HIV/AIDS

Supporting Information

HIV counselling and testing can help in the early detection of HIV infection and in enabling those who are infected to get the support services they need, manage other infectious diseases they might have, and learn about living with HIV/AIDS and how to avoid infecting others. Counselling and testing can also help those not infected to remain uninfected through education about safer sex.

If the result of an HIV/AIDS test is negative, this means the person tested is not infected or it is too early to detect the virus. The HIV blood test may not detect infection up to the first six months. The test should be repeated six months after any possible exposure to HIV infection. Since an infected person can transmit the virus at any time, it is important to use a condom during sex or to avoid penetration.

Families and communities should demand and support confidential HIV/AIDS counselling, testing and information to help protect adults and children from the disease.

An HIV/AIDS test can help couples decide whether to have children. If one partner is infected, he or she could infect the other while attempting to conceive.

It is possible to stop HIV from spreading to the next generation if young people know the facts about HIV transmission, abstain from sex, and have access to condoms.