Frequently Asked Questions

  Shouldn’t everyone get tested to be sure?

This is a commonly asked question. Some people try to justify it by claiming that they should know if they were caring for or working with someone who is HIV+ or who has AIDS ‘just in case of an accident’. Some also feel they need to know the HIV status of the health care workers they interact with, and mandatory testing would be the answer.

But would it? By knowing what you know now of the window period, you know that it is impossible to guarantee a person’s health status by simply taking one test. What if the person had just been infected three weeks ago and tested negative? They would be infectious, and it would not be detected until their next required test. And how soon should that next test be? And how often should someone be required to be tested within a year?

If everyone practices standard universal precautions treating all body fluids as potentially infectious, fears like these could be eliminated.

  How old do you have to be to be tested without your parents finding out?

Minors may be tested for HIV without parental consent in the following circumstances:

• Any minor 12 years or older who presents for evaluation of sexually transmitted disease, who is felt capable of giving informed consent.
• Any married minor or unwed minor 12 years or older.
• In the above cases, no form of notification may be given to a minor's parent (including billing) even in the event of a positive test result.

  If a co-worker is HIV+ or has AIDS, can others get it from sharing things on the job like equipment, phones, toilets or other materials?

HIV does not live long outside the body. An infected person sharing pencils, using the same phone or handling the same equipment with others cannot transmit it to another person. It is not airborne, so working closely in a confined space cannot transmit it. A person coughing and sneezing also cannot transmit it.

  If a person is exposed to the body fluids of a person who is HIV+ either through sex or through accident, is it certain that they will become infected?

No. Being exposed to HIV infection does not guarantee that you will become infected. Three things play a part in the determination. First, it depends on something called the ‘viral load’ of the infected person. This simply means how many viral particles are in their bloodstream at the time of the incident. The lower the viral load, the less the chance of transmission.

The second is the amount of infectious body fluid the person was exposed to. Again, the smaller the amount, the less chance. And the third is the port of entry. The larger the area and the deeper into the body it goes, the greater the risk.

  If a person is taking birth control pills, there is no need to worry about HIV and other sexually transmitted diseases, right?

This is the belief of many young women, and it is false. Birth control pills are  to prevent pregnancy, and do not protect you from anything else. There is no pill on the market that can do that.

  If a woman is pregnant and HIV+, will her baby be positive too?

If a woman is pregnant and HIV+, there is a one in three (33%) chance that her baby will be positive. However, if the woman gets on AZT therapy after her 14th week, the chances her baby will be positive decreases to approximately 7.8%.

It is important for all pregnant women to be tested for HIV early in pregnancy. If they are at high risk, they should be tested again during the pregnancy and again at delivery.

I know I’m HIV negative. I had surgery last year and on admission to the hospital had all kinds of blood taken for different tests. If I had tested positive, they would have told me, wouldn’t they?

In most instances, it is against the law to test someone for HIV without first telling them of your intention, explaining the testing process and the possible results, and getting their consent in writing. Some hospitals follow this procedure carefully. Other hospitals have been known to insert a small paragraph into the mounds of papers you are asked to sign.

That paragraph says that you are giving your permission to be tested for HIV, and how results will be handled.

It’s always a good idea to read everything carefully and ask any questions if in doubt.

  If two people already know they are HIV+, there is no reason to practice safer sex, right?

Wrong. It is possible for someone to get re-infected, introducing another and possibly more virulent strain of the virus into their body. Let’s say that one person had not been diligent in taking their medication, and has become resistant to them. This person re-infects their partner, who in turn could very well be resistant to the medications that would help deal with this new strain.

  If I’m positive, what difference does it make if I get tested?

The biggest and best reason to be tested is to help you to live years longer. Some people are not finding out their HIV status until they are forced to go to the doctor for the diarrhea that won’t stop, or they end up in emergency rooms with pneumonia. These people have already progressed to AIDS. If they had known their HIV status earlier, they could have gotten medications when they would have been most effective. Regular medical checkups will be able to detect changes before they become major health problems.