{"id":4093,"date":"2024-04-07T20:49:09","date_gmt":"2024-04-07T13:49:09","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/pskclinicbkk.com\/service\/hiv\/"},"modified":"2026-06-24T16:36:11","modified_gmt":"2026-06-24T09:36:11","slug":"hiv","status":"publish","type":"service","link":"https:\/\/pskclinicbkk.com\/en\/department\/hiv\/","title":{"rendered":"HIV"},"content":{"rendered":"\t\t
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If you’ve had a moment of risk and aren’t sure what to do next, you’re not alone. HIV testing is one of the most important steps you can take for your health \u2014 and it doesn’t have to be complicated or frightening. At PSK Clinic in Bangkok’s Ladprao area, we make the process simple, private, and completely judgment-free.<\/p>\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t

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What Is HIV, and How Does It Affect Your Body?<\/h2>\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t
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HIV (Human Immunodeficiency Virus) is a virus that attacks the CD4+ T-helper cells of your immune system \u2014 the cells responsible for fighting off infections and keeping you healthy.<\/p>

According to the World Health Organization (WHO), 40.8 million people worldwide were living with HIV at the end of 2024, with approximately 1.3 million new infections occurring that year. In Thailand alone, around 568,565 people are currently living with HIV, with 8,862 new cases reported in 2025 \u2014 making regular testing and awareness more important than ever.<\/p>

Without treatment, HIV can progress to AIDS (Acquired Immunodeficiency Syndrome), a condition where the immune system becomes too weak to defend against opportunistic infections. With modern antiretroviral therapy (ART), however, people living with HIV can live long, full lives \u2014 and can prevent transmission to others entirely.<\/p>\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t

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How Is HIV Transmitted \u2014 and What Doesn't Spread It?<\/h2>\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t
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HIV transmits through contact with specific bodily fluids from a person who has the virus: blood, semen, vaginal fluids, rectal fluids, and breast milk. The most common routes are unprotected sexual intercourse and sharing needles or syringes.<\/span><\/p>

HIV cannot be transmitted through:<\/b> hugging, shaking hands, sharing food or drinks, toilet seats, saliva, sweat, tears, or mosquito bites.<\/span><\/p>\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t

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What Are the Three Stages of HIV Infection?<\/h2>\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t
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HIV progresses through three distinct stages. Understanding them helps clarify why early testing and treatment matter so much.<\/p>\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t

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Stage 1 \u2014 Acute HIV Infection: What Happens in the First Weeks?<\/h3>\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t
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Acute HIV infection is the body’s first response to the virus. About 2\u20134 weeks after exposure, most people experience flu-like symptoms: fever, chills, fatigue, body aches, sore throat, skin rash, swollen lymph nodes, and night sweats.<\/p>

During this stage, the viral load in the blood is extremely high, making HIV significantly easier to transmit to others. If you’ve had a potential exposure and develop these symptoms, seek testing immediately \u2014 and ask about PEP<\/a> if you’re within 72 hours of that exposure.<\/p>\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t

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Stage 2 \u2014 Chronic HIV Infection: The Silent Stage<\/h3>\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t
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After the acute phase, HIV enters a chronic stage where the virus continues replicating at lower levels. Most people in this stage have no symptoms at all (asymptomatic HIV infection) \u2014 which is exactly why regular testing is so important. Without treatment, this stage can last a decade or more before progressing to AIDS, while the virus silently damages the immune system throughout.<\/p>\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t

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Stage 3 \u2014 AIDS: When the Immune System Is Most Vulnerable<\/h4>\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t
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AIDS is diagnosed when the CD4 count drops below 200 cells\/mm\u00b3 (a healthy range is 500\u20131,500 cells\/mm\u00b3), or when certain opportunistic infections appear \u2014 such as candidiasis in the lungs, fungal brain infections, or lymphatic tuberculosis. Without antiretroviral treatment, progression from initial HIV infection to AIDS can take anywhere from 2 to 10 years. With treatment, this progression is entirely preventable.<\/span><\/p>\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t

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HIV Testing in Bangkok: Which Test Is Right for You?<\/h2>\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t
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The only way to confirm your HIV status is through a blood test \u2014 there is no other reliable method. PSK Clinic offers three types of HIV tests, each with a different purpose and detection window:<\/span><\/p>\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t

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Test Type<\/th>What It Detects<\/th>Earliest Detection<\/th><\/tr><\/thead>
Anti-HIV (4th generation)<\/td>HIV antibodies + p24 antigen<\/td>~14\u201321 days after exposure<\/td><\/tr>
NAT (Nucleic Acid Test)<\/td>HIV genetic material (RNA)<\/td>~7\u201310 days after exposure<\/td><\/tr>
HIV Viral Load<\/td>Quantity of virus in blood<\/td>Used for treatment monitoring, not initial screening<\/td><\/tr><\/tbody><\/table>\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t
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The 4th-generation Anti-HIV test is the global standard for HIV screening. It detects both HIV antibodies and the p24 antigen \u2014 enabling earlier detection than older antibody-only tests.<\/span><\/p>\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t

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HIV Window Period \u2014 How Long Should You Wait Before Testing?<\/h3>\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t
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The window period is the time between HIV exposure and when a test can reliably detect infection. For 4th-generation tests, the p24 antigen can be detected as early as <\/span>14 days<\/b> after exposure, though the antibody response takes longer to develop.<\/span><\/p>

Practical guidance:<\/b><\/p>