Questions about barebacking

[jimjams]

Hi!

Firstly sorry if this isnt in the right forum section.

I've been reading this site for the past few weeks and really like the idea of barebacking, however i don't want to rush into anything so i have been trying to do a sort of pros and cons when it comes to things like HIV and STDs etc.

I'm finding it hard to understand all the information about hiv etc, it seems to be far to much information and i struggle to brake it down.

For stds am i right in thinking that only herpes and hep c are incurable?

When it comes to HIV, what is life expectancy from the moment you find out you are positive? some websites say 10 years which is really scary since i am young. Are there any noticeable physical changes from medications and stuff?

Also with different strains of HIV, does this mess up any kind of treatment and basically cut off your years? I always thought that once positive there wasnt much use for condoms but if you end up with multiple hiv strains is this a deathwish?

And finally is treatment free in the UK, can it be done discreetly without family knowing and also when it comes to STDs, will doctors tolerate constant treatment?

Sorry if these are common questions, my head is batted from reading and could use some help!

[slowfuck]

Welcome. Sensible lad. Take your time - make sure you understand what you're getting into first. You say you're young so you have plenty of time even if your cock thinks differently!

My take on things is as follows. I hope it helps.

There's always a risk but there are risk reduction strategies. Some get pozzed first time, others can take loads for years and still be neg. Where you are, who you partner with, how selective you are, and what you do can affect your risk. If you are thinking of being an all loads cum dump in the local sauna darkroom in a big city, your risk is going to be high. If you get to know your sexual partners and choose wisely, you can reduce your risk considerably. Never to zero because of the lag between infection and it showing up in testing, so even if your buddies don't lie, they may not know their status.

HIV is transferred from the virus getting into your blood stream. It can do this through microscopic abrasions in your skin or the lining of your arse. So for example if you are tight and someone fucks you without lube then you have a high risk of getting a tear in your arse which is quite delicate - but with plenty of lube and if you are able to relax your hole easily to take the cock without strain, and the top has a sensible size dick and doesn't fuck roughly, then your risk of a tear is lower. There can be virus in precum as well as in your cum (which is precum mixed with sperm). Having an STD in your cock or arse will provide an easy route for infection with HIV.

As to STDs, my understanding is that herpes is incurable - it's a virus too - but hepatitis C is very difficult to treat. Others may know better. With HIV, I understand that with current treatments, life expectancy for recent infections caught early can often be not far short of normal, but that's not certain with everyone. People react to HIV differently. Equally, you can't tell from appearances, generally. Most of my poz friends have no worries about catching different strains. The main worry is about getting other STDs which can be more difficult to treat. There's resistant strains of gonorrhea but they can be blitzed with combinations of antibiotics. Others may highlight other issues.

Treatment is free in the UK, and is discreet. The difficulty family wise would be on the hospital appointments and the daily pill(s) once you are put on meds, when that become necessary. Your docs would advise you to be fuck safe but the docs tend to be realistic as to behaviors and treating infections. They wouldn't be likely to refuse treatment.

Hopefully that helps you - along with others' responses in time. I suggest you keep it as a fantasy until you are clear on all your questions and you are sure that you want to take the risk.

[747boi]

Fantastic advice. Keep it as a fantasy mate. HIV is no walk in the park. Use a condom everytime.

[ked239]

That's all pretty solid advice as far as I can see, only things I would add are that doctors wouldn't just be unlikely to refuse treatment, they're unable to refuse treatment, so you don't have to worry about that and all STI treatment is free in the UK, from a simple case of chlamydia right up to HIV.

Also, the 10 years estimate is what is usually given as an example of the average life expectancy of someone who receives no treatment at all for HIV, as said above, life expectancy with treatment is near to normal, although there are other factors such as your response to the virus, how healthy you are generally, how resistant your strain is etc etc

But whether you should bb or not is something only you can decide, there certainly are risks, but you also gain a lot in sexual pleasure, so it's whether you want to take the risk. If you're not sure, then sticking to condoms at least till you're clearer in your mind is probably a good call