The Diagnosis

If you've recently been diagnosed with HIV, your doctor should do a complete physical examination, ask you a lot of questions, and take some blood for tests. These tests can tell you how well your immune system is working and how much HIV is in your blood. These are called a CD4 T-cell count test and a viral load test.

These first meetings with your doctor are very important because they give you the chance to talk openly. You may be asked questions that seem very personal, but this information is important for your doctor to understand how best to treat your HIV.