i just have some questions. Aids.. if you were to get the virus.. and you were supposively going to die. How many years is it till the symptoms are shown and your body starts looking like tom hanks in philadelphia. I recently posted a message and was happy at the support people gave me. I am just wondering what exactly do you start experiencing once you have the virus. How do you know you actually have it.? Once the virus starts killing you can you take some medications to keep you alive longer? Like i told my story before, i was raped when i was young to be honest 9 years old back in my country. I am now 21 years old but since that time i do not ever remember having symptoms at all. What symptoms am i supposed to be worried about. I do not want to go to take the hiv test cause it would devastate my mother to know what happened to me. Should i really be worried if 11 years later i am just getting some mild symptoms. like peeing every 2 hours (just recently started happening), pain in testicles sometimes, dry lips(just started happening too), some pain in abdominam that comes and goes, sometimes light headed, white sports on tip of penis that sometimes dries a little. but one thing i have noticed is that i haven't lost weight like 20 or 40 pounds or seen myself look as skinny as people with aids do. The more i read on the net about my symptoms they all tell me i have aids. I do not know what to believe. so can someome please tell me what are the symptoms, can i live longer if i take medication? please tell me suicide is something that i do not want to have to do.

thank you once again,.

any answers will be greatly appreciated.

Letting go, HIV or AIDS is NEVER diagnosed by symptoms. What you are describing is not indicative of HIV. Baseing what somebody looked like in a movie is not reliable. Some people fall ill within a few years of catching the virus, some do not get ill for years.

You might not even have it!

Did you report this rape or get any medical attention at all? I am surprised that no medical care or an examination was given to you. Where did this incident happen?

I understand that you are scared of getting a test, but what is the purpose of not getting tested? First of all it is your body and your life you are an adult. NOBODY has to know your business. There is anonymous testing where you don't even give your name.

Why does your mother have to know about it?

Lets say you did have AIDS, what is not testing going to do are you going to wait and get very very sick and then she'll probably find out anyways, or would you want to maybe get some sort of medical care so that you won't ever have to catch full blown AIDS? If you do have it and don't know it, do you intend on giving it to somebody sexually by accident?

Your logic is not correct. People who refuse to get tested make me angry because many times it is too late. They wind up at the hospital w/ full blown AIDS and sometimes die, when you can catch the virus early and control it. HIV does not EVER have to turn into AIDS.

It is very rare for HIV to be transmitted via a 1 time sexual encounter, no matter how risky.

PLEASE go take a test for piece of mind. The odds are in your favor that you are negative but you should not have to go on worrying about it.

Good luck!

Lettinggo, I know you know that sometimes on hear people will tell you what you want to hear instead of what is fact. Any type of sex without protection is a high risk. I understand that this was against your will and I'm sorry to hear you had to experience something so horrific. Some people can go yrs without symptoms, but going 11 yrs without medication would probably do a big number on your body...meaning you would be pretty sick by now. I am not a doctor and I know everyone's body reacts differently and at different paces, but from being around MANY + people this is what I've noticed with the majority of them. You still should get tested...if you are + then you can start medication and YES prolong the virus from turning into AIDS. Most HIV + people will die from something other then AIDS itself. I really hope you choose to take the test!!!!

thank you for your response people.
Maybe, maybe i should get tested if after 11 years my body has not been deteriating like it should be. maybe i do have a chance. so i guess what i am hearing is that if i did have full blown hiv my body would start to deteriate. i just don't know what to do. it's crazy to think that one day your life can be over and you have no control over that. i hope that its just in my head that i have hiv because sometimes these symptoms come because i focus so much on them that i worry and worry and then i feel more pain.
i think i might go get tested. thank you people.

When someone reaches full blown AIDS, they are usually in a hospital dying. From what you've described if you were even + you are nowhere near this, but yes get tested if for nothing else, do it for peace of mind.