Getting tested for STDs regularly is something responsible, sexually-active adults all must do. Although getting tested can be scary (especially for HIV), with advances in modern medicine, your HIV status is a little more complex than if you carry the virus (positive, or +) or if you don’t (negative, or -).
Please talk to your doctor about your health. This article is not a replacement for professional medical advice.
If you have the virus, there are now options available to you. The Center for Disease Control recommends talking to your doctor about TasP (Treatment as Prevention). This refers to treatments used to keep down the viral load you’re carrying within your body, through ART (anti-retroviral treatment). This means that the virus in your body is suppressed and prevented from replicating. If the virus is suppressed, and a normal blood test cannot detect the virus in your body, this means your status is considered “positive, undetectable” and you are unable to spread the virus through sex. The suppressed virus also means your immune system, which is attacked by HIV and leads to the development of AIDS, is less likely to be hijacked by the virus and you can live a longer, healthier life.