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Welcome to the POZ Community Forums, a round-the-clock discussion area for people with HIV/AIDS, their friends/family/caregivers, and others concerned about HIV/AIDS.  Click on the links below to browse our various forums; scroll down for a glance at the most recent posts; or join in the conversation yourself by registering on the left side of this page.

Privacy Warning:  Please realize that these forums are open to all, and are fully searchable via Google and other search engines. If you are HIV positive and disclose this in our forums, then it is almost the same thing as telling the whole world (or at least the World Wide Web). If this concerns you, then do not use a username or avatar that are self-identifying in any way. We do not allow the deletion of anything you post in these forums, so think before you post.

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Recent Posts

Pages: [1] 2 3 ... 10
1
Estoy infectado? / Re: Sexo Oral, Heridas y VIH
« Last post by leogallardo on Today at 02:32:20 am »
Hola buenas noches
Estoy un poco aterrado, estuve haciendo sexo oral a un chico, eyaculó en mi boca y tengo una herida por detrás del labio de un golpe que me di, hay riesgo de que me pueda contagiar de vih? Muchas gracias
2
Living With HIV / Re: Flu shot - Its that time of year again (Northern Hemisphere)
« Last post by Jim Allen on Yesterday at 02:28:52 pm »
Quote from: Bucklandbury on Yesterday at 11:53:05 am
I was recalling your father's quote. I love his colorful wording!

 :) Yeah, it makes me laugh as well. 

My favourite was a few years ago and after reading some newspaper article that eating tomatoes may help reduce the risk of prostate cancer, he proudly declared without thinking: "A tomato a day helps keep the bollocks gay"

Seems like everyone on the monthly call today is also getting a COVID booster, I am still a little concerned that I didn't get offered one this year. Anyhow, ill just have to stay away from people as best I can.
3
Do I Have HIV? / Re: Paranoid over recent activity
« Last post by Jim Allen on Yesterday at 02:23:58 pm »
Quote
I had an incident (possible exposure) today. I was involved in sex but had a cuts on my fingers due to bad habit of nail eating. I never inserted fingers in her vagina but inserted my fingers in her mouth. Her lips were bleeding little bit due to my harsh kissing.

No HIV risk whatsoever, no PEP or HIV testing needed over these activities, move on with your life.

Quote
Could you also tell me if I can catch other STDs like Herpes, Hep B, HPV and  HTLV with this exposure?

This is an HIV forum, not an STI site but, of course, you had plenty of risks for far easier-to-transmit STIs, to be clear on this topic there is no such thing as "safe" sex or sexual contact, some infections (Not HIV) can be transmitted through skin-to-skin contact, viral shredding or skin-to-lesion contact, etc.

However, there is no need to panic, stress or run out and get an STI screening each time you are in contact with someone, move on with your life and as you are sexually active just get an STI screening at least once a year out of standard routine.

Here's what you need to know to reduce your HIV risks:
Use condoms for anal or vaginal intercourse correctly and consistently, with no exceptions. Consider talking to your healthcare provider about PrEP as an additional layer of protection against HIV and get vaccinated against HPV, Hepatitis A & B.

Keep in mind that some sexual practices described as safe in terms of acquiring HIV still pose a risk for other easier-acquired STIs. So please do get tested at least yearly for STIs, including but not limited to HIV, and more frequently if condomless intercourse occurs.

Also, note that it is possible to have an STI and show no signs or symptoms; testing is the only way to know.

Kind regards

Jim

Please Note.
As a member of the "Do I have HIV" Forum, you are required to only post in this one thread no matter how long between visits or the subject matter. You can find this thread by going to your profile and selecting show own post, which will take you here. It helps us to help you when you keep all your thoughts or questions in one thread, and it helps other readers to follow the discussion. Any additional threads will be removed.



4
Do I Have HIV? / Re: Paranoid over recent activity
« Last post by Paranoid_boi on Yesterday at 01:25:12 pm »
Hello,
Thank you for providing this platform.
I had an incident (possible exposure) today. I was involved in sex but had a cuts on my fingers due to bad habit of nail eating. I never inserted fingers in her vagina but inserted my fingers in her mouth. Her lips were bleeding little bit due to my harsh kissing.  My questions are specific:
1. Is it possible to catch HIV due to her bleeding lips and cut fingers in her mouth? Should I get post exposure prophylaxis? I still have time to take PEP.
2. Could you also tell me if I can catch other STDs like Herpes, Hep B, HPV and  HTLV with this exposure? Should I consult doctor and get myself tested for these STDs? I am more concerned specifically about HEP B, HPV and HTLV. Pls tell me about them. I did not find much information on the internet?

