Options If You Are HIV Positive

You may already know you are HIV positive or have developed AIDS.  What can you do to prolong your life and help you live it to the fullest?  Much depends on you and your personal attitude.  Scientists and researchers are still working on drugs that will stem the progress of the disease and help you be more comfortable during your fight.  There is no known cure for AIDS. 

If you have been diagnosed with HIV or AIDS, you should tell those people you come into intimate contact with.  They will need to know for their safety, and you will need the support and love of your family during the progression of your disease.  Safety should be your top concern.  The only way to protect others from being infected with HIV is to not expose them to blood, semen, or vaginal fluids.  If abstinence is not a choice, follow the rules for safe sex.  Use a condom every time you have vaginal, anal, or oral sex.  Don’t share sexual devices with another person and do not have unprotected sex with another HIV positive patient.  There is always the danger of passing on a drug-resistant form of the virus.

If you are sexually active, tell your partner you are HIV positive.  It is important to tell anyone you are sexually active with that you have tested positive for HIV.  Tell those you previously have had sex with so they may be tested and receive any medical care that is necessary.  They need to know so they don’t unknowingly infect others with the virus.

If your partner is pregnant, it is urgent she be told so steps can be taken to protect her and her unborn child.  This is important even if you are not the father.  She will need to have treatment and special care is needed when the baby is delivered.  Tell others that may need to know.  You are the only one who can decide if you should tell casual friends and family.  You do need to tell your healthcare providers.  This not only protects them, but also insures you will receive the proper and best possible medical care.  If you work in a job that you could experience an injury, your co-workers should always take precautions if they need to treat you. 

Do not share needles or syringes with other users if you use intravenous drugs.  Sharing needles and syringes is one cause of the rapid spread of the disease in the United States.  You should also not share razor blades, or tooth brushes.  There is a possibility they are contaminated with blood and the HIV virus can be transferred. 

Take your name off the donor list.  You should not donate organs, blood, or plasma.  You could infect a great number of people if you knowingly donate blood when you are HIV positive or have AIDS.

If you are pregnant, get medical help as soon as possible.  If your partner tells you they have tested positive for HIV, it is essential your doctor be told about this complication.  You can pass HIV on to your child.  If you receive treatment while you are pregnant you can cut your baby’s risk by two-thirds.

Important Information in AIDS and HIV Issues