“I have HIV”: an instruction for those who found out about their diagnosis

The analysis showed the presence of HIV. What to do?

First of all, go to the AIDS center, advises Kirill Barskikh. Each region has its own, in Moscow, for example, as many as three – city, regional and federal. It all depends on the place of registration. In general, it is better to go to the AIDS center and get tested, from there the information will not go anywhere, it is a closed system.

Do I need to take a second test?

If a positive result was shown by the immunoblot test (method of laboratory testing of blood serum for the presence of antibodies to HIV; this is a more accurate analysis than ELISA, and is used to confirm the results of ELISA, – approx. Healthy Food Near Me), then you will not be sent for a second test. If the result of this test is questionable, then in most cases this means that the antibodies have not yet had time to form.

What’s next?

The patient is assigned to the AIDS center at the place of registration. And the doctor gives instructions on what other tests to take in order to determine the treatment regimen and prescribe antiretroviral therapy. The task is to do this as early as possible in order to maintain immunity for longer.

Do I have to buy expensive medicines?

No. People with HIV infection belong to the privileged category. Medicines are provided to them at the expense of the federal budget.

How often should I see a doctor?

Everything is very individual. It is recommended to take tests every six months. And also to visit the doctor once a month, two, three. It depends on the treatment regimen, the frequency of prescriptions and the state of the human body, as well as the presence of other chronic diseases.

What are the restrictions now?

Before starting therapy, the main instruction is to maintain your health, do not drink, do not engage in unprotected sex. When therapy has already begun, all restrictions are discussed with the doctor. Again, this is individual and depends on immunity. But in any case, it is important to lead a healthy lifestyle and take medications regularly.

How can I come to terms with my diagnosis?

An HIV-infected person faces shock, horror, fear, feelings of loneliness, alienation, resentment and anger, shame and guilt, chronic tension and anxiety. He is afraid of society, begins to take antidepressants, alcohol. And then the help of a psychotherapist is urgently needed, says Ekaterina Shurova.

The specialist helps to overcome the phase of shock, which consists mainly of repression and denial (“no, this did not happen to me”), then overcome the phrase of anger and powerlessness. The third is the phase of suffering, when a person is at the mercy of his own inner pain. And the fourth is the phase of integration, when a crisis event in life is transformed into a fact of personal biography. The patient realizes what life with HIV-positive status will be like now, how to build it.

He understands that his diagnosis is both a threat and an opportunity at the same time.

And now he has only one difference from other people: a person with a positive HIV status realizes the fact of death and tries to delay it, treats his life humanely and adequately.

Why do I need support groups?

These communities provide tremendous power. When a newcomer comes, he begins to understand that he is not alone, that there are people with the same problems. And others accept him, do not condemn him, are not afraid of him, help, listen to problems, give a positive reaction. The support group becomes a resource to avoid feeling lonely. Otherwise, depression will come.

Do I need to talk about the diagnosis to relatives?

You need to tell your family that you have HIV so that they have support. You can tell your father, mother, brother or sister if you understand that the news will not “kill” them. Remember that elderly relatives, for example, may simply not understand what it is, in their picture of the world it looks like you will die tomorrow.

How to tell your beloved?

Beloved about the diagnosis must be told. This is not only about safety, but also about respect.

Get ready for it to start moving away.

But if so, he either did not take you seriously, or he needs time to realize. After all, the problem of HIV for your loved one can be as little studied and daunting as it is for you.

But, says Ekaterina Shurova, in most cases, HIV infection did not destroy relationships or did not interfere with starting new ones.

“I think all the time that I will die soon.” What to do?

In order to help yourself come to emotional stability, you need not only go to a specialist, but also have knowledge. HIV infection is a chronic infectious disease. How many more are there? Diabetes mellitus, for example. People with him are also constantly taking medications, dieting, taking care of themselves.

It is important to know as much as possible about the diagnosis. What is HIV, when AIDS occurs, what drug therapy should be taken now. Every year medicine is improving, new drugs appear. HIV is no longer so scary and dangerous.

Why are you comforting me? This is a fatal disease, the result is clear to me.

Yes. But, as strange as it may sound, the diagnosis helps HIV-infected people to become aware of their lives. What they were before the infection, what they might be after. They take the path of health, care, take care of themselves, because there is simply no other way. And many people without HIV do not care about their own lives.

If the thought of impending death is constantly spinning in your head, ask people in the HIV community how old they are. Because the life expectancy of such patients today averages 65 years. And every year or three it increases. By the time a patient turns 50, it may even be that the life expectancy of HIV-infected people will reach 80 years. Medicine does not stand still.

“I know who infected me.” What to do?

If we are talking about a lover, then first you must definitely discuss with him. Perhaps he did not know about his status, he was in a state of seronegative window (the period from the moment of infection to the appearance of antibodies lasts, as a rule, from two weeks to three months, – approx. Healthy Food Near Me). Forgiving someone who intentionally infected you is difficult, perhaps even impossible. This is where you have to make a choice. The Criminal Code contains article 122, which provides for responsibility both for putting a person at risk of contracting HIV infection without actually contracting it, and for actually infecting a person, knowing that he has this disease.