Pls reply to both of my questions.

Thank you.
5
Living With HIV / Re: Flu shot - Its that time of year again (Northern Hemisphere)
« Last post by Bucklandbury on Yesterday at 11:53:05 am »
Quote from: Jim Allen on Yesterday at 05:43:44 am
👍

Good stuff, protect yourself. I wish I could get the COVID booster but my current CD4 count is too high to qualify for the booster here.   :(

I was recalling your father's quote. I love his colorful wording!
6
Questions About Treatment & Side Effects / Re: Switching from Triumeq to Dovato or Biktarvy
« Last post by Jim Allen on Yesterday at 09:42:28 am »
Quote
Switched from Triumeq to Biktarvy 6 months ago and having no side effects.

Excellent, glad to hear things are going well.

Quote
now on Biktarvy my last week’s test showed a viral load of 30 which I hope is just an isolated blip.

30 copies is not even a blip, it's fully suppressed and you just switched so it could be just this and the release of some defective copies from the viral reservoir. *1

Now, as for it being isolated, if they had monitored you every day I would put money on it that in the last 10 years you or anyone living with HIV would have had plenty of "micro blips" detected

Quote
I read about what could cause a blip and learned that a cold or flu could cause one. I had a cold at the time of the test. Does anyone know anything about the mechanism of how a cold could cause an HIV viral load blip? I couldn’t really find anything about this online.

Yeah, so the cold and blips, you will find it being mentioned but without references and just in passing.

Did you ask your healthcare provider this and if so, what did they say?

To my knowledge, (happy to be corrected) there are no studies specifically into HIV viral load and why co-infection with the common cold (rhinoviruses, coronaviruses, adenoviruses and enteroviruses) could cause an increase in VL. I suspect the mention of it is just clinical observations and there simply was no need or use for specific studies, or reports as the effects are not a clinical concern. 

As for the mechanism, my limited understanding was that infections lead to immune activation, thus, increasing HIV replication and the viral load, but this isn't very relevant nowadays in the treat-all era and the current meds. The Swiss statement in 2008 initially had a caveat about certain co-infections that later got dropped as more was known. 

Of course, there are plenty of studies both observational and some controlled trials regarding viral load mainly without ART and other more major co-infections such as TB, STIs, and Hepatitis, pre-2005 and the 90s but a lot has changed since then, I've included some references but take whatever they say with a large pinch of salt. *2

Anyhow, I'm not sure if any of the above helps but prehaps it points you in the direction or someone else will chime in with some specific knowledge + reference I missed.


1*


Prof. Fiona Lyons (HIV in 2024)
https://forums.poz.com/index.php?topic=77637

Low-level VL linked to defective copies released from viral reservoir
https://forums.poz.com/index.php?topic=77301

Reporting VL below 200 - “harmful medical practice”
https://forums.poz.com/index.php?topic=77575

"What’s All This Fuss I Hear About Viral “Blips”?

Blips
http://i-base.info/guides/changing/viral-load-blips

Viral Blips Don't Raise the Risk of HIV Treatment Failure
https://www.poz.com/article/viral-blips-raise-risk-hiv-treatment-failure

Spanish study gives reassurance, small HIV blips do not predict treatment failure
Teira R et al. Very low level viraemia and risk of virological failure in treated HIV-1-infected patients. HIV Medicine, online edition. DOI: 10.1111/hiv.12413, 2016.

What’s All This Fuss I Hear About Viral “Blips”?
https://academic.oup.com/cid/article/70/12/2710/5573119

Q&A on persistent low-level viremia.
https://www.healio.com/infectious-disease/hiv-aids/news/online/%7B8373ca63-674d-4015-ac35-f4da653c7415%7D/qa-understanding-persistent-low-level-viremia-in-people-with-hiv


2*
Anderson RW, Ascher MS, Sheppard HW, Direct HIV cytopathicity cannot account for CD4 decline in AIDS in the presence of homeostasis: a worst-case dynamic analysis. J Acquir Immune Defic Syndr Hum Retrovirol 1998,  17, 245-252.

