I've lived a clean life, so I've never really worried about HIV. I've never taken drugs or had sex. But recently, I decided to find out what it was to get tested for HIV because I wanted to encourage my friends to do the same.
I did some research and found a clinic that did HIV test, then I made an appointment. The testing centre was in an ordinary office building. There was no sign outside that read: "Get your HIV Test Here!" So that no one would know why people were going there. Once inside, I went to the main desk. When I rang the doorbell, a counselor appeared and I told her that I wanted to be tested for HIV. She took me to a separate room for counseling before the test. "Tell me what you know about HIV,"she said.
That was easy. At school we had covered the basics of HIV/AIDS. "HIV stands for Human Imunodeficiency Virus. It's the virus that causes AIDS. AIDS stand for Acquired Immune Deficiency Syndrome. HIV is transmitted through blood, or other body fluids. Most people get it by having sexual contact with an infected person. The symptoms are:
Fever,
Chills,
Rash,
Night sweats,
Muscle aches,
Sore throat,
Fatigue,
Swollen lymph nodes,etc."
"Good" she said. Then she explained that HIV test can be anonymous. With an anonymous test, no official record of your HIV test exists, so no one can ever obtain this information.
The test for HIV is a blood test. Blood is drawn from your arm with a needle and sent to a laboratory for testing. The results are usually returned within two weeks.
Preparing for the test
Next, the counselor asked me about my sexual experience: "Have you ever had unprotected sex?" I was able to tell her truthfully. Then she discussed ways to reduce the risk of getting HIV. She told me the best way was abstinence. So I did the HIV test. The nurse drew blood from my arm and sent it to a laboratory for testing...
The result
"Are you ready for the results?" Said the counselor. I said yes and she told me I had tested negative. "I would like to congratulate you on the way you care for yourself and others. However, if someone tests positive, that means that they have the HIV, and the clinic will help them to get treatment and counseling."
"You see, getting tested is important because the number of HIV-infected youth is rising."she continued. "That means that if someone is sexually active, the risk of being with a person who has HIV is greater. I can see that you understand that very well."
Today is 14th November, World Sexual Purity Day. Today is a day of awareness to let the whole world know that sexual purity is possible and attainable. Happy Sunday
