wood

I guess I am lucky that I havent noticed any side effects from PrEP, and my blood work always comes back great.

I agree 100%, which is why I try to take other precautions against other STI's. The big thing with HIV is that it predisposes you to pretty much every other illness out there. Have HIV? the herpes flare ups will be worse, got HPV like pretty much every gay man does? There is more of a chance of side effects, etc, etc. One of my friends who was diagnosed HIV+ last year also ended up with early stage anal cancer, most likely brought on by his initial infection. He had the HPV, but his HIV infection and compromised immune system allowed it to progress. He is fine after a minor outpatient procedure, but still he's 27, and already had a cancer scare and HIV. Herpes especially is a tough one. Lots of people have it, but many don't know it, and many don't get symptoms. Also its becoming more common to see HSV1 infections on genitals. HSV1 is the cold sore virus. Also many doctors wont test for herpes unless there is an outbreak because the tests are not that reliable, and it is considered a self limiting illness.

Its good you're on PrEP condoms are only about 90% effective at anal sex, so they do fail. Hell one failed on a guy I was sleeping with this past weekend. He wasnt that rough, dick wasnt huge, condom was new, etc but it still broke so PrEP is a GREAT idea if you are a bottom. Honestly I think you should just be very aware of your surrounding. I wouldnt worry much about getting stealthed from a guy who hires an escort. Steathers can probably find a guy to stealth without paying. I would however watch your drinks, and surroundings VERY carefully. Getting roofied can very easily happen, and does to some guys. IMO its less likely to happen to tops, but does happen to younger smaller bottoms. Also just say no when you want to. You are in control in the situation. Bare for an extra feel is certainly an option, and thats your call. Your chance of HIV with PrEP is small but you may end up with other STDS that will put you out of commission for a while

Agree'd The "neg" guys who are afraid of poz guys, yet will do anything with a guy who says he is "neg" are just stupid. Hell I'm neg, but the only reasons I say that with confidence about my self is that I'm on PrEP. Guys who are undetectable to me are great because I find they are more likely to take care of themselves and know about their health. Guys who get tested once a year and claim they are neg are just fooling themself. Hell a fuck buddy of mine just got over a really bad flu like illness. He got all kinds of tests done including a regular antibody HIV test, and all kinds of other scans for viral illnesses. They all came up neg. However. I'm not messing with him until he gets tested again in a few months because I dont trust that he's neg, considering his last test was in the middle of what could be his fuck flu. Back to the orginal topic it is now a lot more possible to bareback and stay neg that it had been in the past, but it takes some self control, and PrEP at the very least. If you are a bottom, fucking with guys who are exclusive tops can help. Bottoms also really need PrEP. If you are going to take loads, you need PrEP, simple as that. For Tops, you need to look at a guys ass, and not just stick you dick in any hole. If he has other visible sores or possible infections he could have an elevated viral load if he is poz. Also use lube, it reduces friction that can cause abrasion and tears. Vers guys need to do all of that. The number one thing however is regular HIV and STD tests. I recommend 4x a year for anyone having bareback sex with multiple partners. If you test positive for ANYTHING you need to get it treated asap, and tell other partners. Also STAY AWAY FROM DRUGS!! especially meth. I know people that have went to ivy league schools, got addicted to meth and ruined much of their life. Most became HIV+ and many caught HCV too because they eventually start injecting it. Just dont do it. Nothing good comes from it.

Heres my reason. I dont want ANY STD's, but realize it can happen. I have PrEP for HIV protection, Im vaccinated about Hep a/b, and C hasnt been proven to be readily transmittable to negative guys during normal sex. With that said, I already go to the doc 4x a year for PrEP checkups, I dont want to go anymore! Also unlike many guys on here, I dont have lots of different partners I have a few partners I enjoy, and I care about their health too. I dont want to give them anything, even if its curable. Yes, the bacterial STD's are curable, but I still need to go to the doc, be uncomfortable, get treated, and tell my partners. I simply dont like, or want to do that.

880 is still damn good. I know of a few long term survivors and many struggle to keep CD4 counts in 4-500 range, even on modern therapy. They are okay and healthy, but the infection in the early days just wrecked their bodies enough that their immune system has never fully recovered.