Bentwich Z, Kalinkovich A, Weisman Z, Immune activation is a dominant factor in the pathogenesis of African AIDS. Immunol Today 1995,  16, 187-191.

Agegnehu, C.D., Techane, M.A., Mersha, A.T. et al. Associated Factors of Virological Failure Among People Living with HIV
https://link.springer.com/article/10.1007/s10461-022-03610-y

Goletti D, Weissman D, Jackson RW, et al. Effect of Mycobacterium tuberculosis on HIV replication. Role of immune activation. J Immunol. 1996;157:1271–1278.

Schacker T, Zeh J, Hu H, Shaughnessy M, Corey L. Changes in plasma human immunodeficiency virus type 1 RNA associated with herpes simplex virus reactivation and suppression. J Infect Dis. 2002;186:1718–1725.

 Kublin JG, Patnaik P, Jere CS, et al. Effect of Plasmodium falciparum malaria on concentration of HIV-1-RNA in the blood of adults in rural Malawi: a prospective cohort study. Lancet. 2005;365:233–240.

Kizza HM, Rodriguez B, Quinones-Mateu M, et al. Persistent replication of human immunodeficiency virus type 1 despite treatment of pulmonary tuberculosis in dually infected subjects. Clin Diagn Lab Immunol. 2005;12:1298–1304

Anzala AO, Simonsen JN, Kimani J, et al. Acute sexually transmitted infections increase human immunodeficiency virus type 1 plasma viremia, increase plasma type 2 cytokines, and decrease CD4 cell counts. J Infect Dis. 2000;182:459–466.

Baeten JM, Strick LB, Lucchetti A, et al. Herpes simplex virus (HSV)-suppressive therapy decreases plasma and genital HIV-1 levels in HSV-2/HIV-1 coinfected women: a randomized, placebo-controlled, cross-over trial. J Infect Dis. 2008;198:1804–1808.

Celum C, Wald A, Lingappa JR, et al. Acyclovir and transmission of HIV-1 from persons infected with HIV-1 and HSV-2. N Engl J Med. 2010;362:427–439.
7
Questions About Treatment & Side Effects / Re: Switching from Triumeq to Dovato or Biktarvy
« Last post by walkingpoz on Yesterday at 07:55:45 am »
Hi guys little update and question about blips. Switched from Triumeq to Biktarvy 6 months ago and having no side effects. However for the 10 years I’ve been taking Triumeq I never had a detectable viral load (less than 20 copies) and now on Biktarvy my last week’s test showed a viral load of 30 which I hope is just an isolated blip. I read about what could cause a blip and learned that a cold or flu could cause one. I had a cold at the time of the test. Does anyone know anything about the mechanism of how a cold could cause an HIV viral load blip? I couldn’t really find anything about this online.
8
Living With HIV / Re: Flu shot - Its that time of year again (Northern Hemisphere)
« Last post by Jim Allen on Yesterday at 05:43:44 am »
Quote from: Bucklandbury on October 04, 2024, 05:16:19 pm
I had a "touch of AIDS," so I went on and got the flu vaccine and my COVID booster within the last month. ;-)

👍

Good stuff, protect yourself. I wish I could get the COVID booster but my current CD4 count is too high to qualify for the booster here.   :(

"People living with HIV not on treatment, or who have CD4 count less than 200/10-6L for adults" https://www2.hse.ie/screening-and-vaccinations/covid-19-vaccine/get-the-vaccine/weak-immune-system/
9
Forums Gatherings / Re: Monthly Virtual Gathering
« Last post by Jim Allen on Yesterday at 04:05:21 am »
Quote from: leatherman on October 04, 2024, 08:28:13 pm
omg! y'all are going to have to listen to soooo many stories. This has been the craziest month

Looking forward to catching up and hearing the latest updates
10
Do I Have HIV? / Re: False positive?
« Last post by Jim Allen on Yesterday at 01:38:19 am »
You're welcome.

The laboratory test results are conclusive, the 2013 screening test was just a false reactive.
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