wood
-
Posts
1,174 -
Joined
-
Last visited
Content Type
Profiles
Forums
Blogs
Events
Gallery
Everything posted by wood
-
This is exactly what I would do. However I would also say it depends on what type of sex you are having, IE always bottom, always top, etc. I havent done my analysis, but will eventually, and am going on PrEP, as my script is getting filled right now.
-
Bareback options to stay negative
wood replied to Internal Blast's topic in HIV Risk & Risk Reduction
yeah okay... you know some people do take this seriously. -
Should I believe my current neg test
wood replied to blacknight's topic in HIV/AIDS & Sexual Health Issues
There is no reason not to. There is always a window period, but based on what you have said, your risk exposure is somewhat small. -
umm it says he is 32 on his profile, without meds he wont die 2-3 years sooner, he will die 30-40 years sooner
-
I like your posts, Its awesome you are a long term no progressor, but i like the fact that you are giving good information, realizing that you are in the minority. Back to your original post, IMO you NEED to listen to your doctor in the situation. The alternative you have is like listening to someone who tells you to work in asbestos factory and smoke three packs a day; it will kill you. All the studies now show that unless you are a long term no progressor, early treatment is your best option to good long term health. HIV infection to AIDS/death is on average about a 10 year progression, after initial infection your VL will stabilize a fairly low level and gradually creep up as your T-cells die. Some are faster some are slower, but the vast majority of people would die from aids if it wasn't for the treatments that are available now. As far as your "master" is concerned, it sounds like he is on a self destructive path and wants to take some people down with him. Do you really want to be one of them or would you like to live a long healthy life with lots of sex.
-
Bareback options to stay negative
wood replied to Internal Blast's topic in HIV Risk & Risk Reduction
you essentially have three options: 1) be in a completely monogamous relationship with another neg person who never cheats. 2) ALWAYS using condoms 100% correct 3) going on PrEP. That being said none of those are really foolproof, although PrEP has a lot of promise, and some people do want monogamous relationships. Topping is also good, but not foolproof, and some tops who have other STD's and still bareback can be at a fairly high risk for HIV. Only fucking with poz guys who are on long term therapy and they stick to it is also a good risk reduction technique but far from foolproof. For you it sounds like PrEP may be a good option, you must be consistent about it, but studies show it works. http://www.truvadapreprems.com/# -
Well I dont think thats needed but he does have a point, sexual abuse by a doctor is SERIOUS, like go to jail for 10 years serious. People NEED to trust their doctors. That being said stuff like that story happens all the time.
-
Bearbandit, First of all thank you very much for your input on this, I always enjoy a good discussion. Heres my main issue with your arguments. No one is doubting that is some cases PrEP with Truvada can be dangerous, However the statistical models, and experience with the drug show that the risk of kidney and liver problems are relatively low. That does not mean they are non-existent. That being said I am trying to look at the argument for and against PrEP in a logical and fact based way. Right now the way I see it is that people are continuing to have unprotected sex, and while condoms are one good way at prevention they certainly do not cover all different behaviors. Additionally PrEP with Truvada when taken correctly has shown to be 99% effective. HIV infection rates in the US and many other developed countries have become very stagnant, and are not going down, because simply people are not following what is regarded as safer sex. IMO, PrEP is a good way to reduce those infections among high risk adults. It is far from perfect, but if you are a high risk person, isnt taking a medication to prevent infection for a potentially shorter amount of time better than taking medication for a lifetime? I think that many people in here forget that HIV is a LIFETIME illness, not a "bug or gift" It is something that will kill you if you dont take lifetime medication. With that in mind I think that PrEP is a good option for any people at high risk.
