Where have all of you gotten the idea of floaters being a sign of HIV? When doctors speak of patients with floaters, they are speaking of people with VERY advanced HIV disease and a CMV infection in their eyes. Believe me when I tell you that by the time you had floaters that result from HIV, you would not even need a test to tell you that you are positive. It happens LATE in the disease when you have a severely damaged immune system.

Floaters, itchiness, muscle/joint pains, fatigue, rashes, malaise (general ill feeling), dry mouth, muscle twitches/spasms, tremors/trembling, weight loss/loss of apetite, stomach problems (which also result in a sore throat, sinus problems, ear problems, chest pains, diarrhea, etc.) because of build up of stomach acid/acid reflux, are all symptoms of ACUTE ANXIETY!!!! This is not a guess, this is medical FACT. When the mind is suffering, the body will feel it, period.

Other problems that people use as a diagnostic tool for HIV are directly related to dry mouth; which is also caused not only by anxiety itself, but by anti-depressant medication which many of you are probably on - or should be! Some of these include burning mouth/tongue, sores in the mouth, coated tongue (which many people mistake for thrush), dry throat, chapped lips, gum disease, etc. The thing that people don't realize is the importance of saliva. It serves the mouth as a cleanser, antibiotic and antifungal medicine.

Do any of you think that people are trying to lie to you about the testing procedure? This is not a joke to the doctors, scientists, researchers and laboratories, nor is it a joke to those who are actually infected. Taking all of these unnecessary tests is robbing those that actually need help of resources. You are delaying hope for millions!! Take ONE antibody test at three months, and if that isn't enough, take ONE at 6 months, and then stop!! These tests are designed for this, they are one of the most reliable and accurate tests in medicine. Taking PCR DNA, PCR RNA, viral load tests, etc. are meant for MANAGING HIV, NOT DIAGNOSING IT!! You are driving up the costs of these tests and cutting off the lifeline of those that need it; STOP!!!!! You can't get HIV from looking at a prostitute, going to a strip joint, someone farting on you, toilet seats, public phones, or giving someone that has HIV a long, firm, loving hug. Please, don't keep hurting people by taking away their only hope (affordable management of HIV).

Thank you for note. It's reassuring to know that there are sensible people out there!