HIV Treatment
Alexander McMeeking, MD
245 Fifth Avenue, Suite 350
New York, NY 10016
Phone212.929.2629 Fax212.929.4971
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Alexander McMeeking MD FACP

The most comprehensive HIV care and treatment for better living.

HIV STD Testing NYC

If you, a friend, or a family member is suffering from HIV, search for HIV STD testing NYC, RNA HIV test NYC, or HIV testing Manhattan to find a HIV testing NYC same-day facility. It is important to keep up on any changes in HIV healthcare, especially for HIV in older adults. HIV infection weakens the immune system, resulting in high susceptibility to several different infections and types of cancers. A correlation has been found between HIV and other health complications. It is important to get tested for HIV, because if left untreated, the complications can be severe. If you are at risk for HIV, search HIV STD testing NYC or RNA HIV test NYC to find HIV testing NYC.

The only way to know if you have HIV is to get tested. People that have a higher risk of contracting the disease include:

  • Men who have had sex with other men
  • People who have sex, anal or vaginal
  • People who have had sex with an HIV-infected person
  • People who have had sex with more than one person since the last time they were tested
  • Individuals who use needle-injected drugs
  • People who sell sex for money
  • People who have been diagnosed with other sexually transmitted diseases
  • People who have had hepatitis or tuberculosis

A person who continues to do any of these things should get tested at least once a year, preferably every 3 to 6 months. The fear of knowing may be keeping you from getting tested; however, knowing your HIV status will give you powerful information to help you take the steps needed to stay healthy.

If you test positive, you will be given medicine to treat your infection, reducing the chance of transmitting HIV to your sexual partner. If, however, you test negative, you can begin taking advantage of ways to prevent you from ever contracting the disease. There are three general HIV tests typically offered: antibody tests, combination or fourth-generation tests, and nucleic acid tests. These tests can be administered via a blood, oral fluid, or urine test. Because it can take approximately 3 to 12 weeks for the HIV in your body to be noticeable on a HIV test, if you get tested during this period, you need to get re-tested after about 3 months.

A rapid antibody screening test shows the results within 30 minutes after the procedure. A combination test looks for both the HIV antibodies and the antigens. They have become more common in the United States, and are now recommended for testing. A nucleic acid test detects the HIV in the blood, looking for the virus and not the antibodies. This test can show not only if you are positive or negative, but the actual amount of virus present in the blood. However, a nucleic acid test is very expensive, and is administered on only individuals with a really high risk for HIV. Search HIV testing NYC same day or HIV testing Manhattan in order to find a specialist that can answer any additional questions you may have on HIV testing in NYC.