oWhy it’s important: Untreated TB can be a deadly disease for people living with HIV. Early screening and treatment will help limit your risk ofsevere illness, as well as lower your chances of transmitting TB to others if you do have it.oToxoplasmosis Screening: This test checks for past exposure to a parasite that can cause severe damage to the brain, eyes, and other organs inpeople with weakened immune systems.oWhy it’s important: Toxoplasmosis can be a deadly opportunistic infection for people living with HIV. Your clinician needs to know if youhave been exposed to the parasite that causes toxoplasmosis or are at risk for exposure. This will help your healthcare provider to decide if youneed preventive treatment. If your CD4 count falls below 100/mm3, you will probably need to do another screening, even if your earlier screenswere negative.oFasting Lipid Panel (Cholesterol and Triglycerides): Lipids are fat, or fat-like substances found in the blood and body tissues. These testsmeasure your lipid levels, including cholesterol and triglycerides. You should not to eat for several hours before these blood tests.oWhy it’s important: Some HIV medications can affect your cholesterol levels and the way your body processes and stores fat. High lipids canmake you prone to other medical problems, including heart problems.It’s important to know what your lipids are before starting treatment tohelp guide the choice of medications and to treat high lipids to avoid other serious health problems.oFasting Glucose (blood sugar) Test: This test measures your blood sugar levels to check for signs of diabetes.You should not to eat for severalhours before this blood test.oWhy it’s important: Some HIV medications can affect blood sugar levels, potentially leading to complications like diabetes. It’s important toget a glucose test to know what your blood sugar is before starting treatment to help guide the choice of HIV medications and then to get repeattests to monitor possible increases in your blood glucose. (Read more about diabetes and people living with HIV.)oPregnancy Test: This test shows whether a woman is pregnant or not.oWhy it’s important: If you are pregnant, you can greatly lower your risk of passing HIV to your baby and protect your own health by takingART during pregnancy, labor, and delivery. You and your health care provider can discuss steps you can take prevent transmitting HIV to yourbaby.
