Tuesday, August 13, 2013

Email 516: No Symptoms, No AIDS?


pozzy, im marky .. concern lang po sa kalagayan ko ngaun wala nman po akong nararamdaman pagbabago sa sarili ko kundi na de deppress lang ako na baka may hiv ako .. kapag ba ganun means possibility na walang aids by the way the last unprotected sex ki is nito lang august 1 2013 salamat sana sumagaot ka kailangan ko lang ng kasagutan salamat ..

marky

 TRANSLATION

 Pozzy, I'm Marky. I am concerned about my status. I don't feel anything different with myself except that I am just depressed that I may have HIV. If that is the case, is there a possibility that I don't have AIDS? By the way, my last unprotected sex was last August 1, 2013. 

 Thank you and I hope that you can answer my questions.

POZZIEPINOY’S RESPONSE


Hi Marky.

Thank you for your email.

With regards to your concerns, it doesn't necessarily mean that if you don't feel anything, you don't have HIV or AIDS. When it comes to AIDS though, there are certain criteria that qualifies one to have AIDS. In the CDC Classification, even though an HIV person doesn't have symptoms or is asymptomatic but his CD4 count is is 200 or less, then he or she already diagnosed as AIDS. In the WHO criteria, if there are already AIDS defining symptoms, then one is considered as AIDS. The WHO criteria is used in countries wherein there are no facilities for CD4 testing, then they rely mostly on the identification of the AIDS defining illness. Usually HIV doctors, combine the two systems to make an accurate diagnosis, as the clinical stage of the disease. Please check out the link below:


I have known first hand, some people who have double digit CD4 counts and yet were asymptomatic.

If I were you, even though your last unprotected sex was last August 1, still go to the HIV testing site to take the HIV test. The result of this will not evaluate your HIV status based on your last unprotected sex but your current HIV status based on your previous sexual encounters (which you never wrote in your email). If your result turns out to be negative, then you are cleared from your past sexual encounters but not the most recent, thus the need to take the HIV test again 3 months after.

Please don't wait for symptoms. HIV has non specific symptoms. When you had unprotected sex, just go and get tested. Also, if you are sexually active, please take the test on a yearly basis. Please don't be scared of the test. It is your life, so start being responsible.

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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