does having a positive viral load means you are HIV positive or does any other STD makes the VIRAL LOAD TO BE POSITIVE?
126260
If they did an HIV viral load than it would indicate that you currently have active HIV virus in your blood. There are other viral loads that could have been performed ie Hepatitis C,B,or A viral loads. So if it was an HIV viral load that was performed with a result of 600 copies or more it would generally indicate that the patient is HIV positive there is the posibility of a false positive. If it is the first test that has been done I would suggest a repeat analysis and an HIV genotype. And talk with your doctor about your lab results not us schmos on the Q&A make sure you know what you're being tested for.
416454
It is definitely possible to transfer an STD like HIV this way. \nHowever - if the needle is very old, let's say a couple of months then it is not very likely. If it is only a few days old the probability increases. Depends how humid and airtight the tissue in the needle was stored. \n\nif you got stung recently you need to get two tests. One right now to confirm that you don't have any infection (antibodies) right now and then another one later, in about 6 months. This is how long an HIV virus needs in the body to become active and the body to product antibodies - which are measured in the test. \n\nLet's say your test right now is negative and in 6 months positive then you can say that it was likely the needle. \nIf you are positive right now then it was perhaps an earlier infection (depending on how long ago the sting is) and may not have to do with the needle. \n\nIt is important to get tested twice to make sure you really know. Because if you are really infected then you should get treatment as soon as possible. Caught in an early stage of infection it can be pushed out more successfully.
646905
Nope, if you're both HIV / AIDS negative there is a 0 chance you'll get infected... unless you involve a monkey somehow... or an infected person...
87813
First of all, I am sorry about what is going on with your boyfriend. I am a Registered Nurse and the mental anguish of this diagnosis can be very difficult.\n\nMost Definelty! Tests can be wrong...\n\nHowever, there are two tests for HIV, (Western Blot and Elisa Test)--if both of those tests came out positive then he is probably positive. The Western Blot test is the most "accurate" test.--So there can be instances where a person is positive for the Elisa Test and Negative for the Western Blot test and vice versa.--The fact still remains that the Western Blot is the most definitive test.\n\nAnd to answer your other question..."Can he be healthy and still be HIV positive"--- Most Definetly, this is 2006, now a days, HIV is not a "death sentence". As you know, it can take up to ten years to become positive or let alone feel the symptoms of being HIV positive. You must remember that HIV is a virus that causes AIDS. AIDS and its effects such as (PCP pneumonia, Kaposi Sarcoma, Low T Cell Counts) are what kill people, not HIV. The HIV Virus can lie "dormant" (meaning asymptomatic, still contagious to others however) for lack of better terms until the person is diagnosed with AIDS. Even if it is confirmed that he is HIV positive, being physically fit will be on his side. His life span may be prolonged by that alone.\n\nAnyway, I hope this helps....I really hope all goes well with your beau. Do you plan on getting tested as well?
134047
Excuse me, have sex after hearing that? oh,never.\nfirst of all they lied to you about it from the begining, oh, please don't put yourself in this postion, if you get pregnanat the child would have HIV+, since you might be the carrier.
291176
I see a lot of different answers, some a common theme.\n\nHIV is caught primarily through the blood of an infected person with the HIV virus going directly into the bloodstream of a person who is not infected. Therefore, oral sex.... minimal risk. I say minimal because the virus is destroyed if it goes into the stomach however if there are open cuts/sores/ulcers in the mouth and there is blood contact, there is a small chance. SMALL.\n\nRegarding the condom breaking - again there needs to be direct fluid transfer into the bloodstream. Depending on how rough the sex is, there could be abrasions/ raw areas in either the vagina or anal area that may act as a transmission area. \n\nAll the transmission rates are dependent on the person who has HIV though. If their viral load ( the amount of virus in their bloodstream) is low... then again, risk is SMALL. Note please that I do not use the words... NO RISK
672900
If you used a condom and it didn't break then the chance you were exposed to HIV is very minimal.  If you didn't use a condom and your partner has  the virus that causes AIDS then chances are that you'll test positive within 6 months or so.  ALWAYS WHERE A CONDOM!  I work in the healthcare field and we have patients that are 13, 14, & 15 years old that have tested positive for HIV and it really bothers me. They may as well sit around somewhere and wait to die :-(  Furthermore being exposed to STDs doesn't have anything to do with whether you have an orgasm or not, it's the simple fact that you had intercourse.
23484
You contract HIV by swapping bodily fluids with someone who has HIV.  HIV can progress to full blown AIDS.  If you don't know this, then you shouldn't be having sex with ANYBODY, lesbian or NOT
641674
AIDS is not a virus....HIV is a virus that is known to cause AIDS....You can't have AIDS, if you don't have HIV.  A person may go a long time know they have HIV and having no symptoms.  This does not mean that they won't later have symptoms or that they won't get AIDS.  She could possibly harm people she has sex with.  This is a weird question.  Why are you asking this?
