Why HIV Screening in Arlington is Vital Post Coronavirus Pandemic

The only way to know you have HIV is to undergo a test. No, you cannot tell you are infected just by feeling. You may feel perfectly fine, yet might carry the virus, which will soon start replicating in your body. Even when this happens, you may still not get symptoms! 

You must undergo a test if:

• You had unprotected sex. 
• Your partner has HIV.
• You have shared needles for drugs, tattoos, or piercings. 
• You are pregnant and don’t know about your sexual health. 
• You are a man who has sex with men. 
• You have multiple sex partners. 

To test or not to test

You are aware of your sexual behaviors and know best whether you need HIV screening in Arlington. If you do, act swiftly because the virus, if in your body already, won’t wait. It will start replicating and spreading the infection. Over the years, HIV turns into full-blown AIDS. This can be fatal if still left untreated. 

AIDS indicate that your immunity is severely compromised and you are vulnerable of contracting other infections easily. In the era of Coronavirus, it has become all the more important to undergo HIV test. You cannot live healthy with a compromised immunity. 

There are ways to stop the replication of HIV. Thanks to progressive medical technology, you can avail yourselves post exposure treatment and stop the virus destroying your healthy cells. In this treatment, only the cells that are infected are targeted and they die. 

“I am not sick”

This is no excuse for averting HIV test. As mentioned in the beginning, HIV hardly shows symptoms. Just the fact that you have had sex without using a condom with somebody whose sexual history is unknown is reason enough to undergo a test. 

• If you turn out negative, you can consult a doctor for pre exposure prophylaxis, which is a treatment for HIV-negative people who had been exposed. 

• If you turn out positive, your doctor will begin antiretroviral treatment, which helps to manage the viral load in your body and helps you lead a good life. 

Wondering how to get tested for HIV in Arlington?

It’s simple. Just walk in the STD clinic and request a test. The clinic provides anonymous testing facility. So, you need not reveal your identity and can undergo test and treatment confidentially. 

The clinic is equipped with an advanced lab that conducts comprehensive STD panel and other common conditions in men and women. 

You must either give a blood sample or your saliva sample for the test. 

Depending on the type of test, results take a few days to a couple of weeks to arrive. Rapid testing provides results in just 30 minutes or even less. 

Procrastination does not make things happen. You have to make them happen. So, shed your shyness or fear and step inside the STD clinic with confidence for HIV screening in Arlington. Whatever the results are, accept them with courage and vow to take sexual health in your hands. The faster you act, the safer you are. 

Why HIV Testing for Couples is Important Before Marriage

One of the most responsible things to do is undergo HIV test before you tie the knot. Also insist your partner to do so, be he/she says, “I do.” Couples who undergo HIV test before marriage can save themselves a lot of medical trouble later. 

You can never know who has HIV because the virus does not show symptoms. As a precautionary measure and for paving way for a healthy sexual life, it is wise for couples who are about to wed to undergo HIV test. 

So, before you ask your partner, “Will you marry me,” ask yourselves, “where is free HIV testing facility near me.” 

“What if my partner gets offended?”

Many people are afraid to ask their partners for HIV test. They might get offended. They might think you are suspecting them of infidelity. This may cause friction in the relationship. 

You need to make your partner understand the significance of HIV testing. Asking somebody to undergo a test does not mean we are looking down upon them. In fact, almost everybody is aware of how deadly STDs are! HIV and AIDs are notorious in this regard. They are incurable diseases. 

Imagine how you would feel if you learn your partner has HIV just after marriage!

“What if my would-be spouse tests positive?”

Couples who are about to marry are mature adults. So, if their partner comes out positive during a test, it is their choice whether to go forward with the marriage or not. Atleast you have a choice. 

However, as doctors put it, you need not cancel your marriage just because your would-be spouse has HIV. Thanks to advanced medical research, HIV can be managed well with antiretroviral therapy. You can live a happy married life with a HIV positive person, provided he/she takes their medication regularly. 

HIV screening in Arlington is available to everybody at affordable rates and even free. The best part is that you can request anonymity during testing and billing. The staff will keep your identity under wraps because they know the social stigma attached with this sexually transmitted disease. 

A responsible decision

Although testing for HIV is a personal decision, it does show you in a good light when you decide to undergo a test before marrying. It indicates you care for your and your partner’s health, and, of course, the health of your future baby. 

When you marry you make all kinds of promises to your wife/husband. Then, why do couples cringe at the mention of undergoing HIV screening? It is a part of the promise you made of caring for and protecting your spouse. 

If the Coronavirus outbreak has made us more responsible towards our health and cautious about our hygiene, then AIDS should also make us smell the coffee. This is because there are millions of people suffering from this fatal disease and many more are being diagnosed each year across the globe. 

Remember, AIDS pandemic was a reality a few decades ago. Today, we have learnt to live with this virus that eats up our immunity. But that doesn’t mean we bypass HIV testing. Instead, that makes it all the more important to undergo a test.