What if I'm positive?
Having HIV does not necessarily mean you are going to get sick or die soon. HIV works slowly in the body. Most people with HIV infection are healthy and fairly free from symptoms for many years. If you test positive for HIV, immediate medical treatment and a healthy lifestyle can help you stay well. There are now many drugs that treat HIV infection and AIDS-related illnesses. Prompt medical care may help delay the onset of AIDS and prevent some life-threatening conditions.

If you receive a rapid HIV test (OraQuick, UniGold or ClearView), your blood will be drawn using venipuncture and sent to a lab for a confirmatory test. It usually takes two weeks to receive the results for the confirmatory test.

While you are waiting for the results from the confirmatory test, you will meet with staff members from our Partner Services Program who will begin to assist you with connecting you with services, notifying your partners, , helping your partners gain early access to individualized counseling, HIV testing, medical evaluation, treatment, and other prevention services.

This also provides clients and their partners who test positive a chance to talk with other people about HIV, learn more about this chronic illness, and develop a plan to address his or her feelings, find out about local resources, and learn that people living with HIV are not alone.

Show All Answers

1. What is HIV?
2. How is HIV transmitted?
3. How can HIV be prevented?
4. Who is at risk for HIV?
5. How do I know if I am infected?
6. If I think I have been exposed to HIV, how soon can I get tested?
7. What if I'm positive?
8. What if I'm negative?
9. If I test HIV negative, does that mean that my partner is HIV negative also?
10. What if I was exposed to HIV within the last 72 hours?
11. How do I prove to my partner that I am HIV negative?
12. If somebody did not tell me that they have HIV can they be arrested?
13. Is there a website or database where I can look up my partner to see if they are HIV+?
14. I did not get tested at the Health Department, why are you trying to contact me?
15. I am HIV+ but don’t have insurance. Is there any help for me?
16. I am HIV+ but don’t want to tell my partner. What can I do?
17. If I’m HIV+ and my partner is too, why do we still need to use condoms?
18. People who have HIV look sick, so can’t you tell if somebody has it just by looking at them?
19. I was just told that I have HIV but I feel healthy. Why do I need to see a doctor now, can’t I wait?
20. I know I’m not at risk for HIV so I don’t need to get tested, right?
21. I don’t want to get tested because my insurance will kick me off.