Rachel's thread

[Rachel_unaware]

Hi Jeff, i don't know as to how can i post my concern so i just decided to reply from this post, sorry! I am really stressed. My boyfriend has had sex with another girls before me. I've told him that i don't wanna get any disease. He said that he is taking this super pills, so he is clear. I got a bacterial vaginosis one time and I don't know if I got it from him although as per the internet men normally doesn't have it and it is not a sexually transmitted disease. There is no woman involve during our relationship however he is told me that he is dating a girl but they are not having sex and that what he wants is an open relationship. We decided not to see each other and then after 2 weeks we made out and i got bacterial vaginosis again, i don't have it the previous month. There is a slight fishy smell so I took medication ASAP without observing if it really is a bacterial vaginosis. We've never had sex for a month now. Didn't experience diarrhea yet but has some skin irritation and i have a fever right now but not a high one, i just feel hot. i used to have it weeks ir few days ago especially in the morning. We don't use condoms by the way. My vagina feels itchy, no smell though, but it might occur after my period. I wanna get tested but i'll be deported right away if it turns positive. I need someone to talk to

[Ann]

Rachel,

I removed your post from someone else's thread and created your own thread for you. DO NOT post anywhere outside this, your own thread, again. Thank you for your cooperation.



For a start, hiv does NOT cause itchy or smelly vaginas.

What you need to do is to GO TO A DOCTOR and find out what is actually causing your vaginal problems. We cannot help you with that here.

The ONLY way to know your hiv status is through testing. If you've been having unprotected anal or vaginal intercourse with ANYONE, at ANY TIME in your life, then you have been at risk and you do need to test.

It's your decision - either test and find out your hiv status, get deported if poz but remain alive because you know you have hiv and can begin treatment if necessary, or don't test, and if you're poz, die an unnecessary death. It's that simple.

Of course you might very well test hiv negative and all this hand-wringing will have been for nought.

The earliest you should test for hiv is six weeks after your last incident of unprotected anal or vaginal intercourse.

A six week negative is highly unlikely to change, but must be confirmed at the three month point.



Here's what you need to know in order to avoid hiv infection:

You need to be using condoms for anal or vaginal intercourse, every time, no exceptions until such time as you are in a securely monogamous relationship where you have both tested for ALL sexually transmitted infections together.

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.

Have a look through the condom and lube links in my signature line so you can use condoms with confidence.

Anyone who is sexually active should be having a full sexual health care check-up, including but not limited to hiv testing, at least once a year and more often if unprotected intercourse occurs.

If you aren't already having regular, routine check-ups, now is the time to start. As long as you make sure condoms are being used for intercourse, you can fully expect your routine hiv tests to return with negative results.

Don't forget to always get checked for all the other sexually transmitted infections as well, because they are MUCH easier to transmit than hiv. Some of the other STIs can be present with no obvious symptoms, so the only way to know for sure is to test.

Use condoms for anal or vaginal intercourse, correctly and consistently, and you will avoid hiv infection. It really is that simple!

Ann