Know your risk for HIV
Charlotte Ledonne, AIDS advocate, said "Know your risk for HIV, and know your partner’s risk for HIV."
Risk factors include:
- multiple partners, unprotected sex (oral, anal and/or vaginal),
- injection drug use,
- sex with someone who has injected drugs-either in the past or currently and
- Sex with a man who has or has had sex with men.
If you think you are at risk, get tested.
If you test positive, the sooner you take steps to protect your health, the better.
Early medical treatment, a healthy lifestyle and a positive attitude can help you stay well.
Prompt medical care may delay the onset of AIDS and prevent some life-threatening conditions. It is important to know that a positive HIV test should always be confirmed, to be sure that it is a true positive.
STEPS to Take
- See a doctor, even if you don't feel sick. Try to find a doctor who has experience treating HIV. There are now many new drugs to treat HIV infection.
- Have a tuberculosis (TB) test done. You may be infected with TB and not know it. Undetected TB can cause serious illness. TB can be treated successfully if detected early.
- Recreational drugs, alcoholic beverages and smoking can weaken your immune system. There are programs available to help you stop.
- Consider joining a support group for people with HIV infection or finding out about other resources available in your area, such as HIV/AIDS-knowledgeable counselors for one on one therapy. There are also many newsletters available for people living with HIV and AIDS.
- There is much you can do to stay healthy. Learning as much as you can is a step in the right direction. Local and/or national resources may be available. Many HIV/AIDS organizations provide services free or on a sliding scale, based on ability to pay.
Early testing for those at risk helps provide early care and prevents the spread to others. The cost of the HIV test is $5.00, though no one will be denied services if unable to pay. Call Sherry at Alamosa County Nursing Services at 587-5187 for confidential information and to schedule an appointment.
Locally, call the Charlotte Ledonne charlottel@slvmhc.org, at 589-4977 or 589-3671.
Contact the CDC National AIDS Hotline for more information and referrals at 1-800-342-2437 (English), 1-800-344-7432,
