Why get tested?
There are good reasons for getting an HIV test. On the one hand, it provides clarity. If no HIV infection is present, then there is no further need to worry. If the test results come back positive, then the infection can be observed until it is the right time to start an HIV therapy.
An HIV therapy significantly reduces the number of viruses in the body, thereby protecting the immune system from HIV. This creates the best conditions that make it possible to live with HIV for a long time, without contracting full-blown AIDS. Plus, it lowers the probability of transmitting HIV to your partner.
Unfortunately, many people still find out about their HIV infection much too late, and some only when they are brought to the hospital with life-threatening illnesses. That can be avoided with an early HIV test!
Even if the infection with HIV potentially dates back quite a long time, it is still worth being tested. The HIV therapy can often re-stabilize the immune system even in later stages of the disease.