Signs/symtoms Of Hiv+

[Dundeecumdump]

Hi there, I think I might be HIV+ but was wondering if any positive guys can tell me the signs/Symtoms if you had any.

Thanks.

[BBBttmPete]

Wouldn't it be easier just to get tested?

[Guest Barelove]

ask google!

[snaketat]

on of the first things to look for is a poz bareback cock stuck up your ass.  if you see that happening on a regular basis, chances are that is the first symptom of converting.

 

please.....research a bit....that is a well documented subject and anyone who is having raw sex needs to understand the virus.

[Guest grubbysubby]

After those responses to DundeeCumDump, I would be surprised if he is still reading this thread! Please do not be offended by that comment; I know that this is my first post and that there are a combined 709 posts between you, so my credibility is not such that I can criticise any of you in my first post! So, I am not meaning to start an argument with the previous three posters; but I am of the view that forums such as this do need to be safe places (perhaps a funny term given that most of us here bareback!) where people can ask questions and be certain of a friendly, patient answer. 

 

The symptoms of HIV infection vary wildly from person to person. Generally speaking, every person goes through some sort of sero-conversion illness. This is ordinarily within a few months of being infected and is the actual process of going from HIV- to HIV+. Some have such a mild illness that they do not even notice it; others have a far more severe reaction. For myself, I was ill three months almost to the day after I had got infected; and it lasted in the region of three weeks. I was feverish, very tired, ached everywhere and had terrible, terrible diarrhoea. A friend of mine was hospitalised during his conversion for about two months and others I know had almost no reaction at all.

 

At the time, I absolutely knew I had seroconverted but it still took me many months (17 in fact) to work up the courage to get tested. I believe I zero-converted in March 2006 and was tested HIV+ in August 2007.

 

Once you have seroconverted, the symptoms all but disappear until your immune system is severely compromised and you then start with the night sweats, lesions and goodness knows what else. There really is no reason for anyone to ever reach that stage any more.

 

At the time, the wisdom of the day was to wait until you had a CD4 count of below 350 before starting medication. Nowadays, the practice is to start meds almost immediately and this prolongs the lifespan of the HIV+ person and also makes the likelihood of developing AIDS almost negligible.

 

It is therefore critical to get tested often and early. A trained medical practitioner will be able to coach you on the way that the virus works; your options in terms of meds and will be able to provide a baseline battery of tests to determine if your strain is resistant to any of the classes of HIV drugs available on the market and, of equal importance, whether you are more sensitive to one class of HIV drug vs another to determine the best therapy to battle the virus. Most importantly, a Doctor will be able to walk you through the difference between having HIV and having AIDS and explore your options in terms of funding your treatment and how (and if) you tell loved ones and friends. They will be able to refer you to advocacy groups who can tell you about the legalities of what to tell sexual partners etc. 

 

I would never have classified myself as a bug chaser, but I was always realistic about the chances of contracting the virus. That still did not remove the paralysing stress I felt leading up to my test; nor the degree to which the news that I was HIV+ affected me at the time. I would strongly urge you to go and get a test...  It was the best thing I did because it helped me to put things into perspective in terms of the illness and how it was going to affect my life. I have now been HIV+ for almost ten years; and have been on meds since January 2009. I am more healthy now than I ever was; and am the recipient of fantastic medical care. None of that has curtailed my enjoyment of bareback sex; and I have never felt judged or in any other way looked down on because of my status.

 

In time, I was able to tell my cousin and, later, my sister. I have told numerous friends and all of them have supported and loved me through the process. There are still many people I have not told; I suspect that the people who know today are the sum total of people I will tell; but that may change and I am very satisfied with the support and love that I have received.

 

To summarise; get tested - it is better than not knowing. Get on meds - it will prolong your life. Get support; they can help you navigate some of the ins and outs of living with a chronic illness.

 

I am not sure if that is the answer you wanted or if you are even going to read this response. I hope you do; and I hope it is helpful to you.