I am going to present you the basic information that each and every one of us should know about HIV/AIDS, in order not only to prevent ourselves from getting infected, but also in order to protect our partners. I strongly believe that it`s our moral duty to constantly check our HIV status by getting tested at least once every three months, and also before starting a new relationship.  Remember, it can take up to six months from the moment of infection to the point when your body begins to produce the specific HIV antibodies, so an HIV test CANNOT guarantee you that you are HIV-negative.

For instance, you could`ve gotten infected one or two weeks before testing, so the results of the test will obviously come out as negative since your body didn`t have the time to produce HIV antibodies. Therefore, one can only know for sure whether he`s negative or positive after at least three months of sexual abstinence. The ONLY way to know your HIV status for sure is to get tested for HIV, no other blood tests can be so accurate.

Until a couple of decades ago, the HIV virus was known as one of the main causes of death among  gay men all around the world, especially young ones. However, the number of deaths and new infections caused by the HIV virus has significantly decreased since condoms began to be more more accessible and used, and after the antiretroviral treatment was discovered. Nowadays, the proportion is reversed, it`s not the gay men who are the most exposed to the risk, heterosexual people are, too.

One of the most common mistake people make when it comes to HIV/AIDS is that they think it`s one and the same thing. HIV is the virus, AIDS is the disease caused by the virus. Although it can take 15-20 years or even more until one HIV-positive patient gets AIDS, it can sometimes take no more than two years without proper medication. Talking about medication, it is very important that recently diagnosed people take their medicine at the same hour each day, because skipping a day can significantly reduce the effectiveness of the HAART treatment.

As said earlier, there is a treatment using antiretroviral medicine (HAART), a cocktail of three or sometimes even more antiretrovirals that basically make it slower for the HIV virus to advance. Some strains are very violent, while others aren`t strong at all, but it`s mainly about our immune systems, because people with a very good immune system will find it easier to fight against HIV. If, however, your test results came out positive, you need to make a couple more tests in order to check your viral load. The lower your viral load is, the better.

Basically, the viral load shows how much has the virus spread in your body, and if the number of CD4 cells (or T-cells), is big enough in order to fight the HIV virus. CD4 cells are the helping cells which help your body fight against diseases and infections, from a simple cold to the HIV virus for instance. However, once the number of CD4 cells begins to dramatically decrease, then is the time for HAART medication to be used.

The ways of contracting the HIV virus are already known: semen and blood (and maternal milk). However, if one has a serious mouth injury or something that is seriously bleeding, the saliva contains the virus as well. Otherwise, studies have shown that saliva does NOT contain the virus, therefore one cannot get infected by kissing a diagnosed person.

I`d ike to sum up by telling all of you that besides the fact it`s our moral duty to get constantly tested, it is also our duty to inform your partners about your HIV status. DON`T tell youself ''since I`m practicing safe sex, he doesn`t need to know", because that condom may break, and then what? You`d better be safe than sorry, so use a condom and be honest.

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