HIV & Me Specific issues and anxieties emerged from our special HIV message board, which followed the BBC Two documentary HIV & Me. This is an edited selection of posts and expert comments, selected by Dr Laura Waters.

I thought HIV wouldn’t happen to me and had sex with lots of partners, sometimes unprotected. I was diagnosed with HIV a month ago and have told a few friends and my mother, who hasn’t taken it well. I feel scared and vulnerable.

It’s hard finding out you have HIV and having to be the source of information for your mother and other people when you’re already feeling pretty upset. Your clinic should be able to provide some support for your mother and friends. Getting someone else to support her may help take some of the strain from you and make you both feel more optimistic.

There are also lots of support networks available, such as Terence Higgins Trust (THT). It offers a confidential, one-to-one helpline with trained operators who can talk to your Mum, and provides booklets on HIV your mum can read.

Clinical nurse specialists can answer your questions, alongside counselling and advice from your local HIV support group. This help and reassurance should help you get on with your life.

Most websites suggest you should wait three months before getting tested accurately, but some sites I’ve visited suggest you can get a test at four to six weeks.

By five weeks most HIV tests will pick up the majority of HIV cases. However, most authorities would still advise re-testing three months after you were at risk.

Are there any sure-fire symptoms of HIV?

Around half of newly infected people will develop symptoms during the early phase of infection. These are variable but are typically flu-like, while others include enlarged glands and rash. After this phase, the course of the virus is variable. Some people have symptoms such as fevers and persistent large glands; others have none.

If HIV remains undiagnosed, there may be no symptoms until the person gets sick because of their low immunity, and there’s no particular rate at which the immune system declines.

Common symptoms have many causes. There are a few ‘classic’ HIV symptoms but, ultimately, we encourage everyone to test at least once.

In HIV & Me, there was a clinic where you can be tested in 15 minutes. Where can I find out more information?

THT offer tests, as do other private services. For more information visit www.tht.org.uk. Don’t forget you may be able to get a rapid result at an NHS clinic depending on your risk, and will be offered free advice, testing and treatment.