I met a LB who was HIV+

[Guest]

One thing that you can do is get imunization injections for Hepatitus B!

Also, always wear a condom!

[stogie bear]

That's two things...

[prince39]

(rxpharm @ May 08 2008,04:09) Back to the topic at hand - HIV can now be treated with an effective antiviral regimen that can add years of life to an HIV infected person. Reports of 10-15 years survival are not uncommon - so it is not necessarily the death sentence that it once was. However, definitely better to minimize the chance of contracting the disease.

I can say from personal experience, this is a dangerous generalization to grab hold of. I used to have this thought in my mind, you can play the percentages and be careful most of the time, and if you get unlucky "it wouldn't be the end of the world".... that was before I got scared back into reality.

Earlier this year, after a couple of drunken "accidents" i came down with mild flu-like symptoms, which lasted over 2 1/2 months. Body aches, fever, fatigue. I was 90% certain my number had finally come up. I went and got tested, but of course, could only count back a few days of 100% SAFE sex. So had to wait 12 more weeks to be re-tested to be sure.

During that long 12 weeks, i had plenty of time to read up on the subject and think about what i would have to do and how life would have to change when the positive test came back. 10-15 years of remaining life was suddenly not much of a comfort. Especially not knowing if i would be the lucky 20 year guy, or the unlucky 2 year guy. And facing the prospect of having to completely change my lifestyle, travel habits, taking meds daily, and being scared to death by every sneeze for the rest of my life, none of it seemed like much to be cheery about.

Another thought i used to have was that if you are HIV positive, you can still have normal sex, just find a girlfriend else who is also positive and you're all set. Well, it ain't that simple, because there are so many different strains of the virus now, you might have yours under control then get cross infected with a totally different (and worse) one and have to start the meds trials all over again, or even create your own new version of the beast that is resistant to all the meds.

So if you are even having the thought that it might not be so bad if you get it, that modern medicine will take care of you, stop and take another few moments to read up on what positive status is like and think it through. I was bloody miserable for two months contemplating having to deal with it. Thankfully the 2nd test was also negative. Now my habits have definitely changed having educated myself further and faced the reality of what the disease is all about. Whatever meds they have, you do not want to be taking them !!

[pacman]

           

Thanks prince39. For only 42 posts you sure fired off a beauty with that one.

Your personal experience waiting months for the all-clear brings it home in a way that I don't recall reading anywhere before on this forum & I hope everyone gets to read it.

Many years ago I came home from LOS with something that was making me very sick indeed. I argued that I couldn't be HIV+ but of course a test was required "just to be sure".

So sick did I become, that it took 3 tests with 3 negative results before the doctors would even consider ruling it out.

It turned out to be a parasitic infection that required very intensive & specific treatment to be clear of the bloody thing.

18 months out of my life to be precise, but people return from Asia with these things all the time. Two locals I was referred to with the same symptoms had both died by the time I was able to contact them.

It sounds dramatic but all I will say about it is if anyone on the board has or knows of someone who has a parasite infection from Asia that is making them very sick, please send me a PM for advice.

You will not beat it without help. And discipline.

[terry]

@prince39:
I can imagine how scared you were during the 12 weeks you mentioned. But: using a PCR analysis could have cut this down to a few days! Of course, it's not the cheapest solution €” but before I ruin my nervs for 12 weeks, I'd rather pay more and get the (hopefully) redemptive message immediately.

Once again €” I'm certainly not advocating: "Just get fucked bareback, 'cause it doesn't matter!" Of course, you can and supposedly will catch something by doing so, sooner or later!

[Freebird]

My last post in this thread:

http://www.hivmedicine.com/hivmedicine2007.pdf

[terry]

@Freebird:

My last post in this thread

O, my God! What happened?!

[prince39]

thanks. i considered the PCR RNA test, but living in a foreign country at the pleasure of the government, and with no health insurance, i opted to stick with the free anonymous testing. Anyway, if i had an immediate result, i probably would not have learned as much as i did about the true nature of the risks i was taking !

[terry]

@prince39:

Although I understand perfectly what you're meaning, I cannot hide my disagreement up to a certain extent. May I quote one of my postings several pages above:

"I think, the more people lose their religious convictions and don't any longer believe in some kind of hell after death, the more they feel urged to make up their own hells right here ..."

In my view (feel free to correct me, if I'm wrong) you subconsciously feel guilty about your interest in ladyboys and therefore develop a strange feeling of relief by punishing yourself for your "weird" sexual preferences.

Maybe I'm overcharging the complexity of your psychological status €” I don't know. But I remember the time some 15 years ago, when I myself felt guilty enough in a similar situation (okay, it was just excessive fooling around with GG prostitutes, but nevertheless something our parents certainly wouldn't have approved, anyway).

O fuck, life is complicated indeed €” not just for ladyboy lovers, but especially for them ...

[Freebird]

ffs, I just have to comment on this one...

"In my view (feel free to correct me, if I'm wrong) you subconsciously feel guilty about your interest in ladyboys and therefore develop a strange feeling of relief by punishing yourself for your "weird" sexual preferences."

I guess it's more some kind of self punishment for being so stupid to have "drunken accidents" rather than punishment for lbs or weird sexual preferences.

btw: Finally I caught something in LOS! Not from a hooker but from a trip to Erawan. A really nice cold. Combining 6 different meds wasn't a good idea, I feel like flying all day.

[kahuna]

Armchair psychos...err, pardon...psychologists...

I can't even get into my own head let alone someone else's...

[goldmountain]

(kahuna @ May 15 2008,02:03) Armchair psychos...err, pardon...psychologists...

I can't even get into my own head let alone someone else's...

Atticus Finch said you never really know a person until you stand in his shoes and walk around in them.

Others say you need to climb into their skin...

Hell, I'd be content to get into a girl's pants!

[Guest]

I am glad to see a topic like this exists. Here is a true story:

I was with a client in NYC who told me he use to travel too Thailand 2 a year. He feel in love with a young ladyboy there and was on the verge of relocating when he had an accident on a bike or something and while at the hospital he decided to go ahead and get a full lab work. Everything was o.k but once he started thinking about it he thought it would be a good idea that they both get tested before he made the big move there, he wasnt naive to know she was still working! Well sadly her test came back positive at the age of 20! He is helping her with medical issues but they no longer are togethor and he said that friends told him she was still working.

So guys whether in Thailand, America, or Brazil PROTECT YOURSELF!!

[ciobha]

(WendyWilliams @ May 16 2008,05:23) So guys whether in Thailand, America, or Brazil            PROTECT YOURSELF!!

Oh yes,i always protect myself.I have a rottweiller and carry a swiss army army knife at all times!

[terry]

@WendyWilliams:

I am glad to see a topic like this exists. Here is a true story:

I was with a client in NYC who told me he use to travel too Thailand 2 a year. He feel in love with a young ladyboy there and  ... ...

sorry, if I'm coming across as being rude €” but this story reminds me a bit of the well-known chain-letter tales (how to deal with them you'll find
here).

Once more: everybody is responsible for himself (or, in politically correct new-speach: "him/herself"   ). Don't complain getting infected by giving a uncovered ladycock a warm reception ...

But, other way round: don't badmouth anybody who prefers BB €” it's his (fuck p.c.!) risk, not yours, since nobody will hinder you to protect yourself!

"There is no such thing as society" €” The Rt Hon. The Baroness Thatcher has really hit the nail with this meanwhile proverbial quote in  this interview!