DearCustomer

There are routine blood tests that clue a doctor into a possiblity of
HIV.  For example, a CBC (complete blood count) is a very common
blood test that is used to diagnose a number of illnesses ranging from
leukema to infection to anema, etc.  It cannot directly confirm or
diagnose HIV, though.



A CBC is a common blood test that works by counting your red blood
cells, your white blood cells, and your platelets.  This count is
done by a machine in a lab.  For example, if your total white
blood cell count is high, it is highly indicitive that the patient has
of some type of infection.  If your red blood cell count is low,
it is indictive of anema or substantial blood loss.  These are
just a few examples.



With a CBC, the doctor can take the test a step further by ordering what is called a CBC with "differential." 
A differential is a manual count of blood cells under a microscope by a
trained laboratory technician.  There are a number of white blood
cells in the body, so the lab tech views those cells under microscope
and notes if certain blood cells are too high or low.  A person
with HIV will lose what are called "helper T lymphocytes."  So a
manual count (differential) can alert the doctor to possible HIV if
these lymph cells are low and may ask for your permission to perform an
HIV test.  Remember, no doctor or hospital can perform an HIV test
on you unless they have your written consent to perform an HIV test, so
it cannot be done without your permission and knowledge.



More commonly, HIV is discovered when patients start showing signs of
the virus such as continuous swollen lymph nodes which stay
swollen.  Also, soon after transmission of HIV, the patient may
experience symptoms like mononucleosis, fatigue, and a fever that can
last up to two weeks.  These symptoms usually go away in a couple
weeks, however the lymph nodes stay swollen.  The other symptoms
usually come back once HIV has turned into full blown AIDS.



My advice is, if you are concerned about this, you need to talk to your
physician about it.  Tell him/her your concerns.  Try not to
be embarassed.  It is a responsibility we all have to know our
status in order to help stop the spread.  I had myself and my
husband tested before we got married.  It's the responsible thing
to do.



Feel free to come back for any other concerns or clarification.  Best wishes~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~AnnlynnRN