-
For those who are worried about the cost of PrEP or other drugs for that matter, The indian drug company Cipla makes a generic of Truvada called Tenvir-em. you can find it at any number of online pharmacies for about $100 a month. (note: I have never used the company listed below) http://www.inhousepharmacy.biz/p-636-tenvir-em.aspx Now normally I would say that an off market drug source of something that is supposed to have no generic formulation would be stupid, but Cipla is actually very respected, and they are actually the worlds largest manufacturer of HIV/AIDS medication. The wikipedia article explains wit well, but basically India until recently didnt allow patents on drugs, so they pretty much make what they want. I have used their "Tadacip" aka Tadalafil, or Cialis, and it works just as well as the pricey stuff for a fraction of the cost. http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Cipla I have used this online drugstore and it was actually reccomended by my doctor, it is NOT a fly by night operation, and you actually need a doctor to fax in your script, but they are very trustworthy. http://www.universaldrugstore.com/
-
Yeah im going to disagree with the consensus here... Blood is a pretty risky fluid to get involved with, and you seem to have had alot of contact with it. Now the fact that he is on medication helps a lot, but is he undetectable, and what are the undetectable standards you are going off of. You also mentioned you used the same razor. With that it depends if he used it first and how long ago. Honestly I dont think anyone on here can give you a good idea of your risk, because even with what you have said there are so many variables, IE do your gums every bleed, do you have any canker sores, etc. Taking a wild guess I would give you a 33% chance of infection. Medication helps a lot, but you also had alot of contact with his bodily fluids. If you want to stay NEG, you need to cut out the blood sports at a minimum.
-
Choosing To Not Take Meds Will Kill You - Spencer Cox
wood replied to rawTOP's topic in What's It Like To Be Poz?
yeah good luck with that... Further, no offense, bu unless you are a long term non-progressor without treatment, you could easily die form the flue, or simple staph infection. I recall one guy who stopped taking meds, saying "oh I feel better now" when he stopped because he had some med side effects. He later stated that "even his allergies went away later. And he is probably correct about that, because allergies are an immune response, with no immune system he didnt get allergies. Of course he later died but hey what does that matter... -
most likely. http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Tenofovir "A Cochrane review examined the use of tenofovir as a pre-exposure prophylaxis against HIV infection. It found that both tenofovir alone, as well as the tenofovir/emtricitabine combination, significantly decreased the risk of contracting HIV"
-
just pick any major city with large gay populations, San Fran, New York, Chicago, LA, Atlanta are the big ones. Palm Springs also works cause its a holiday destination, but your selection of men may be very different. If someone has trouble getting laid in any of the cities I mentioned above its your fault, not the cities.
-
Honestly you are an anomaly, and this should not be considered as fact. For you I am glad you have had relatively good health, but in most cases that does not happen. I know a friend of a friend who just DIED of AIDS because he didnt get tested, he wasnt sexually active until 21, and he died right after he turned 27. You do the math. The simple fact is that a majority of people will die within 10 years without treatment, and the last few of those years can be hell. Treatment is the best option for overall long term health.
-
Bingo. I have had two friends who tested poz recently and they both went on medication almost right away. IMO that is the best way to do it. the old school of thought was that you could go a while before needing medication, however it has been shown that the virus can do a significant amount of damage in that time, and it may be difficult to rebuild your immune system if you go even to CD4 counts of 350. Additionally, when you are immunocompromised for any reason you are much more likely to get any number of infections.
-
I agree, not everyone is monogomous, but not everyone goes out to bathhouses and takes loads either. I know more than a few couples that dont fuck around, but i know some who do too. Its all about communication.
