In case of suspected HIV infection due to some risky behavior, such as having intercourse without a condom or sharing needles and syringes, it is important to go to the doctor as soon as possible, to start using drugs that prevent the spread of the virus and do blood tests that help to check if you are really infected.
As the HIV virus can only be detected in the blood after about 30 days of risky behavior, it is possible that the doctor recommends taking the HIV test at the time of the consultation, as well as repeating the test 28 days later, to check if there is infection, or not.
Thus, in the case of suspected HIV infection, or whenever a risky situation occurs, it is important to follow the following steps:
1. Go to the doctor
When you have any risky behavior, such as not using a condom during intercourse or sharing needles and syringes, it is very important to immediately go to a Testing and Counseling Center (CTA) to start PEP, which is Post-Exposure Prophylaxis, which must be started within the first 72 hours, and maintained for 28 straight days.
At the time of the consultation, the doctor can still do a rapid HIV test, but if you have been in contact with the virus for the first time, it is possible that the result is false, as it may take up to 30 days for HIV can be correctly identified in the blood. Thus, it is normal that after these 30 days, and even after the PEP period has ended, the doctor will ask for a new test, to confirm, or not, the first result.
If more than a month has passed after the risky behavior, the doctor, as a rule, does not recommend taking the PEP and can only order the HIV test, which, if positive, can close the HIV diagnosis. After that moment, if the person is infected, they will be referred to an infectologist, who will adapt the treatment with antiretrovirals, which are drugs that help to prevent the virus from multiplying excessively. Better understand how the treatment of HIV infection is done.
2. Get tested for HIV
The HIV test is recommended about 30 to 40 days after the risky behavior, as this is the time necessary for the virus to be identified in the blood. However, and regardless of the result of this test, it is important that it be repeated 30 days later, even if the result of the first test is negative, to rule out the suspicion.
In the office, this test is done through a blood collection and is usually done using the ELISA method, which identifies the presence of the HIV antibody in the blood. The result may take more than 1 day to come out and, if it says "reagent", it means that the person is infected, but if it is "non-reagent" it means that there is no infection, however you must repeat the test again after 30 days.
When the test is done in public government campaigns on the street, the rapid HIV test is usually used, in which the result is ready in 15 to 30 minutes. In this test, the result is offered as "positive" or "negative" and, if positive, it must always be confirmed with a blood test at the hospital.
See how HIV tests work and how to understand the results.
3. Take the complementary HIV test
To confirm the suspicion of HIV, it is also advisable to carry out a complementary test, such as the Indirect Immunofluorescence Test or the Western Blot Test, which serve to confirm the presence of the virus in the body and thus start treatment as soon as possible.
What risk behaviors
The following are considered risky behaviors for developing an HIV infection:
- Having sexual intercourse without a condom, whether vaginal, anal or oral; Sharing syringes; Coming into direct contact with open wounds or blood.
In addition, pregnant and HIV-infected women should also be careful during pregnancy and childbirth to avoid passing the virus on to the baby. Check out how the virus is transmitted and how to protect yourself.
See also, more important information about HIV infection:
