The nurse is caring for a patient who recently had unprotected sex with a partner who has HIV. Which response by the nurse is best?

A) "You should have your blood drawn today to see if you were infected."
B) "If you have the virus, you will have flu-like symptoms in 6 months."
C) "Highly active antiretroviral therapy has been shown effective in slowing the disease process."
D) "I will set you up with a support group to help you cope with dying within the next 10 years."

Highly active retroviral therapy increases the survival time of a person with HIV or AIDS. HIV antibodies will not show up in blood work for 6 weeks to 3 months. The infection stage of HIV lasts for about a month after the virus is contracted; during that time, the patient may experience flu-like symptoms. A support group may be beneficial for a patient who contracts HIV; however, it is unknown whether the patient has contracted HIV, and antiretroviral therapy has helped people live beyond the 10 years expected if HIV goes untreated.