Dear Counsellor
,
I'm so confused. A girl I had sex with three weeks ago died suddenly. It is rumoured that she had AIDS. Would I know whether I contracted HIV from her if I got tested right away?
- Robert
Dear Robert:
I am sorry to hear that you may have been exposed to HIV the virus that causes AIDS.
Remember that an exposure to HIV does not mean that you must become infected. I suggest that you speak with an HIV knowledgeable counsellor as soon as possible since you will need to wait awhile before you get tested.
The HIV antibody test looks for antibodies to the virus in a person's blood. For most people these antibodies take eight weeks to develop.
Some people may take as long as six months to develop antibodies. Getting tested before the eight weeks period is up may result in an unclear test result, as the infected person may not have developed antibodies to HIV yet. So it is best for you to wait for at least eight weeks after the last time you had unprotected sex.
WHAT ARE THE SYMPTOMS FOR STI?
Dear Counsellor:
What are the symptoms for STI? I need to know this because my boyfriend refuses to use a condom and so I want to know what to look out for just in case I pick up anything from him.
- Worried girlfriend.
Dear Worried girlfriend:
It is important for you to know that many sexually transmitted infections (STIs) have no noticeable symptoms.
In most cases you cannot tell by looking if a person is infected especially in the case of HIV the virus that causes AIDS. For other STIs like gonorrhoea and chalymidia most infected women, eight out of 10 don't know that they are infected and this is why it is so important for everyone to practice safer sex.
You must have a heart-to-heart talk with your boyfriend about condom use, find out why he does not want to use them, then see how you can help him to understand the importance of condom use.
For more information on condom use, HIV/AIDS and other sexually transmitted infections call the AIDS/STD Helpline at 967-3830, 967-3764 or toll free at 1-888-991-4444 or write to AIDS Affairs, c/o THE STAR, 7 North Street, Kingston.
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