[The Unforgiving]

How did you feel when you were first diagnosed? And how did you cope with it? I know some people take such diseases as a death sentence.

[Daddy]

Originally posted by Hurem

When you went to go get tested, did you go just because or you thought you were positive? How long did it take you to start feeling better (i.e. not feeling depressed)? Who did you tell you're positive so far?

I'm really curious

Hey my fellow Sagat stan

I was tested automatically at the hospital because I felt really bad and they didn't know what It was until I told them I'm in a relationship with another man.

They told me and expected me to cry. I was like Ok. I don't know how I should react now.

It's just a word at first. HIV. You're still healthy, the virus isn't jumping naked in front of you, It's nothing you can really imagine at first.

I realized It probably when I had to go to the doctor for treatment plans and ****. That's when reality hit me. Hard.

Took me a year to really get over It. I wasn't depressed. I was always a happy person, nothing can really bother me. But deep inside I was scared as ****.

I told my close friends after a year. My next boyfriend after 3 weeks of dating and my mom 4 years later.

Now everyone around me knows about me and It's no problem. I have many positive friends and we joke more about It.

But I never make fun of when someone is asking me about It because It has to scare people for them to stay safe. That's important. HIV is not your friend and PrEP is not the tea for people who just want to bareback away.

[Zhuge Liang]

Originally posted by abrahamjmr

He doesn't study medicine, though. He is basing his comments on things he's read or researched about. I do study medicine and we've been taught it can't be passed through kissing. Patients are also often advised not to believe everything they see online because most of them, in my country, have quit their treatment because they've read the virus isn't real and ended up passing away months after they made that decision.

My Goodness. That's horrible.

[Javan]

Originally posted by Oxidane

Sorry buddy but you are kind of spreading ignorance because your statements do not really align with the wider accepted scientific understanding and literature - and passing mal-informed comments off as fact propagates anxiety.

You have already back-tracked on the "thousands of cases" comment, so I must ask: what are you basing your statements on? Anecdotal evidence / media reports are not at all reliable.

A number of papers have concluded that the risk of transferring HIV via "passionate kissing" - and not just a few kisses, is extremely, extremely low:
http://jama.jamanetwork.com/article....ticleid=379121
http://jid.oxfordjournals.org/content/181/2/498.full
http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/9989543

The bottom line of current academic thinking is that the recipient's saliva disrupts the virus and any virus infected cells from the infected individual, ultimately minimizing its infective potential.

Plus, from a probability outlook, the first paper I linked mentions that less than 1% of studied health care workers who have been exposed to the virus by accidental needle-stick injury in a healthcare setting end up actually being infected. If a HIV-infected needle which goes directly into the skin / blood has less than a 1% chance of HIV infection then the chances of being infected via kissing is even lower.

For a disease associated with so much fear, stigma and misunderstanding, I think it is more than wise to call on the scientific literature. But perhaps this is my academic side taking over (I too study Medicine).

[abrahamjmr]

Originally posted by DiamondDust

HIV only turns into AIDS if an HIV+ person's CD4 cell count falls to a certain level (around 200 CD4 cells per cubic millimeter of blood). The anti-retroviral drugs that an HIV+ person takes keeps their CD4 cell count at a healthy level so that the virus never turns into AIDS.

When my ex found out, his cell count was 134. He didn't tell me at first and instead he told me he had it over 300. I went with him to see a doctor back then and that's when I realized and I couldn't help crying through hours. He started taking the meds and he's perfectly fine now.

[DiamondDust]

Originally posted by katysus

I see. So you still can do it even to several other people and not get transmitted as long as they are all negative, right?

You should only have unprotected sex (anal or vaginal) with another person if you've been tested for everything and are negative, the other person has been tested for everything and is negative, and you are both monogamous.

[Daddy]

Originally posted by J a y

This.

And 💀 didn't realise you changed your user. Your message on FB made me howl

You know I love It when they call me Daddy. Calling me Lily was always so damn cringe-worthy

[J a y]

Oh btw I found out because I was already visiting the clinic every three months.

It became routine from the age of 15-16. I did however have a bad feeling and thought I'd have something - never had any form of STI in my life but that's the one I was unfortunate to test positive for. Free NHS, get tested regularly even if you're not always sexually active. What's the harm

[DiamondDust]

Originally posted by abrahamjmr

When my ex found out, his cell count was 134. He didn't tell me at first and instead he told me he had it over 300. I went with him to see a doctor back then and that's when I realized and I couldn't help crying through hours. He started taking the meds and he's perfectly fine now.

The advancements we've made in anti-retroviral therapy are truly amazing! And all within twenty or twenty-five years. I truly believe we're on the frontier of eradicating HIV/AIDS... At least, I hope so!

[Javan]

Being positive do you have any reservations about playing bareback with other positive people?

[Almodusa]

Originally posted by DiamondDust

An uncircumcised male is more likely to transmit/be more susceptible to HIV when having unprotected sex because of the greater amount of bacteria on the foreskin, which actually works to facilitate transmission of the virus to healthy cells.

How are the chances if you're the top (unc.) and shower and carefully wash the area right after? (Bottom is undet. and on treatment)

[abrahamjmr]

Originally posted by DiamondDust

The advancements we've made in anti-retroviral therapy are truly amazing! And all within twenty or twenty-five years. I truly believe we're on the frontier of eradicating HIV/AIDS... At least, I hope so!

I think the same way too. Hopefully it ends up happening soon.

[J a y]

Originally posted by Javan

Being positive do you have any reservations about playing bareback with other positive people?

I would never. HIV + HIV = more HIV. Anyone who does that is stupid

[pablozedd]

Is pre-*** risky? Is rubbing the penis against the anus risky? It didn't really came inside I think but I'm afraid since that night

[DiamondDust]

Originally posted by Almodusa

How are the chances if you're the top (unc.) and shower and carefully wash the area right after? (Bottom is undet. and on treatment)

Low but I would always advise wearing protection in a sero-discordant relationship. (note: I'm not a doctor.)

[Javan]

Originally posted by J a y

I would never. HIV + HIV = more HIV. Anyone who does that is stupid

I c. I didnt know HIV could be doubled

[TeemoR]

Originally posted by Almodusa

How are the chances if you're the top (unc.) and shower and carefully wash the area right after? (Bottom is undet. and on treatment)

Well obviously pretty low if bottom is undetectable but not 0. Showering carefully is still in dispute if it does actually reduce transmission, but I'm not sure and anyway we should shower after sex so....

[pablozedd]

Originally posted by J a y

I would never. HIV + HIV = more HIV. Anyone who does that is stupid

This. I heard there are more than 1 strain of HIV. If you get more than one its called 'superinfection'

[abrahamjmr]

Originally posted by Javan

Being positive do you have any reservations about playing bareback with other positive people?

There's something called reinfection and it makes the virus stronger. That would be stupid.

[DiamondDust]

Originally posted by pablozedd

Is pre-*** risky? Is rubbing the penis against the anus risky? It didn't really came inside I think but I'm afraid since that night

HIV is present in pre-ejaculate but your risk is low if there was no penetration as the pre-c*m was exposed to open air thus rendering the virus inert in seconds. Get tested for peace of mind.