Should I start with meds?

[mikeeddins]

Hi, I am 18, and got pozzed a couple of years ago.

I was wondering if I should start with meds.. I havent really seen or felt any of the effects of the virus.

For your info, I live with a man thrice my age, so my parents dont know the whole conversion thing. He is just a friend who is generous enough to accommodate me for free. 

So, should I start with meds? Please leave a comment below

[seaguy]

Isn't that something you should be asking your doctor about?

[drscorpio]

Moderator's Note: Moved this to the Sexual Health area because it seemed like more of a request for advice than a fetish post. 

[topstud127]

You should've started after 2 months, let alone 2 years. Just because you don't feel anything, doesn't mean something isn't happening. You could very well be lucky and have gotten a latent or slow virus. On top of that, its not just about you, whomever your sleeping with is at a WAY higher risk, especially if you're topping.

Also, if you don't have health insurance, nows the time to get that in order (assuming you live in the US?). It's the end of the year so figure out your enrollment options, and with President 45, there is a real chance that pre-existing coverage or staying on your parents til your 26 can go out the window, then what?

Edited November 28, 2016 by topstud127

[mikeeddins]

On 11/28/2016 at 5:57 AM, topstud127 said:

You should've started after 2 months, let alone 2 years. Just because you don't feel anything, doesn't mean something isn't happening. You could very well be lucky and have gotten a latent or slow virus. On top of that, its not just about you, whomever your sleeping with is at a WAY higher risk, especially if you're topping.

Also, if you don't have health insurance, nows the time to get that in order (assuming you live in the US?). It's the end of the year so figure out your enrollment options, and with President 45, there is a real chance that pre-existing coverage or staying on your parents til your 26 can go out the window, then what?

Thanks for the advise, but I'm lucky enough to live in a country with free healthcare and a sane government

[chubbybear]

1 hour ago, mikeeddins said:

Thanks for the advise, but I'm lucky enough to live in a country with free healthcare and a sane government

Clearly you don't live in the US. Our government and healthcare system are anything but sane (lol).

[SuccessfulChaser]

There are seemingly millions of websites that can give you much more information.  Of course a local doc may be a great choice.  But here is a quick (from my viewpoint) of taking HIV meds.

Tons of proof that your life span will be longer if you keep the virus in check via medication.  Higher CD4 and  lower VL counts that result from the meds will allow your body to be less affected by opportunistic diseases that are common in those with compromised immune systems.

Very, very few cases of medicated (undetectable) guys infecting others. 

Current research indicates that the earlier someone starts meds, the better LONG TERM prognosis.

Side effects and cost are often cited as reasons for non-conformance to a medication regimen.

Some evidence that those who are not consistent with adherence to the medication regimen may put themselves at greater risk for a issues like having some "morphing" of your strain that makes it more resistant to medication.

Now from my own perspective.  I got intentionally knocked up in August of 2015.   Like you, I have had not symptoms.   Also, I have not started any medication. That has been a personal choice---I have access via good insurance.  However, much of my desire has been to fully experience all that getting infected and having the disease progress means. 

Just because you do not feel anything, you need to be fully aware that the virus is active.

There are three stages of an HIV infection.

      The acute stage is the first stage as your body works hard to fight off the intruder (HIV virus).  This is the time frame that some experience fuck flu.   Your VL can grow wildly.   Newly infected guys who do not know their status are responsible for many new infections each year.  

      The second stage is latency.  This is where you and I are.   Once the viral war within an infected person is won by the virus, it settles into a period where it is replicating much more slowly.  This can last for many years---up to 10 or more is not uncommon.  You likely have a VL that would be high enough to easily infect others, but you may not have anything else going on.  My own VL seems to be consistent around 200K.

     The final stage is often referred to as AIDS.   The gradual growth of your VL over the long period of latency (and related loss of CD4 cells) makes you very much exposed to the opportunistic diseases that would normally be shut down by your immune system.  The full blown AIDS guy simply has no more ability to fight those infections.  It will be one of those diseases that kills the AIDS level guys, not the virus itself.   Your time with AIDS is limited---perhaps 3-5 years before death.

Starting medication at the later years of latency and during the AIDS phase MAY be able to help some, but the overwhelmingly high VL and low CD4 count at those stages makes the effectiveness of any medication suspect.

I know I have made my choice and that at some point I will face the consequences of that decision.  However, given my age, the normal course of the progression to an AIDS related death and my normal expected lifespan are quite close.   As I said, the authenticity of disease and it's consequences are much of the reason I chose this path.  However, I want to make it clear that this is simply one faggot's choice.  There are other options and you much understand the disease, it's progression and what that means to you.  Then you can make choices that are best for you.

