If you’ve been unwell and have gone to see your medical provider, you’ve probably had multiple blood tests, tried different treatment options and hoped that their initial diagnoses were correct. If your doctor hasn’t been able to pinpoint your illness but you still have good and bad days, then you might even start to think that it’s “all in your head.”
Before you go down the route of questioning your mental health, it’s important to review the symptoms you have and the tests that you have had done. It’s possible that you have not had all the possible tests performed. If you’re dealing with chronic yeast, issues with fatigue, problems with regular infections and other issues, you may want to suggest an HIV test.
An HIV diagnosis could be elusive in American health care
One of the issues with getting the appropriate diagnosis for HIV is that it’s fairly rare in some parts of the country and isn’t always tested for as a part of normal STD panels. However, despite the fact that these tests aren’t usually given, there are times when doctors should immediately think to give them.
Some symptoms that may indicate HIV include:
- Unusual red, pink, brown or purple blotches under the skin
- Depression that comes on suddenly
- Neurological issues with no obvious cause
- Memory loss
- A history of flu-like symptoms
It is possible that someone with HIV may have a history of multiple sexual partners, but it’s also possible for people in committed relationships to get HIV if their partner did not disclose their own infection or had a sexual relationship with others while committed to that partner.
What should you do if you find out you have AIDS?
If you are seeking medical care, the hospital or your medical provider should identify HIV long before it progresses into AIDS. HIV AIDS is the late-stage disease during which the immune system is severely damaged and opportunistic infections begin to take hold. There are three previous stages during which symptoms should trigger a test.
If your provider failed to test you for HIV during all past bloodwork, you may have a case against them for medical malpractice because they failed to test for a common illness that matches your symptoms.