POZ Community Forums
HIV Prevention and Testing => Do I Have HIV? => Topic started by: worried1111 on October 10, 2006, 12:47:27 pm
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HI,
Three years ago I went out with a guy who was worried he had HIV. I thought he was just a hypochondirac so I ignored him - he claimed he was Depressed too (which he wasn't but I was at the time)
He slept with one other girl unprotected and a prostitute before we split up. I don't know whether he used a condom with the prostitute. But we didn't use any protection either (I normally do but I suggested we didn't)
I went to get tested for STD's at the doctors but the nurse said I'd only need to be tested for the common STD's such as chlamidia etc. These all came back negative, so I assumed I did not have HIV.
Do you think I should still get tested? I haven't really been any different healthwise since we split up but I do get very tired. I read the info on transmission and even if the previous girls did have HIV it doesn't seem likely he'll have caught it off them. He never did drugs or anything and as far as I know he'd never had a gay partner.
What do you reckon?? Am I being paranoid. My current partner thinks I'm being stupid....
Thanks in advance ???
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I take it you had unprotected vaginal sex? If that is correct you need to be tested. You made a bad decision to recommend you DON'T use protection when you didn't know what his status was.
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I only knew he thought this about 3 months into the relationship. Also I was severely depressed at the time and did not care for my health. I know that's not a good excuse I just don't like being judged. Also I haven't been tested because I read in the paper that having a test in the UK can affect your employability in certain jobs. I'm training to be a teacher so I don't wanna get tested. I know it's stupid but if I knew this wasn't true I would get tested.
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Your right, that is not a good excuse, depression or not. Being a teacher is not the only thing in life. Get tested and worry about job opportunities later.
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OK but where do I go? To my doctors or the hospital? I have no idea where to go...
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Go to your doctor's office or a GUM clinic.
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First of all, you had unprotected intercourse, so yes, you should get tested. There's no question about that.
Hopefully you will have scooted by safely.
Secondly and of no less importance, anyone you are having intercourse with should be wearing a condom everytime until such time as you maybe in a securely monogramous relationship in which BOTH partners test negative at the same time. It doesn't matter what you think you know about the guy's history or how great he looks or how reassuring he is. He has to be wearing a condom. Period.
HIV is never something to guess about.
Good luck with your test.
Cheers,
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Worried,
If you want to test anonymously, got to a GUM clinic. If you test through your doctor, the fact that you tested as well as the result will be part of your permanent medical record. If you go through a GUM clinic at a hospital, your files will only list a reference number and not your name.
Ann