Table of ContentsView AllTable of ContentsHow HIV Is DiagnosedWhat Positive MeansEmotions and CopingAccessing TreatmentFinding Support
Table of ContentsView All
View All
Table of Contents
How HIV Is Diagnosed
What Positive Means
Emotions and Coping
Accessing Treatment
Finding Support
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This article will walk you through what an HIV-positive diagnosis is and how your doctor reached it so that you can take the next step in dealing with what is today a manageable condition.
HIV Statistics You Should Know
There are several tests commonly used to diagnose HIV:
When confirmed with the appropriate tests, a positive result can be considered definitive evidence of an HIV infection.
How Is HIV Diagnosed?
Inconclusive Results
If you have been diagnosed with HIV, this means that all the necessary tests have been performed to confirm the initial findings. With that said, some tests may not return an accurate result for several reasons:
Despite these concerns and limitations, there are often ways to confirm an infection even if the test results are indeterminate (inconclusive).
There is a test called thenucleic acid amplification test (NAAT)that can detect the virus itself based on the presence of its genetic material. It is an expensive test that can return an accurate result within 10–33 days of infection and is generally used when there has been ahigh-risk exposure to HIVbut the initial test results are unclear.
In the past, doctors would often have to ask people to come back later if a test result was inconclusive, allowing these individuals to “slip between the cracks” if they forgot or were too afraid to return. NAAT testing has helped reduce the risk of this.
What HIV-Positive Means
Ultimately, an HIV-positive diagnosis means that you have been infected with HIV. And while the infectioncannot be cured, you can receive treatment to control the virus and prevent it from doing damage to yourimmune system.
HIV vs. AIDSAn HIV-positive diagnosis does not mean you haveAIDS. AIDS is a stage in infection where theimmune system is compromisedand unable to defend itself againstopportunistic infections. This most often occurs when an infection is left untreated.
HIV vs. AIDS
An HIV-positive diagnosis does not mean you haveAIDS. AIDS is a stage in infection where theimmune system is compromisedand unable to defend itself againstopportunistic infections. This most often occurs when an infection is left untreated.
AnHIV diagnosisalso doesn’t mean you are going to die early. Today, a person diagnosed and treated early can have anearly normal life expectancy.It is for this reason thatHIV therapyis started as soon as you are diagnosed.
Moreover, if you are able to fully control the virus—defined as an undetectable viral load—your chances of infecting someone else arereduced to zero.This means you can plan to have a family and get pregnant if you want to.
An HIV test cannot tell you how you got infected, who may have infected you, or when precisely the infection took place.
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All of these emotions are fair and reasonable, although some may take time to sort out. What they hopefully do not do is keep you from seeking life-saving treatment. If you are unable to cope, it is important that you reach out to someone for help and not isolate yourself.
Even if you are not yet ready to share the diagnosis with family or friends, you can speak with a counselor at the testing site, get a referral to a local community health center, or contact doctors in your area who specialize in HIV.
For immediate assistance, you can call the 24-hourHIVInfohotline at 1-800-HIV-0440 (1-800-448-0440) to access treatment advice or referrals.
How to Cope and Live Well With HIV
Seeking Treatment
The aim of your first doctor’s appointment is to find a specialist who is not only knowledgeable and experienced but is willing to maintain a long-term partnership with you. This means that information is shared with you completely in a language you understand so that you can make a fully informed choice rather than simply being told what to do.
Once you find a doctor you can work with, you will be given a series of tests to determine both the status of your immune system and the characteristics of your specific virus. These include:
Once the right combination ofantiretroviral drugsis selected, you will see your doctor regularly to assess your response to therapy, check for side effects, and overcome any barriers to adherence.
Once your viral load is fully suppressed, you may only need to see your doctor every three to four months at first and eventually only every six months.
Support means different things to different people. To some, it means reaching out for emotional support to better deal with fears and anxieties. To others, it may mean finding ways to cope with the cost of treatment or seeking legal recourse for workplace or housing discrimination.
Whatever the goals, building a support network helps better ensure your physical and emotional well-being. This may include:
HIV Support Groups
Summary
A positive HIV result means that you have been infected with HIV based on the results of a blood test. To ensure that the diagnosis is correct, the initial blood test will be confirmed with a second test that checks for the virus in a different way. If both tests are positive, the diagnosis of HIV infection can be considered definitive.
If an HIV test is inconclusive, you may be asked to come back later for testing when you are outside of the “window period.” Or, you may be offered a test called NAAT that can detect the genetic material of HIV, particularly if your likelihood of infection is high.
If you are diagnosed with HIV, other tests will be ordered to select the best combination of drugs based on the genetic makeup of your virus. Other tests will be routinely performed to measure the strength of your immune system (CD4 count) and monitor the level of virus in your blood before and during treatment (viral load).
Ask an Expert: Why Is It Important to Know Your HIV Status and How Can I Get Tested?
A Word From Verywell
Receiving an HIV-positive diagnosis will almost invariably be a life-changing event. Even so, make every effort not to presume the worst. HIV is a very different disease than it was even 10 years ago, and many of the concerns—from side effects to the cost of treatment—are nowhere near as impactful as they used to be.