-
I disagree because I don't thick awareness campaigns work. There have been a lot of new awareness campaigns over the past few years, yet even with new and better treatment infection rates have largely leveled off. Look at the studies that say that 50% of people off hookup sites admit to having unprotected sex, this despite the fact that people know unprotected sex transmit disease, and that multiple partners increase the risk. Condom fatigue is a real thing, and while I would still encourage condom use, its not always a real world solution. While I agree it should certainly be targeted towards people that consistantly have risky sex, or get STD's, I think it could be a benefit for all. There are tons of stories out there about people getting infected by a partner they they think is being faithful, so its not just people who admit to having risky sex who are becoming infected. The pill was a huge success for woman in managing pregnancy. For gay men, I see PrEP as the same thing. It is theonly alternative right now that will have a meaningful drop in HIV transmission. http://www.cdc.gov/nchhstp/newsroom/images/HivFactSheets/ProgressNewinfections.jpg
-
Heres my issue with what you are saying. "The study examined the medical records of 10,841 HIV-positive veterans in the national VA health care system who were new users of antiretroviral therapy from 1997 to 2007. It was published electronically in the journal AIDS on February 9." 1) This is a study that has studied people from 1997 to 2007, not really in the current timespan. 2) all the people in the study were HIV positive, and most likely on other drugs also, any number of which can cause kidney damage 3) we have no idea what other drugs any of these people were taking, any number of which may work in tandem with truvada to cause kidney damage. I am not saying that PrEP is the only way to go, but I am saying that in my opinion it could be an excellent way to curb HIV transmission. Also while you mentioned condoms, we all know that condom use is not just the answer, otherwise no one would be on this board. I think that right now because truvada is GRAS (generally recognized as safe) the studies about PrEP should continue, and those in them should be monitered for kidney issues. I think its also imporant to look at PrEP in a different perspective. Maybe for the person taking it, it is a few years of it before they enter a stable relationship, vs a lifetime of medication if they become positive. A lifetime of medication will almost certainly have more health implications than a few years of one. Hell even a few MONTHS of excessive tylenol use can cause liver failure. Its all relative, for some people PrEP will be worth it, no questions asked. For others however it may not be. Personally I am going to talk to my doctor and get on it ASAP. Im not even having a lot of sex, but after daying a poz guy before, and seeing how HIV has affected friends lives, I dont want it, and will take any steps to mitigate my risk.
-
Oraquick is indeed a good accurate test, but as others have said, if you are a sexually active gay man who rarely uses condom, you really need screened for other STI's too. Plenty of STI's in gay men can go undetected because they can be asymptomatic. Syphilis is a good example of that, and can lead to neurological problems among other things if untreated.
-
I think its safe to say this happens all the damn time. Even with people i know who almost always play it safe, will go in, or let a dick in for a little treat before they put a condom on. But just as boys will be boys, sometimes they just dont stop.
-
Im looking into PrEP right now, and everything i have seen basically says this. If you want to stay neg, and have a habit of risky sexual practices, DO IT!!! IMO this should be a national health campaign, and it could be one of the single most important tools used to help curb the rate of infection. Condoms, while effective, are not always used as everyone knows, and for many people a pill a day is fairly simple. While many people glamorize HIV in here, I know more than a few people with it, and they all wish they didnt have it.
-
I was perusing some stats yesterday on HIV transmission and one of the most interesting ones I found was about heterosexual transmission from female to male. I always wondered how in Africa the transmission rate has remained so high even with regular condom use. One alarming stat I found was that when uncut men had sex with a woman who had an current sti infection or sore from any number of common STI's, the female to male infection rate was as high as 43% per single sex act. To put that in perspective, receptive anal sex with a positive partner is usually considered to be about a 3% risk, however that figure is most likely deduced from people without other STI's. The main point here is that Yes, it is possible to be pozed while topping, but some basic risk reduction can help a lot, Use plenty of lube, dont have any cuts or abrasions, wash up, and pee after sex, and make sure both participants have no other STI's.
-
Initial symptoms of HIV infection
wood replied to BrisFuck's topic in HIV/AIDS & Sexual Health Issues
Wow small world I think I know exactly who you are talking about. I will just use initials for his anonymity but I think you are talking about A. T. Correct? But really it's correct. I get tested at minimum every 3 months. And IMO any sexually active gay man whether having protected sex or not should do the same. -
http://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/article-2336321/Porn-star-Mr-Marcus-jailed-knowingly-exposing-stars-syphilis-causing-outbreak-closed-industry.html?ICO=most_read_module Just a little food for thought guys. I know this is an extreme example, but its also why you always want to practice full disclosure with partners, and also let previous partners know if you even think you exposed them to an STD or HIV.
-
Advice for a conflicted young man
wood replied to behindonestep's topic in What's It Like To Be Poz?
IMO you need to make your life about more than sex. Also while its an unpopular opinion on here, you can also have sex with condoms if you are worried about catching other STD's. Also I think in your case you may be happier in a relationship with one man than sleeping around. I say this a lot on here, but there is more to life than just sex.
