come, the young man represented in case 1 will likely survive if he responds well to the treatment for his cancer. We’ve made tremendous advances in the treatment of these types of cancers as well. Lab tests indicate that he is sensitive to all HIV medicines, giving many current and future treatment options.
By Dr. Keith Crawford, BDO HIV/AIDS Expert
Dr. Crawford received a B.S degree in Biology from Cornell University and a B.S. in Pharmacy from Temple University. He completed a residency in clinical pharmacy at the National Institutes of Health. He earned a doctorate in Pharmacology from the Uniformed Services University of the Health Sciences in Bethesda, Maryland. He completed a post-doctoral fellowship at the National Institutes of Health, studying microbial biochemistry and genetics.
He is currently in the Department of Clinical Pharmacology at the Johns Hopkins University School of Medicine where he develops clinical research studies to improve treatment of HIV infection. He is also on faculty at Howard University College of Medicine, in the Department of Pharmacology.