Initial symptoms of HIV infection

[wood]

Not to be a downer on the site or anything but if you are concerned about getting HIV then barebacking probably isn't a good choice. Particularlly if you aren't prepared to deal with the life changes that being poz brings. The pills the doctor appointments ever 4 to 6 months, blood work etc.

I have a friend who's eldest son just passed away from AIDS. He was 27 years old and sadly it all could have been prevented. He didn't have medical insurance and when he started to feel poorly he just chalked it up to being depressed. Little did he know he had a tumor growing in his brain as his T cells were at 11 when his mom finally went and picked him up in Philly and brought him home and convinced him to go to the hospital. I watched as this vibrant young man withered away and became some fraction of himself over 4 months until 2 weeks ago at 5:18 PM on a Wednesday afternoon he finally succumbed to the infections and diseases that were ravaging his poor body and passed away at home.

So, if you are concerned about it and don't want it. Then by all means, don't do it and if you do it, get tested regularly at least once a year. Watching someone die of AIDS is not a fun thing to do trust me, its heart renching particularly someone so young and knowing it could have all been avoided just if our health care system was something other than what it was. I know he could have done a free clinic and all that but the young don't always realize what is available to them and being scared of a huge medical bill well enough said.

As for the original topic of this thread. There are not always symptoms to sero conversion. You can convert and not have anything go on or as I did, you get a low grade fever and nothing else and well my doc just gave me an anti biotic and sent me home, I forget what she said I had. My next regular appointment and lab work, I had a scheduled HIV test and well there it was, my VL was little over 30000 when I found out, my CD4 was normal still but I caught it early and was able to get to an ID doc and well all is good now, undetectable and my CD4 is still very much in the normal range.

Sorry abot be Davy downer here but thought it was relivent to this particular thread.

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.

[hairyone]

Guys, if you are negative, barebacking but don't want HIV, you better be taking Truvada to prevent infection. It's not foolproof but it's pretty damn good at helping to protect you. Find a doctor who will work with you. It's your body, your life, there are options to protect yourself as a barebacker. HIV is not glamorous.

[Guest JizzDumpWI]

... and speaking as one who is on PrEP; it can be pretty effective. Really the known instances of failure are non compliance. It can seem pointless to take a medication for something you don't have. Easy to decide "oh, i'll just skip today....". Assuming you get on Truvada, and stick with it; you can pretty much enjoy a bare life with impunity. Like with HIV meds treating HIV infection; other STD's can reduce effectiveness; so a responsiblie ID doc is going to want assurance of regular (eg: every 3 months) full STI panel. But doesn't that make sense anyway?

[BrisFuck]

According to my Googling...Truvada is not yet approved for use in Australia.

This link provides some good information, no matter where in the world you are: http://www.abc.net.au/pm/content/2012/s3547747.htm

[wood]

According to my Googling...Truvada is not yet approved for use in Australia.

This link provides some good information, no matter where in the world you are: http://www.abc.net.au/pm/content/2012/s3547747.htm

In the PrEP forum, I posted links about some indian drug companies that make a genaric truvada. I dont know if they will ship it to you in Austrailia, but if you can its an option. IIRC it was about $100 USD a month for the cipla genaric version called Tenvir-EM.