Friday, December 21, 2012

Email 167: Negative, Yet Wants a CD4 Test


Hi Pozzie,

Thank you for your blog because this gave me the courage to take the test. After my activity with a male prostitute last December 1, I felt ill (fever, peripheral something, weight loss of 8-10lbs in one week, now i have cough and colds). I went to RITM Satellite Clinic in Malate yesterday, and got the results earlier this morning. It is NON-REACTIVE. =) Happy for now, but happiness is until March kasi baka "window period" pa. Will go back there on March, then on June, then regularly na if sexually active.

Learning is abstinence, love of self and discipline.

However, I have some concerns:

1) Even if I am negative,  I am still interested to know the level of my CD4 cell counts. Hope you could please please help help help me get referral to get my CD4 count in RITM Alabang. Willing to pay here (baka lang I can get discount if with referral). The staff in RITM Malate said, they (Alabang) don't give FREE CD4 cell test count if non-reactive. But, with the help of your blogs, I have become more responsible and conscious of my health so I still want to know now my CD4 count, especially I am the breadwinner of the family. Please help.

2) Are the symptoms that I have experienced (still am experiencing) could be a result of "psychological" thinking? Nakaka-praning po kasi talaga.

Maraming salamat po.

XXX


POZZIEPINOY’S RESPONSE


Hi XXX.

Thank you for your email. Thank you for reading my blog. I am glad that through it, you found the courage to take the test. I wish other people will do the same. Also, just take the second test in March again and you are right, if you are sexually active, keep on getting the test.

Now, with regards to your question, it is true that HIV doctors won't give a prescription for CD4 test if you are non reactive even though you are paying for it. They always say that it would be a waste of money since you are non-reactive to the test. Tag, my partner, had a first hand experience to this. When I was confined in The Medical City, Tag tested non-reactive to the HIV Test and he asked my infectious disease doctor if he can have the CD4 test too, but my ID doctor declined his request.

I am pretty sure that the HIV doctors in the government HIV/AIDS treatment hubs won't give you a prescription since you are non-reactive, so why waste their time. They have a lot of HIV patients to attend to so don't bother them anymore. However, if you really want to get a CD4 test, you can go and seek consultation with a private infectious disease doctor in Makati Medical Center, St. Lukes Hospital, The Medical Center or any hospital for that matter to get a prescription. Also, you can get advice from those doctor about what you are recently feeling to calm down your nerves.

For now, just enjoy the result and continue living healthy. With or without HIV, that is the most important gift that we can give to ourselves this holiday season.

I hope I was able to answer your concerns. Feel free to email me again if you have other questions.


Stay healthy,
Pozziepinoy





"WE ARE ALL IN THIS TOGETHER.
NO PLHIV is alone with his or her struggle with HIV!"

-Pozziepinoy-


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