How did you contract HIV?

[AAP]

I've been with this girl for over 4 years and I was her first and only, so I think I'm in the clear.

You would think.... until you make her upset and the same day work that nice dressed guy at the watercooler tells her he likes what she did to her hair.... something she hasn't heard from you in two years.... next thing you know....

BAM! You got the gift.

 

[UMguy]

I contracted HIV from a one night stand in Novemember of 2005. I was in a relationship and am still in the relationship with the same guy. I normally don't use drugs and have always used condoms in the past, but on that night I was so trashed I got high and had a threesome without a condom during a portion of it. I don't really remember everything clearly, I know who the two guys are, but I haven't seen them since.

Personally I never felt that I would cheat on my boyfriend, but I also have a drinking problem and have had issues with getting way too drunk and making terrible decisions in the past. Like I said, this was just one night, it wasn't from a whole series of sexual encounters outside the relationship. I don't believe in luck, so I won't say that I had bad luck...I was stupid and should've known better, its my fault for not protecting myself.

Its good to trust the one you're with, but that has nothing to do with using condoms. Using condoms is a health issue, a little more pleasure is not worth the risk. But, I guess I'm lucky, my boyfriend has stayed with me and I went and got tested within three weeks of my infection....so long term things should be ok. People were talking about the antibody and viral load tests...when I went in I tested negative for the antibody test, but then I went back and told my doctor about my risky encounter and she tested my viral load, which came back positive. So, if you're really worried about a recent experience, and you can afford it then you should get a viral load test. But, for routine testing, an antibody test is fine.

 

[nybb10001]

May I ask you a question? Seriously I am just curious, how did you progress to full blow AIDS in less than 5 years? The incubation period of most HIV cases progressing to AIDS is about 10 years average? Was there a unique situation? Not to sound wrong here but really I'm just curious.......

10 years is the "average" length of time int he US for an HIV infection to progress to the point of AIDS. In this case, however, "average" isn't very telling...why? It may take as little as 1 year or as many as 20. 10 years is simply the average of all people who can pinpoint the original date of infection.

 

[AAP]

The progression has a lot to do on your current health status when you contract it. If you are in bad health like a junkie or already skinny like trailer trash whores, then you will progress to full blown status much more rapidly.

 

[marknyc]

The progression has a lot to do on your current health status when you contract it. If you are in bad health like a junkie or already skinny like trailer trash whores, then you will progress to full blown status much more rapidly.

I nominate AAP for the most pejorative post in this thread - sure glad I will never have to turn to you for any empathy...

 

[bodypump2]

i got it from a toilet seat im prety sure.......either that or butt sex

 

[Mathew22]

What do you think his odds are? My buddy had been dating a girl for about six months. He found out she had been using heroin the whole time. He never had any idea. Well, come to find out, after they broke up she had sex with her previous boyfriend a week later. A week after that he slept with her a few times, no condem either.This all happened in Jan. Now he just found out that this kid has aids. Don't know if he had it or if she gave it to him. My buddy is still waiting for the results of her tests. He got tested right away and nothing came back, but I know it can takes months sometimes.

 

[nybb10001]

What do you think his odds are? My buddy had been dating a girl for about six months. He found out she had been using heroin the whole time. He never had any idea. Well, come to find out, after they broke up she had sex with her previous boyfriend a week later. A week after that he slept with her a few times, no condem either.This all happened in Jan. Now he just found out that this kid has aids. Don't know if he had it or if she gave it to him. My buddy is still waiting for the results of her tests. He got tested right away and nothing came back, but I know it can takes months sometimes.

It's more easily transmitted from male to female, but it can indeed be transmitted from female to male. If the male is uncircumsized, the chances of infection are greater. Also, if the encounter occurs with someone who's recently infected, then the chances are also greater (people recently infected have no anti-bodies yet, so the virus replicates in an uncontrolled manner).

The odds are in your buddy's favor, but the risk is very real. He should get tested now and at three months.

The important lesson here...no matter if you're male or female, straight or gay, condoms are a must if you are sexually active. You just never know who has HIV and who doesn't. I've noticed that those who have been tested and know that they are HIV+ become very responsible about not passing on the infection, but those who have not tested almost always assume that they are HIV-....which can lead to behavior that passes on the infection.