Educating yourself is key. By learning as much about HIV as you can and working with your doctor and care team, you can become a master of your disease rather than the other way around.
What Does an HIV-Negative Result Mean?
8 SourcesVerywell Health uses only high-quality sources, including peer-reviewed studies, to support the facts within our articles. Read oureditorial processto learn more about how we fact-check and keep our content accurate, reliable, and trustworthy.National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases.HIV/AIDS treatment.Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.Getting tested for HIV.Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.Laboratory testing for the diagnosis of HIV infection: updated recommendations.Food and Drug Administration.Information regarding the OraQuick In-Home HIV Test.Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.About HIV.Marcus JL, Chao CR, Leyden WA, et al.Narrowing the gap in life expectancy between HIV-infected and HIV-uninfected individuals with access to care.J Acquir Immune Deficien Synd.2016;73(1):39-46. doi:10.1097/QAI.0000000000001014Rodger A, Cambiano V, Bruun T, et al.Risk of HIV transmission through condomless sex in serodifferent gay couples with the HIV-positive partner taking suppressive antiretroviral therapy (PARTNER): final results of a multicentre, prospective, observational study.Lancet.2019 Jun 15;393(10189):2428-38. doi:10.1016/S0140-6736(19)30418-0Department of Health and Human Services Panel on Antiretroviral Guidelines for Adults and Adolescents.Guidelines for the use of antiretroviral agents in adults and adolescents with HIV.
8 Sources
Verywell Health uses only high-quality sources, including peer-reviewed studies, to support the facts within our articles. Read oureditorial processto learn more about how we fact-check and keep our content accurate, reliable, and trustworthy.National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases.HIV/AIDS treatment.Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.Getting tested for HIV.Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.Laboratory testing for the diagnosis of HIV infection: updated recommendations.Food and Drug Administration.Information regarding the OraQuick In-Home HIV Test.Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.About HIV.Marcus JL, Chao CR, Leyden WA, et al.Narrowing the gap in life expectancy between HIV-infected and HIV-uninfected individuals with access to care.J Acquir Immune Deficien Synd.2016;73(1):39-46. doi:10.1097/QAI.0000000000001014Rodger A, Cambiano V, Bruun T, et al.Risk of HIV transmission through condomless sex in serodifferent gay couples with the HIV-positive partner taking suppressive antiretroviral therapy (PARTNER): final results of a multicentre, prospective, observational study.Lancet.2019 Jun 15;393(10189):2428-38. doi:10.1016/S0140-6736(19)30418-0Department of Health and Human Services Panel on Antiretroviral Guidelines for Adults and Adolescents.Guidelines for the use of antiretroviral agents in adults and adolescents with HIV.
Verywell Health uses only high-quality sources, including peer-reviewed studies, to support the facts within our articles. Read oureditorial processto learn more about how we fact-check and keep our content accurate, reliable, and trustworthy.
National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases.HIV/AIDS treatment.Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.Getting tested for HIV.Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.Laboratory testing for the diagnosis of HIV infection: updated recommendations.Food and Drug Administration.Information regarding the OraQuick In-Home HIV Test.Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.About HIV.Marcus JL, Chao CR, Leyden WA, et al.Narrowing the gap in life expectancy between HIV-infected and HIV-uninfected individuals with access to care.J Acquir Immune Deficien Synd.2016;73(1):39-46. doi:10.1097/QAI.0000000000001014Rodger A, Cambiano V, Bruun T, et al.Risk of HIV transmission through condomless sex in serodifferent gay couples with the HIV-positive partner taking suppressive antiretroviral therapy (PARTNER): final results of a multicentre, prospective, observational study.Lancet.2019 Jun 15;393(10189):2428-38. doi:10.1016/S0140-6736(19)30418-0Department of Health and Human Services Panel on Antiretroviral Guidelines for Adults and Adolescents.Guidelines for the use of antiretroviral agents in adults and adolescents with HIV.
National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases.HIV/AIDS treatment.
Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.Getting tested for HIV.
Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.Laboratory testing for the diagnosis of HIV infection: updated recommendations.
Food and Drug Administration.Information regarding the OraQuick In-Home HIV Test.
Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.About HIV.
Marcus JL, Chao CR, Leyden WA, et al.Narrowing the gap in life expectancy between HIV-infected and HIV-uninfected individuals with access to care.J Acquir Immune Deficien Synd.2016;73(1):39-46. doi:10.1097/QAI.0000000000001014
Rodger A, Cambiano V, Bruun T, et al.Risk of HIV transmission through condomless sex in serodifferent gay couples with the HIV-positive partner taking suppressive antiretroviral therapy (PARTNER): final results of a multicentre, prospective, observational study.Lancet.2019 Jun 15;393(10189):2428-38. doi:10.1016/S0140-6736(19)30418-0
Department of Health and Human Services Panel on Antiretroviral Guidelines for Adults and Adolescents.Guidelines for the use of antiretroviral agents in adults and adolescents with HIV.
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