Dr. Demetre: I had unprotected sex two weeks ago. Now I have a cold. I’m freaking out. How worried should I be?
Dr. David: I’m a doctor.
Dr. Demetre: I’m Dr. Demetre.
Dr. David: And I’m Dr. David.
Dr. Demetre: We’re HIV doctors.
Dr. David: And we’re here to answer your questions on HIV and sexual health.
Dr. Demetre: So the answer is, don’t freak out. Be worried enough to go see a doctor. HIV is just like other STDs. Not everybody gets symptoms. So certainly don’t wait for symptoms to get tested for HIV and don’t wait for symptoms to get tested for STDs. It’s a matter of routine care for gay men – get tested every three to six months. Have a whole battery of tests done – HIV, syphilis, gonorrhea, chlamydia – it’s just a way to maintain your health and to make sure that you aren’t carrying something asymptomatic.
Are you looking for signs? Don’t fool yourself. Dr. Demetre shares how you know for sure if you have HIV.
As with many other sexually transmitted diseases (STDs), HIV often shows NO symptoms initially. As a result, people who have HIV often don’t find out until much later when the disease is further along and treatments may be less effective.
You cannot rely on symptoms to tell you whether or not you have HIV. The only way to know for sure if you have HIV is to get tested.
Click here to find free and low cost HIV testing locations in your area.
