Hiv

[Ramona]

My partner is a guy, and I just got results that I have HIV. Neither one of us is sick, but I'm so scared we will be. OMG! What do I tell him!? I'm going out of my mind.

[Victoria]

Hello Ramona,

First, you are wonderfully brave and open to come here and post your story. Thank you so very much for doing that.

It is usually impossible to tell how long someone might have had HIV before they were diagnosed, or to figure out which partner is the one from whom it was contracted. Keep in mind HIV routinely goes 7-10 years with few if any symptoms you might notice. So, the point there is HIV detected not long ago doesn't mean you or your partner necessarily were unfaithful. Stress that to him.

Another is that he, of course, needs to be tested too. Let's chat a minute about how you can minimize his freak out factor!

*Early detection of HIV really helps make treatments more effective, and are the treatments ever effective these days. To be sure, they don't work the same in everybody but a "cocktail" that combines several drugs is a common approach to therapy now. Patients who go on their meds and stick to them can have healthy, long lives. It's not unusual for someone with the virus to now live long lives of 35-40 years or so on their medicines. Who knows what new innovations will come around in the future?

*You both should be tested for other STDs, especially chlamydia.

*It may be possible for you to have children, if you choose, Work closely with your doctors on this, but HIV+ women who take the right medications can usually have healthy babies. Again, though, work closely with your doctor if you think you might want to get pregnant, and let him or her know BEFORE you and your partner try to have a baby. Determine your partner's HIV status and discuss this with your (and his) doctor, to see what your best options are.

YOU ARE BIGGER THAN HIV! YOU CAN LIVE A LONG, NORMAL LIFE!

Please continue to educate yourself, and read more at http://www.cdc.gov/hiv/resources/bro...ingwithhiv.htm and http://aidsinfo.nih.gov/contentfiles...rochure_en.pdf.

For more on HIV and pregnancy, go to http://www.cdc.gov/hiv/topics/perinatal/index.htm.

Please keep in touch.

Fondly,
Victoria