HIV Testing is Self-Care: Take Care of You and Others Too!
National HIV Testing Day (NHTD) in 1995 — to encourage everyone, especially those most at risk, to get tested and know their status.
As the Centers for Disease Control & Prevention (CDC) states, HIV testing is key to ending the epidemic. This year’s theme for NHTD is “HIV Testing is Self-care.”To help put some of your fears and anxieties aside, we tried to answer some of the most-asked questions about HIV testing and the possibility of getting diagnosed:“WHAT IF IT'S POSITIVE?”Fear of being diagnosed as HIV-positive is surely the thought that causes many to put off getting tested, but ultimately this procrastination could only cause you, and possibly others, more harm than good.
Not knowing your status will likely eventually cause you some level of anxiety — plus, there are many reasons it’s important for everyone to know their HIV status.If you do test positive, quickly getting on treatment will help you and others stay healthy from the get-go.These days, thanks to the amazing strides made over the years in medication, HIV is now just a manageable chronic condition, much like diabetes.
So while an HIV diagnosis may initially be shocking and saddening, there is no need to be afraid or feel like your “life is over,” as many folks report feeling when they first find out.
