SHOULD YOU GET TESTED? WHAT THE HIV TEST WILL TELL YOU

Worried about an AIDS infection? Early symptoms include night sweats, lassitude similar to mononucleosis, weight loss in excess of 10 percent of body weight, and flu-like nausea and diarrhea-but don't jump to conclusions: You can have any or all of these symptoms and not have AIDS. If you suspect you have been exposed to HIV, you should get an HIV antibody test for confirmation. Getting tested may scare you, but early diagnosis of HIV and AIDS is the best way to live longer, because although no cure is known for AIDS, early treatment slows it down.

Doctors detect HIV-the virus believed to cause AIDS-by taking a small blood sample and examining it for the presence of certain antibodies, specific compounds the body uses to fight infections. The HIV antibodies mean your body is trying to fight off

HIV. The trouble is, HIV antibodies don't get rid of HIV and eventually you may develop AIDS. It takes about six months after HIV is in your system for the antibodies to develop, so taking a test too soon after exposure may give you false negative results.

When HIV antibodies show up in blood, a person is said to be HIV-positive. (HIV-negative means no antibodies are detected.) If a person is found to be HIV-positive on the first test (the ELISA test), clinics use the same test again, and then confirm the diagnosis with a third, more expensive, test called the Western Blot Test.

AIDS is a social problem as well as a health matter, so most clinics won't reveal HIV test results to anyone but the patient. If privacy is an issue for you, ask for an "anonymous" test rather than one which is "confidential" but recorded on your medical records. Next Card 70: LIVING WITH HIV: Maintaining the Quality of Life

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SHOULD YOU GET TESTED?