254748
I seriously doubt it.  I guess, most of these people don't understand that if it was that easily spread, almost everyone would have it by now.  Kissing will NOT spread it...oral sex is said to have an EXTREMELY low chance because there are not any documented cases that it has been spread in this way.  Oral sex is more likely to spread other STDs...such as herpes.\n\nIf you've let a guy who is HIV positive go down on you, relax.  I don't think you've contracted it this way.  Go ahead and get checked if you are worried, though.  You should be checked regularly, anyway.\n\nBy the way, its not just plain *ucking stupid to even let him.  Remember, most of the people who answer questions on this site aren't the brightest people around.
24584
HIV is found in low concentration in urine, but the risk of transmission in this form is negligible. Compare this to saliva of someone with HIV. There is viritually no risk of transmission through saliva, and the same is true with urine.\n\nIf my answer was helpful, please remember to consider selecting it as the best answer in 24 hours. :-)
533666
The answer is yes, to contradict a popular belief, HIV is not a contact infection, There are numerous cases where HIV has not been contacted during a relationship of sero discordant partners (gay as well as straight) I know of several case personally from straight partners of five years or more and they have remain negative. It has to do with viral shedding from the genital tract and other factor.
665515
AIDS spreads through multiple sexual contacts or by using common syringes or razor blades etc best thing to confirm abt hiv is 2 get tested for hiv not only ELISA -ve tells tht u r hiv -ve there r many other tests u shd undergo ELISA is just 2 detect 4 or 5 strains there r 18 - 22 strains of hiv virus against whom u must b negative only thn u r considered -ve 2 AIDS u know AIDS is a last stage of hiv infection
649626
False positive are common among HIV test and your body chemistry may bring up another false positve. \n\nI doubt you have anything to worry about but your stress is real, I freak out when the cholestarol levels are slighty high this is HIV/AIDS of course paranoia is required.
276422
Hello:\nThis is in response to your question posted about symptoms of HIV. I treat a lot of patients with HIV and AIDS. There is a difference. Being HIV positive means simply that you have been exposed to the virus and infected. More often than not, people have no symptoms at all. There is a syndrome called "acute retroviral syndrome" which can occur weeks to a few months after being infected. The symptoms are like having a flu. Fever, swollen lymph nodes, nausea, vomiting, diarrhea, fatigue, malaise, sore throat, muscle and joint aches, and a diffuse rash on the body however, this resolves soon and the person thinks he/she just had a flu or bad cold. Most HIV patients have no symptoms until their T-cell CD4 counts get below a certain number and their viral load (the number of copies of virus in 1 ml of blood) rises above a certain number. When these two things happen, the patient will begin to develop symptoms, ie. more colds, more viral infections, pneumonia, bronchitis, yeast infections, thrush, skin rashes. Then there is what are called "AIDS-defining illnesses". Examples include esophageal "thrush", pneumocystis pneumonia ("PCP"), kaposi sarcoma (a type of skin cancer that are deep purple in color) just to name a few.  The only real way you know if you have HIV is to have the HIV 1&2 antibody test done by your physician. This can be done by blood draw, or more simply a swab of your mouth/saliva. If positive, then the doc will check your viral load and T-cell counts. Usually symptoms do not start appearing until the T-lymphocyte cell count falls below 200. HIV is not a death sentence like it was originally. Most people infected with HIV back in the early 80's to mid 90's went on to develop full blown AIDS due to lack of anti-retroviral drugs. Currently, the are many HIV drugs that target the virus replication, entry into the T-cells, ability of virus to form its protein coat, and some others that act in a different manner that are in the drug pipeline but not currently available. Rarely in the United States do you see AIDS defining illnesses and people are living much longer now. I have a patient I treat who was diagnosed in 1988 and he is still very much alive and kicking thanks to the many drug cocktails available to keep the virus at bay. In fact, the virus is undetectable in his bloodstream now and his T-cell counts are back to normal.\nI hope this helped answer your questions.\nRegards, \nWarren Shaffer, M.D.
598452
cytomegalovirus\nno it does not indicate pregnancy\nit shows if you have an antibody to cytomegalovirus a virus.
153474
Yes, it's still possible that you could test positive.  And, it's also still possible that she could test positive in a later test if you are positive.  Seroconversion for HIV, the process of enough antibodies accumulating in the blood to allow for a reliable positive test result, can take six months.  So, if you already had it, and gave it to her somewhere over the past six months, she wouldn't necessarily test positive yet.