First, calm down small

To get reactive result dey give fear. You fit feel shock, fear, or like say your body don numb, and all of dem normal. E go help you to know two tins sharp sharp. One reactive rapid test or self-test for house no be diagnosis. And if dem confirm HIV, today na sickness wey get treatment and wey person fit manage.

Reactive no be di same as confirmed

Afta rapid test (wey dem prick finger) or self-test for house, reactive result (e show say HIV fit dey) mean say you fit get HIV. You need anoda lab test to confirm am. Go meet health worker, clinic or sexual health service and tell dem about di result. Try no wait.

Afta test for clinic or lab, di lab dey usually run di second test for di same blood sample, so dem fit don already confirm your result by di time wey you hear am. Ask your health worker if you no sure.

If di second test still positive, you get HIV. To test positive for HIV no mean say you get AIDS.

Until you know for sure, e good make you use condom or avoid sex, so you no go risk to pass HIV if dem confirm di result.

How to start treatment

Dem dey call HIV treatment antiretroviral treatment (ART). E dey use medicine to reduce how much HIV dey your body. CDC advise make you start am as quick as possible afta dem diagnose you.

Treatment no go cure HIV, but e dey work well well. CDC tok say pipo wey get HIV wey dey take treatment fit live long, healthy life. For di whole world, 93% of pipo wey dey take treatment don suppress di virus for 2023, according to UNAIDS.

Health team wey sabi HIV well, wey your HIV doctor or nurse dey lead, go help you manage your care. For US, local health center or Ryan White HIV/AIDS Program provider fit help you get care and support.

Undetectable = Untransmittable (U=U)

Treatment dey reduce how much HIV dey your blood, wey dem dey call your viral load. Wen e stay undetectable (di HIV for blood don low reach where test no fit see am), under 200 copies for each milliliter, you no dey pass HIV give your sexual partners. To reach dat level fit take up to six months of treatment. Dem neva confirm dis one for needle sharing, so if you dey inject, continue to use new equipment. Read more about U=U.

How to tell your partners

Your recent sexual partners, and anybody wey you don share needle wit, suppose know so dem fit go do test. You fit choose how e go happen:

  • Tell dem yourself, face to face, for phone or by message.
  • Ask di health department make dem do am. Dem dey usually call dis one Partner Services. E still dey give partners test, counseling and referral.

If partner get exposure (wen HIV fit don enter di body) for di last 72 hours, e fit take PEP (post-exposure prophylaxis: HIV medicine wey you go take afta exposure to stop di virus), so tell dem quick. PEP must start inside 72 hours.

To tell friends, family or your employer about your status na anoda choice, and na you go decide am for your own time.

How to get support

You no need to face dis one alone. Your health worker, social worker or case manager fit connect you wit local support groups and mental health care. Plenti pipo see say e dey help to tok wit oda pipo wey dey live wit HIV. If e be like say e too much for you, see how to manage fear about HIV to know where to get support, and for US you fit call or text 988 (for US) any time.

Wetin to do now

  1. Do test to confirm am if your result come from rapid test or self-test for house.
  2. Book appointment wit clinic or HIV doctor. For US, gettested.cdc.gov (for pipo for US) fit help you find services.
  3. Use condom or avoid sex until you know your result and, if dem confirm HIV, until your viral load don undetectable.
  4. Start treatment as quick as you fit if dem confirm HIV.
  5. Tell your recent partners, yourself or through Partner Services.
  6. Ask for support from pipo wey you trust or from professional.

If partner wan understand im own risk from exposure wey just happen, di calculator fit give am estimate.