|
What if
I test positive for HIV?
If you test positive for
HIV, the sooner you take steps to protect your health, the better.
Early medical treatment and a healthy lifestyle can help you
stay well. Prompt medical care may delay the onset of AIDS and
prevent some life-threatening conditions. There are a number
of important steps you can take immediately to protect your health:
- See a doctor, even if you
do not feel sick. Try to find a doctor who has experience treating
HIV. There are now many drugs to treat HIV infection and help
you maintain your health. It is never too early to start thinking
about treatment possibilities.
- Have a TB (tuberculosis)
test done. You may be infected with TB and not know it. Undetected
TB can cause serious illness, but it can be successfully treated
if caught early.
- Smoking cigarettes, drinking
too much alcohol, or using illegal drugs (such as cocaine) can
weaken your immune system. There are programs available that
can help you reduce or stop using these substances.
There is much you can do
to stay healthy. Learn all that you can about maintaining good
health.
Call the CDC National AIDS
Hotline to get additional information, order publications, and
obtain referrals to local, state, and national resources that
may be useful to you. The Hotline numbers are 1 (800) 342-2437
(English), 1 (800) 344-7432 (Español), and 1 (800) 243-7889 (TTY).
If you live in Cabell, Lincoln, Logan, Mingo, Mason, or Wayne
Counties in West Virginia call TSATF at Huntington Local: 1 (304) 522-HELP (4357) or West Virginia Toll Free: 1 (888) 299-AIDS (2437)
You also can order publications and get referrals from the CDC
National Prevention Information Network (operators of the National
AIDS Clearinghouse) by calling 1-800-458-5231. |
