HIV Counselling: Treatment, Procedure, Cost and Side Effects

HIV is a virus that gets transmitted via sexual contact or by using needles that have been previously used by other people. Generally, the latter case happens when people inject drugs into their skin. The HIV virus destroys the T-helper cells or CD4 cells in the body. If the HIV virus is left untreated, then it continues to destroy the CD4 cells and make copies of itself in its place. This weakens the immune system of the infected making him/her susceptible to various kinds of diseases and infections.

The HIV virus in left untreated and also undetected will spread from one person to another. The symptoms of HIV do not show all together, sometimes they come and go in a gap of few years. However, the common symptoms of HIV include chills, fever, muscle aches and pain, ulcers in the mouth, inflammation of lymph nodes, night sweats and tiredness. If you do not take adequate therapy for HIV you will experience symptoms such as diarrhoea, depression, rapid weight reduction and various kinds of neurological disorders.

HIV counselling is a series of pre-test and post-test sessions given to a person after the HIV test run, results in either positive or negative.

The pre-test counselling session involves trying to understand the reasons why a person has come for the tests in the first place. After that has been established, try to identify the underlying issue that has led to this situation. Try to patiently counsel them about the consequences of their actions.

If the test results come positive for a person then he/she will be counselled to abstain from sexual contact in order to prevent the spread of the virus to other people. While these counselling sessions are conducted a certain amount of privacy and comfort level is maintained in order to make the patient feel at ease.

During the course of the session explain to the infected person why women are more susceptible to getting infected as the transmission rate is higher from a man to a woman. If the infected person has a partner, then explain to him/her why both of you should get tested. Explain the symptoms that come with HIV infection. If the infected person has an addiction for either sexual behaviours that are of promiscuous nature or for taking drugs via injections, counsel him/her about their behaviour and how they should stop this immediately.

Anyone who is infected with the HIV virus or not infected with the virus but has come for an initial round of discussion based on suspicion is eligible for the HIV counselling session.

People who do not have any sexual activity or who are not on drugs are not eligible for a HIV counselling session.

If a woman is tested positive then she is prohibited from breast-feeding as the virus stands risk of being transmitted to the baby. Also, post-counselling infected people are advised to not have any unsafe sexual activities because the other person (if tested negative) stands the risk of getting infected. Also, those tested positive need to continue taking the ART (antiretroviral) therapy for the rest of their lives in order to prevent the virus from destroying all the CD4 cells.

There is no recovery period as such because the counselling session does any involve in medications. Recovery is based on emotional and mental grounds and depends on the person.

The cost of HIV spot test is around Rs. 250, cost of Antigen is about Rs. 1200 and HIV Western blot is around Rupees 2500.

Whether the results of the HIV counselling session is permanent depends largely on the person who is receiving it, whether he/she decides to implement and incorporate the advice given by the counsellor is up to the patient.

There is no alternative to HIV Counselling.