 

 

 

 

[timfreo]

Stay off for as long as you can. Then start them

[Guest]

On 12/8/2016 at 5:21 AM, SuccessfulChaser said:

There are seemingly millions of websites that can give you much more information.  Of course a local doc may be a great choice.  But here is a quick (from my viewpoint) of taking HIV meds.

Tons of proof that your life span will be longer if you keep the virus in check via medication.  Higher CD4 and  lower VL counts that result from the meds will allow your body to be less affected by opportunistic diseases that are common in those with compromised immune systems.

Very, very few cases of medicated (undetectable) guys infecting others. 

Current research indicates that the earlier someone starts meds, the better LONG TERM prognosis.

Side effects and cost are often cited as reasons for non-conformance to a medication regimen.

Some evidence that those who are not consistent with adherence to the medication regimen may put themselves at greater risk for a issues like having some "morphing" of your strain that makes it more resistant to medication.

Now from my own perspective.  I got intentionally knocked up in August of 2015.   Like you, I have had not symptoms.   Also, I have not started any medication. That has been a personal choice---I have access via good insurance.  However, much of my desire has been to fully experience all that getting infected and having the disease progress means. 

Just because you do not feel anything, you need to be fully aware that the virus is active.

There are three stages of an HIV infection.

      The acute stage is the first stage as your body works hard to fight off the intruder (HIV virus).  This is the time frame that some experience fuck flu.   Your VL can grow wildly.   Newly infected guys who do not know their status are responsible for many new infections each year.  

      The second stage is latency.  This is where you and I are.   Once the viral war within an infected person is won by the virus, it settles into a period where it is replicating much more slowly.  This can last for many years---up to 10 or more is not uncommon.  You likely have a VL that would be high enough to easily infect others, but you may not have anything else going on.  My own VL seems to be consistent around 200K.

     The final stage is often referred to as AIDS.   The gradual growth of your VL over the long period of latency (and related loss of CD4 cells) makes you very much exposed to the opportunistic diseases that would normally be shut down by your immune system.  The full blown AIDS guy simply has no more ability to fight those infections.  It will be one of those diseases that kills the AIDS level guys, not the virus itself.   Your time with AIDS is limited---perhaps 3-5 years before death.

Starting medication at the later years of latency and during the AIDS phase MAY be able to help some, but the overwhelmingly high VL and low CD4 count at those stages makes the effectiveness of any medication suspect.

I know I have made my choice and that at some point I will face the consequences of that decision.  However, given my age, the normal course of the progression to an AIDS related death and my normal expected lifespan are quite close.   As I said, the authenticity of disease and it's consequences are much of the reason I chose this path.  However, I want to make it clear that this is simply one faggot's choice.  There are other options and you much understand the disease, it's progression and what that means to you.  Then you can make choices that are best for you.

 

 

 

 

First off, I am much older than most of the guys here on BZ and thus have done and accomplished a lot of my life's goals and have been fortunate in many ways and at this time am still HIV neg. With all this in mind though, it has been reasonably easy for me to change my ways of thinking, accepting and becoming comfortable with a lot of things. One and especially the main thing now in my life has been to accept and become active in chasing and the desire and need to stop being so selective with sexual partners and allowing nature to take it's course with me, where ever that may lead to. I'm open to and ready for whatever happens from here on out.

SuccessfulChaser has said it the best of anyone I've ever seen, he is one of my top heroes here, with his statements and ways of conveying the information and his thoughts on the subject. Ultimately the decision is up to each individual to their choices as to go on meds or not, it all depends on the individuals goals and desires. As many have stated though, just because all seems well and there have been no real symptoms or complications so far that indicate being poz has been a serious threat to you, that doesn't mean that things are not going on in your body and systems. Think of it in terms of a great many cancer patients, they show no symptoms  until in a many of cases, it is too late. The body has a great way of fighting and masking symptoms and reactions sometimes until it just can't do it anymore and when it breaks down and gives up, it is usually too late.

This is the decision you must make, and don't wait until it is too late to make it. You must decide where you ultimately want to go with this and this must be your and only your decision to wait and let it go or try to med up and stop or slow the progression from poz HIV to full blown AIDS and certain death from it's complications as it progresses.

I am also, as are a many of us here, with SuccessfulChaser in the last part of his post here, with my age, it is most likely that it will be something else that gets me over HIV and AIDs, so I'm willing and accepting in the choices that I've made and the choice of not medding up when I do eventually poz up. At my age, I'm in for the adventure and experiences that I've been avoiding and missing out on for most of my life by being so selective and careful. It's time to let go and take whatever life has to offer from here on out for myself and enjoy the journey.