Sense Project

As one of the stages of HIV, the Asymptomatic Period refers to the time between becoming infected with HIV and being able to tell that you’re HIV positive with a test. TRUE or FALSE?

FALSE

The Asymptomatic Period is when people who are HIV positive may look and feel perfectly healthy for a long time (up to 15 years or more), especially if they already have a healthy lifestyle. Even though the virus is breaking down their immune system, they don’t feel it. But remember, during this period, they can still transmit the virus!

The time between becoming infected with HIV and being able to tell that you’re HIV positive with a test is called the Window Period. It is between three weeks and six months but if you’ve had unprotected sex or done something else that’s risky, you have to wait three months to get tested to be sure the test is accurate. This means you can’t do any more high-risk stuff during that time or the test is no good! To know for sure whether you’re HIV+ or not, be especially careful to stay away from at-risk activities until your test results are in.

Also, the three months following infection are those when the virus is at its most contagious. And, while one’s use of antiretroviral drugs can help control the HIV virus in the bloodstream, levels of contagion can continue to spike throughout one’s life. That being said, HIV can be transmitted at ALL times. So, be aware and be safe!