DISCLAIMER: I am a medical professional and you are NOT my patient. I am giving you advice that I would give to any of my friends and family. I am not diagnosing or treating your ailment. I cannot be help liable for the diagnosis or SPAM or possible progression of any illness or injury that you may have.
Now that that's done...
Okay, so you mean to tell me that you've had multiple sexual partners and you haven't gotten tested for STDs? What's good for the goose is good for the gander.
My first suggestion is to NOT go to a free HIV clinic and get a test done(I'm a firm believer in the theory that 'you get what you pay for'). You should, however, go to your primary care physician and recieve a full examination. This examination (beyond a routine physical) should include a full panel of blood tests including but not limited to a HIV test (there are two main types, don't worry about which one) and a Hep C test, among the rest of the STDs. Your primary doc has all of your records and (should) know you personally. He has an intimate knowledge of your medical history. Armed with this information, he can more accurately diagnose your potential illness.
It's not worth jumping to conclusions about if you've got a disease or not until you get your results back. The quicker that you get to your MDs office, the quicker that you can be placed on medication that can slow the progression of any ailment that you MAY have. If you and the MD agree that you may have been exposed to HIV, you will be put on one or medications until the test results come back and you are either diagnosed with a strain or you are told that 'all is clear.'
I know that HIV is the scary name now-a-days, but don't be narrow minded in thinking that HIV is the only disease to think about, there may be bigger fish to fry.
That is some of the basics. There's just way too much for me to get into in this thread, if you have any specific questions or you need me to clairfy anything, PM me.
You are responsible for your own health. Do your homework and be responsible.
Quote:
Between 5-15 years pass from the time of inflection until AIDS actually develops
Mostly true. There have been cases in New York and California (there may be other areas, but I'm not aware of them) where the convertion from HIV to AIDS has been signifigantly reduced.
Link to CNN Article from 2005.
Also keep in mind that if you actually have the HIV virus in your body, you will almost immediately see T4 cell convertion, which is why it's important to get on antiviral medications to slow the progression of the virus. Early SPAM is key.