Hello Doctor,
I am so glad I found your web site and I can finally ask my question to a professional.? Seven years ago I used to be the insertive top in an anal sexual relationship for four times in a week, now I just heard that my ex is HIV positive. And me, 7 years from that day I have been gaining weight but I say that maybe cause I stopped some of the heavy drugs I used to take.? Now I am very worried and I am becoming morbid and I don’t have the courage to go and do the test so would you please guide me, doctor.? Once again thank you very much for this service you’re giving to humanity.

Dr. Joshua’s Answer

I understand the fear and anxiety you are experiencing. I wish there was some magic word I could say that would make it go away, but all I can do is recommend that you get an HIV test done right away and talk to a doctor in person about your worries - it’s the only way to put a stop to your worrying. It is impossible to know whether you are HIV infected or not by observing symptoms. No symptom is specific for HIV.

One option is to take a home HIV test. The FDA has currently approved one home test kit, the The Home Access HIV-1 Test System, which costs $44 per test kit. As this is the only approved system in the U.S., I recommend that you not use any other home test kits. I strongly recommend that HIV testing be done in a health care facility under the care of a doctor. However, as home HIV testing is an officially approved option, it’s worth mentioning here. Also, there seems to be a paradigm shift in home testing, so there may be more options to choose from in the near future.

It may well be that you are HIV negative, and then you can go on with your life, and avoid situations where you could get infected. Even in the worst case scenario - being HIV positive - with modern treatments you would be suffering from a chronic, manageable disease, and the sooner the treatments are started, the more manageable it will be.

I’m glad to hear you have been working towards a healthier lifestyle by reducing drug use. I know from personal experience that often it’s hard to make the right decisions and take control of your life, and I’ve written about this topic in my blog, please take a look, maybe you’ll find some ideas. Good luck!