Editor’s note: This column is the first in a two-part series on AIDS and Sexually Transmitted Diseases in accordance with Safe Sex Week.

AIDS is a disease which cripples the immune system and can cause those with the disease to die from infections which our bodies would normally fight off.

A person can be infected with HIV (Human Immunodeficiency Virus, or the AIDS virus), have no symptoms and, unknowingly, pass the virus to others, primarily through sexual intercourse and IV drug use.

Those people carrying HIV will probably have the virus for the rest of their lives. Many will develop HIV-associated illnesses which may or may not progress to AIDS.

An HIV test analyzes blood for the presence of HIV antibodies. A single negative test means little. If blood is tested too soon following the exposure, the immune system may not have produced enough antibodies to be detected.

It is recommended that those who test negative be retested in 6 months.

The incubation period for AIDS (the time between HIV infection and onset of symptoms) can be two months to 15 years or more. There is no known cure for AIDS, and most people die within five years of diagnosis.

Should you be tested? The following true/false statements are intended to help you assess your own risk of exposure to the AIDS virus:

I have had homosexual/bisexual contacts in the last five years.

I have shared IV drug needles.

I have had sex with male or female prostitutes.

I have had sex with an IV drug user.

I have had sex with a bisexual male (if female).

In the past five years, I have had sex with partners whose risk if AIDS I don’t know.

In the past five years, I have had vaginal, oral or anal sex without a condom with someone whose risk of AIDS I don’t know.

If you answered true to any of the first five statements, your risk of infection with HIV is high. If you answered true to the last two, you have a moderate risk of having been exposed to the AIDS virus.

Locally, the NIU Health Service and DeKalb County Health Department offer voluntary, anonymous testing. The health service will test anyone enrolled in NIU. The test is confidential, costs $20 (cash only) and requires pre- and post consultation. Call 3-9759 to schedule an appointment.

If you choose to be tested and learn that you are HIV positive, it is recommended that you alter your lifestyle to prevent spreading the virus to someone else.

If you are tested and learn you have not been exposed to the AIDS virus, it is recommended that you refrain from behaviors which place you at risk.

For further information about AIDS and HIV antibody testing, contact the NIU Health Service (3-1311) or Health Enhancement services (3-9755).