Yeah I feel the same way. I see gene based therapy offering huge potential, I just dont think this technique sounds that promising. From the article: So only one volunteer who already had a CCR5 mutation was able to control HIV for the 12 week study? Sorry but that seems more like a failure to me. I understand it may be a stepping stone, but I cant see how the initial study would be deemed successful if non of the other volunteers were able to control their infection.

Yeah I would go on the meds. IMO 6 months is plenty long to wait. Your numbers are good, but the goal is to get them the best you can, Treatment will do that. Another good reason is that once you are infected and not on treatment, it is MUCH harder for your body to fight off any infection. So say you catch the flu, without treatment your cd4 count could drop 100 points, and your viral load could drastically increase. Yes, that is somewhat temporary, but you probably wouldn't get back to your prior high numbers. Call in the script!

Really a bad idea to stop treatment, if you think taking a pill a day is bad, get resistant to some of the drugs from going off them for no reason, that can cause HUGE side effects. Go back on and don't go off. Its just a pill a day, just like the PrEP I take. For the OP: As Im sure you know Im neg, but I also have dated a lot of poz guys and asked them the very question you did, and I will surmise what they have told me. All of their answer were similar in that, some things never are the same, but most things go back to "normal" within a year. For one they never get used to bringing it up with a partner or potential partner. its not an easy conversation, but at the same time they all said it becomes a non issue to them. IE if the person likes me, they like me, if they dont, there are other fish out there. That was the only thing they all said bothered them after the initial year and shock. For the most part they all said the first 6 months to a year are the worst. At that time you think any cough or cold is death coming, and its always on your mind. Same things with doctors visits. You are anxious for your number and labs to make sure things are working, but after that it becomes routine, just like most people who go to the doctor for yearly checkups. What they all said is that after a while, its just a fact of life, like brushing your teeth, or dealing with other stress. Other problems come and go, and you learn to realize that HIV is a (luckily now) a fairly small issue to deal with. The treatments work, and blood tests every six months are pretty damn easy. From my perspective working in outreach and testing before, it varies from person to person. I know some people that bounced back in a matter of weeks, and I know others that took years, although in fairness that is mostly people with prior depression issues. Talking with anyone will help. You don't need to tell everyone, but if people can help you, let them. Based of what you have said so fair I bet in a couple months you will be fine, and as a bonus it will be summer!!! which makes everyone feel better.

I have to say that those numbers are truly impressive, especially in light of how long you have been infected and where you have came from in terms of numbers before. I dont have any info for the OP, but if thats what your doctor recommends I would go for it. They seem to have steered you in the correct direction so far.

looks like things may be headed that way, even for gay men. http://www.aidsmap.com/No-one-with-an-undetectable-viral-load-gay-or-heterosexual-transmits-HIV-in-first-two-years-of-PARTNER-study/page/2832748/

ding ding ding. All of this is great info. IMO some doctors like to give the option because some people really dont like medication, and IMO like tigers, they are doing their patients a huge disservice. Hard and fast is the way to go.

Dont wait. The newer therapies have been shown to be very well tolerated by most people, and have almost none of the side effects of older therapies. Additionally it has been show that HIV starts damaging the body immediately after infection, and really any amount of time with unchecked HIV infection can be dangerous for your health down the road. Also HIV "reservoirs" in parts of the body that are difficult for medication to reach build up after initial infection, current research suggest the faster the treatment the less viral reservoirs there are. Also as a person not on treatment you are more likely to transmit the virus. Even if you bottom the rectum and intestines are an area of high viral activity mean there is more of a chance of transmitting it to a top. Go on treatment there is almost no downside, and there are multiple programs to help with the cost of medication.

http://www.aidsmap.com/No-one-with-an-undetectable-viral-load-gay-or-heterosexual-transmits-HIV-in-first-two-years-of-PARTNER-study/page/2832748/ This is really great news. For a while now we have known about studies regarding transmission between heterosexual couples with vaginal intercourse, but the we didn't have the data on gay couple and anal intercourse. This looks to prove that treatment is extremely effective in preventing transmission. What this also means is that public health officials need to make sure people get on treatment immediately, and people get tested often. It really does seem like immediate treatment, and PrEP are much more of an answer to ending the epidemic than condoms and abstinence have been.

