HIV: The importance of testing (My Experience of HIV/AIDS)

Member Name: pixis77

Product:	My Experience of HIV/AIDS
Date:	20/07/09 (91 review reads)
Rating:

Advantages: Peace of mind, treatment

Disadvantages: Illness, death

My previous reviews have been fairly lighthearted, so I wanted to tackle something a little more serious and a topic I feel strongly about.

I was reading some of the reviews under the topic heading of HIV, and felt there was something missing...

HOPE and a positive take on living with the virus.

I've known a few HIV positive people over the years and flatshared with a guy during the period in which he was diagnosed. HIV is no party regardless of where you are in the world. In the developing world, poor access to anti-retroviral medication (used to keep HIV in check) means an almost certain death. In the developed world, with access to anti-retrovirals, an HIV diagnosis means a lifetime of managing chronic illness and medication side-effects.

The key thing is to be tested. Without knowing your status, you are putting yourself in an incredibly dangerous situation, both to yourself and to others. I read somewhere that undiagnosed HIV accounts for almost 50% of new infections in the UK. Think about it like this... an undiagnosed HIV positive person may have millions of HIV virions in his or her blood replicating 24/7. A medicated HIV positive person will have far less as a consequence of treatment. Additionally, treatment stops the virus from replicating. Those with undiagnosed HIV are HIGHLY infectious - i.e. have more virus in the blood that can be transmitted to another person. In my opinion, everyone should be getting tested, on a regular basis. That is, ofcourse, in addition to wearing condoms in order to prevent infection occurring in the first place. Obviously, everyone has a choice though - i'm not preaching to anyone I hasten to add!!!

Now onto my experience...

I remember the week around four years ago that my old flatmate was diagnosed. He had been experiencing shortness of breath and fevers on a regular basis. One Friday morning, I had a phone call from him to tell me he was in hospital and that he needed to talk with me. He gave me the name of the ward, and I duly showed up. Instantly, I was concerned as there was a poster for an HIV positive patient forum on the ward wall. As I made my way through, I noticed that most of the beds were empty. Of the few that were occupied, most were filled with relatively healthy looking men and women. There was one bed, however, occupied by the sickest-looking person I have ever seen in my life. He was completely emaciated, hollow-cheeked, with the most wretched and saddest expression I have ever witnessed. I moved away from him hurriedly, spoke with a nurse and was directed to my flatmate.

My flatmate was propped up in bed, attached to a drip. The moment I saw him, he just blurted it out: 'My HIV test came back positive'. He looked absolutely terrified, and understandably so. I gave him a hug, whilst trying to keep my panic at bay. 'He's going to be dead in a couple of years', I thought. I am ashamed to admit that I also thought to myself, 'Am I at risk for infection?'. He informed me that his shortness of breath and fevers were the result of his contracting an opportunistic infection due to his weak immune system.

He was released from hospital one week later. We had numerous discussions relating to how HIV is transmitted. Not by hugging, not by kissing, not by sharing cutlery, not by sharing toilet seats, etc, etc. He told me that the majority of people on the ward were newly diagnosed. And for some of those, the HIV diagnosis came too late, after the immune system had sustained a great deal of damage. I thought of the sick looking man in the hospital bed. He told me that the busiest section of HIV care is now the outpatient department, which is more geared towards managing the condition. We talked about life expectancy. His doctors told him that with treatment he could expect to live a relatively normal life-span. In fact, a recent study published in the Lancet, showed that many HIV positive people can live into their sixties and beyond, if they stick to their treatment regimen. This might come as a surprise to some people - it certainly did to me!!!

The treatment itself - anti-retrovirals - are no walk in the park. I remember my flatmate had terrible stomach pains when he started these, in addition to feeling anxious, and paranoid. Eventually, these side effects died down and things started to get back to normal. Another thing that surprised me is that recently, he has only taken one pill once a day. The pill is a combination of three different medications. Only 15 years ago, most HIV positive people had to take multiple pills at multiple times of the day. HIV medication has come a long way. One particularly frightening side-effect I have heard of, is body-fat changes. These happen to a few people who take the medications, yet no-one is sure exactly how they are caused.

In addition to treatment side-effects, there are of course psychological problems and the stigma attached to the disease. No-one wants HIV. It affects relationships, and can lead to loneliness and feelings of complete and utter despair, even though the prognosis for an HIV positive person has changed so much, at least in the developed world. HIV is a mind-****.

So... I guess my message is that getting tested for HIV is a good idea. If you get tested, and you are diagnosed positive, you can start treatment and re-assess your life and what's important to you. If you don't get tested, you might end up in hospital, too late for treatment to have any effect. And ofcourse, wear a raincoat!!!

I still keep in touch with my old flatmate, and he is doing just great. Ironically, he says he is now healthier than he has ever been. His diagnosis motivated him to change in many, many positive ways.

Stay safe everyone!

Summary: Get tested and wear a raincoat!