5 Benefits of Regular Testing for HIV Prevention

Ebizimo Agedah, information officer with the Bayelsa State Agency for the Control of HIV/AIDS, BYSACA writes on the 5 Benefits of Regular Testing for HIV Prevention.

Do you know that HIV/AIDS has no cure? Prevention of HIV is the only way to avoid contracting the disease and regular testing is one sure way of knowing your status.

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Regular Testing for HIV reveals:

1. HIV Negative

It helps you to take steps and actions to prevent HIV. It also makes you cautious about the modes of transmission of HIV. Remember that unprotected sex with an infected person still remains the highest mode of transmission.

2. HIV Positive

With HIV treatment taken consistently and correctly, it can reduce the viral load which is the HIV in the blood such that it becomes so low and undetectable.

3. Prevention in Pregnancy

It helps to decrease the number of children that would be born with HIV. A pregnant woman with HIV who begins treatment early would not transmit the virus to the baby during the pregnancy, delivery or through breastfeeding.

4. More about HIV

Many persons with HIV look and feel healthy, only an HIV test can help you know. Symptoms of HIV can be confused with other illnesses hence, they go unnoticed but with regular testing, you can know. Also counseling sessions before testing helps you to know more about HIV.

5. HIV Prevalence

Regular testing reveals the HIV prevalence which refers to the number of infections both old and new in a particular location. This provides data for government to make policies on HIV issues.

It is advised that testing for HIV be done regularly and repeated every 3-6 months. Visit any health facility in your locality and get tested or get HIV self test kits in any pharmaceutical shop.