Many of the studies now are without placebo, everyone gets Truvada. There was a fair bit of backlash from some of the studies that had placebos.

bypassing the questions is really easy, Just say your partner is HIV+, and you want to go on PrEP as an extra layer of protection. If your doc is really unfamilier with PrEP, just print of the cdc info.

Theres a huge difference between being immune to things and just being a healthy person. For lots of people are are very healthy, and for this definition we mean a person with a highly functional immune system, it is no that easy to get sick. For example, I know more than a few people that are teachers. Some get sick all the time, and some almost never do, despite being in very similar environments, and having similar habits. For people whose immune system works very well, one or more smaller exposures may not be enough to be infected with anything. People who are resistant to HIV are similar, but that is actually a genetic issue, not just about your immune system. It also matters a lot about who fucked you, just because you let randoms fuck you doesn't mean they are always dirty. Sometimes its the most clean cut guys you wouldn't expect who never get tested, where as the clean cut guys always assume they are fine. For you, I would highly consider PrEP for HIV. It just makes sense. You can deal with the other stuff if you are going to continue any of the behavior you mentioned, but HIV is for life, and less than 1% of people of Caucasian decent only have the immunity to HIV. So the chance is remote.

Yeah Im thinking the same thing. The components of Truvada are in multiple over meds, that are persribed in greater numbers. I bet it will even out.

If you are looking for zero risk then neither PEP or PrEP are for you. All of the replies so far are accurate, but any sex carries risk, PrEP doesnt change that. For me as a person on PrEP that means I still ask if a person is HIV+, and if so are they on treatment. If so, I have no issue having sex with them. I personally haev no interest in having sex with a guy not on treatment. The vast majority of men with HIV would most likely be in better shape on treatment, and they are also much less likely to infect others. I see it this way, reducing risk whether you are on PrEP or not is still a good idea. The people that dont take are of themselves may have a greater chance of harboring other STD's that while they may be curable, are still a literal pain in the ass. Also PrEP over PEP everytime. PEP is no where near as effective, and in many causes has severe side effects.

You english at least in typing is better than many native speakers I know, so no need to be nervous. As far as being nervous its natural for some guys. Honestly I dont really fuck with randoms the first time. I have, but I usually meet up with them first in public then meet again, if a guy doesnt like it fuck him, there are other guys. Maybe the completely random thing isnt for you, and thats okay, Its not for me, and I learned that over time.

Oh good point. Anal pap smears are very important to gay men, especially if they are HIV+ Its a good idea to get one once a year if you are over 30. My doctor also said that anyone HIV+ should get them regardless of age. I have to say I am really glad that I live in a time where I have stuff like PrEP, and that people with HIV can get such effective treatment. Hearing the stories from bearbandit, reading up on the aids crisis, and movies like Philadelphia really hit home. Gay men pretty must lost a generation from AIDS, and its important to learn from that.

This doesn't really surprise me at all, but IMO it does underscore how important things like PrEP are if we are going to get a handle on the HIV epidemic among gay men. Condoms dont get used, and it doesn't seem like behavior modification works either, so I cant see anything else besides PrEP at this point. http://www.thegailygrind.com/2014/02/24/study-finds-80-young-gay-londoners-bareback-sex-likely-bareback-good-looking-guy/

damn, when did that happen? I have heard of that happening before, but never known anyone that had it occur to them.

Just as the topic says. Because I am Neg on PrEP, I rarely worry about HIV anymore. I still ask status, and when tested, but unless they are not on meds, and highly virulent, it doesn't make much of a difference to me. What I have noticed I do think about is other infections, even if they are treatable. Ironically I have never had an STI that I am aware of, but it is still always in the back of my mind. I really have no desire to go to the doctor, and get painful shots in the ass, or deal with things like herpes. One of the things that I do always ask partners is if they not only got tested for HIV but other STI's. This is one of the reasons I tend to almost never go to bathhouses, and have never had anonymous sex. Anyone else feel this way?

I still ask, more so because I dont feel like getting other STD's, and I figure if a guy has so idea when he was last tested there is less chance of that. Also I still dont think I would fuck with guys not on meds. I like people that take care of themselves.