BY: SHEANICUS FRANKLIN

ACQUIRED IMMUNO DEFICIENCY SYNDROME

HIV CAN BE SPREAD THROUGH ANY TYPE OF UNPROTECTED SEX (ORAL, VAGINAL, OR ANAL) IF ONE OF THE PARTNERS HAS THE VIRUS. THIS CAN HAPPEN WHEN BODY FLUIDS SUCH AS SEMEN (CUM), VAGINAL FLUIDS, OR BLOOD FROM AN INFECTED PERSON GET INTO THE BODY OF SOMEONE WHO IS NOT INFECTED. SHARING NEEDLES TO INJECT DRUGS OR STEROIDS IS ANOTHER WAY THAT HIV CAN BE PASSED TO OTHER PEOPLE. SHARING OF NEEDLES FOR TATTOOS, PIERCINGS, AND BODY ART TRANSMITT HIV THROUGH THE TINY AMOUNTS OF BLOOD ATTACHED TO THE NEEDLE. ALSO, NEWBORN BABIES ARE AT RISK OF GETTING THE HIV VIRUS FROM THEIR MOTHERS IF THEY'RE INFECTED.

ANTIBODY TESTS IS THE MOST COMMON HIV TEST THAT LOOK FOR HIV ANTIBODIES IN YOUR BODY, RATHER THAN LOOKING FOR HIV ITSELF. ENZYME IMMUNOASSAY (EIA) TESTS USE BLOOD, ORAL FLUID, OR URINE TO DETECT HIV ANTIBODIES. RESULTS FOR THESE TESTS CAN TAKE UP TO TWO WEEKS. RAPID HIV ANTIBODY TESTS ALSO USED BLOOD, ORAL FLUID, OR URINE TO DETECT HIV ANTIBODIES. RESULTS FOR THESE TESTS CAN TAKE 10-20 MINUTES. IF YOU GET A POSITIVE RESULT FROM EITHER OF THESE TESTS, YOU WILL NEED TO TAKE ANOTHER TEST, CALLED A WESTERN BLOT TEST, TO CONFIRM THAT RESULT. IT CAN TAKE UP TO TWO WEEKS TO CONFIRM A POSITIVE RESULT. ANTIGEN TESTS ARE NOT AS COMMON AS ANTIBODY TESTS, BUT THEY CAN BE USED TO DIAGNOSE HIV INFECTION EARLIER FROM 1-3 WEEKS AFTER YOU ARE FIRST INFECTED WITH HIV. ANTIGEN TESTS REQUIRE A BLOOD SAMPLE. PCR TEST (POLYMERASE CHAIN REACTION TEST) DETECTS THE GENERATIC MATERIAL OF HIV ITSELF, AND CAN IDENTIFY HIV IN THE BLOOD WITHIN 2-3 WEEKS OF INFECTION. BLOOD SUPPLIES IN MOST DEVELOPED COUNTRIES ARE SCREENED FOR HIV USING PCR TESTS. PCR TESTS ARE ALSO USED TO MEASURE VIRAL LOADS FOR PEOPLE WHO ARE HIV POSITIVE. HOME TESTING KITS ARE HIV ANTIBODY TESTS CURRENTLY ONLY ONE TEST, THE HOME ACCESS HIV 1 TEST SYSTEM, IS APPROVED BY THE FDA FOR THIS PURPOSE. THIS IS NOT A TRUE HIV TESTING KIT, BUT A SAMPLE COLLECTING KIT.