POZ Community Forums
HIV Prevention and Testing => Do I Have HIV? => Topic started by: SBBS on June 27, 2013, 10:46:41 pm
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Hello all I am a younger gay guy whos had alot of risky sex involving undetectable guys cumming inside me or not but it has happened sometimes. last time I was tested was march of 2011. I dont know when im going to get tested yet but I was wondering how bad is my situation sounding right now?
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To agree to have unprotected intercourse is to consent to the possibility of being infected with an STI. Sex without a condom lasts only a matter of minutes, but hiv is forever.
I urge you to get tested , many people who find out they are HIV positive do so when they are hospitalized and near death . I have seen people go this way so you can trust me when I say this is not the way you want to die .
You can not count on it that a guy is really undetectable just because he tells you that he is , so if I were you I would go get tested tomorrow and have a full STD panel done at the same time . Many STD's can linger without symptoms for long periods of time , so just because you feel well does not mean all is well . Get tested .
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SB,
In addition to what Jeff has told you, you also need to understand that in order for an UD VL to count as protection, there must not be any other active STIs present.
An UD poz guy can be UD in his blood counts, but the presence of an active STI in the genital tract can cause the semen to have a detectable viral load. In addition, a poz guy can be UD blood-wise, and NOT be UD semen-wise.
Guys who are going BB can quite possibly have another STI and not realise it. (Up to 80% of men with a gonorrhea infection are unaware that they have it, for example. Syphilis very often goes unnoticed as well.)
You also need to realise that if you have an established anal gonorrhea infection or internal syphilis chancre (for example) that you're unaware of, you are increasing your risk if your top has a detectable seminal viral load. This is because the site of the infection will attract the type of immune system cells that hiv can latch onto and infect.
Having an UD VL only really works as prevention in the context of a monogamous relationship where you know there aren't other STIs present in either of you. You need to stop taking loads outside this context if you want to remain hiv negative, if indeed you are still hiv negative. I hope you are.
As Jeff said, you need to get tested. Ignoring this issue won't make it go away if you are indeed hiv positive. Ignoring it only sets you up to end up really sick. Get tested now and if you are poz, you've caught it in plenty of time and won't have to go through being deathly ill in a hospital bed.
Don't think we're judging you - we're not. However, in your situation you'd be wise to have regular, routine, complete sexual health check ups and I'd advise you do it every three months if you're going to continue BBing.
GO. TEST. And don't forget to get tested for all the other STIs as well. Good luck.
Ann
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would it be bad to wait till the summers over?
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SB,
would it be bad to wait till the summers over?
Well, it's your life, your health. If you want to continue to bury your head in the sand, that's up to you - but if you do, do the planet a favour and STOP having unprotected intercourse in the meantime.
If you are poz, do you really want to be responsible for infecting someone else?
If you are poz, there's always the possibility that you're a fast progressor. You could feel fine one day and be in hospital the next, fighting for your life. It's that stark and that simple.
It sounds like you need to grow up a little and start taking responsibility for your actions and your health. The sooner, the better.
It's your call.
Ann