I hope things turn our "negative" for your buddy.

 

[mojaz87]

and NO HIV is not a GAY disease and YES HIV is as prevalent in the "straight" community as it is in the gay, but by the last #'s, I believe It is just a "HUMAN" SEXUALLY TRANMITTED VIRUS that knows No Gender!!! lets get real people and stop pointing fingers at gays, duh!!!
...

In case we forget MEN are horny little things, gay or staight and gay guys, yes, we are very into sex, we can get laid 10 times more thean a straight man with a girl. So do the math, thats why it hit the gay community so fast and in such numbers, unfortunately.

First of all, HIV is definitely more prevalent in the gay community than it is in the heterosexual community. Look at it this way, yes there may be as many "straight" people with aids as there are gay people with it, but from a percentage standpoint, which group has more members? AIDS is expanding at alarming rates in the gay community...it's pretty ridiculous. Stop pointing fingers at gays? I'm pretty sure gays do a good enough job of attracting attention to themselves without any additional help. The fact that you generalize that ALL men are horny little things...clearly not true--it may be the fact that you were a horny little thing and that's why you got AIDS, but that doesn't apply to ALL males. Did it ever occur to you that homosexuality is wrong? Even after you contracted AIDS as a result of it, you still sit there and defend homosexuality as if it is perfectly acceptable. Where is your faith, your religion? honestly.

 

[nybb10001]

First of all, HIV is definitely more prevalent in the gay community than it is in the heterosexual community. Look at it this way, yes there may be as many "straight" people with aids as there are gay people with it, but from a percentage standpoint, which group has more members? AIDS is expanding at alarming rates in the gay community...it's pretty ridiculous. Stop pointing fingers at gays? I'm pretty sure gays do a good enough job of attracting attention to themselves without any additional help. The fact that you generalize that ALL men are horny little things...clearly not true--it may be the fact that you were a horny little thing and that's why you got AIDS, but that doesn't apply to ALL males. Did it ever occur to you that homosexuality is wrong? Even after you contracted AIDS as a result of it, you still sit there and defend homosexuality as if it is perfectly acceptable. Where is your faith, your religion? honestly.

Did it ever occur to you that your view of homosexuality is discriminatory and therefore evil (and against Christianity and just about every other religion)? I take it you must not be of a Christian religion; otherwise, you wouldn't be saying something so judgmental. According to the Christian religion, anyone who judges another man will be condemned themselves...since it's not your right to judge...it's only God's right.

Yes, there are more straight people in the world with HIV than there are gay people. Many more, as a matter of fact...it started in sub-saharan Africa in the earlier part of last century when SIV (Simian Immunodeficiency Virus) jumped the species hurdle from Chimpanzees into the human race by mutating into HIV (human immunodeficiency virus)...something that frequently occurs with viruses. Influenza (the flu), for example, started in the bird population and wasn't able to infect humans until it mutated (I'm talking about the ordinary flu...not the recent "avian flu"). Many other viral infections have followed a similar path.

Chimpanzees used to be part of the food supply in sub-Saharan Africa (that part of the world used to be even more poverty stricken than it is today, and the locals had to eat whatever was available to them). It is believed that the virus entered the human race as the hunters were butchering the freshly killed animals and were therefore exposed to the blood of the animals. This is why as much as 40% of the population in sub-saharan Afraica is infected by the virus.

This isn't a religious issue. It's a scientific one.

Let's leave religion out of this. It's only making things worse. It's very clear that you want to hate and blame someone, but you're pointing the finger in the wrong direction. It's just a virus. God didn't have anything to do with it, nor does any sexual orientation.

The fastest growing segment of new infections in the US are heterosexual females...not gay men. The fastest growing region of the country for new infections is the Southeast...surprise, surprise...the part of the country which has most strongly adopted George W. Bush's misguided abstinece only teachings.

Another alarming fact...as many as 70% of all infected heterosexuals do not know that they are infected. Because they believe that they are safe since they're heterosexual, they're not getting tested...and continuing their unsafe practices. We haven't even seen the tip of the iceberg yet in the heterosexual community.

It's going to be bad...very, very bad.

How do I know all this? By studying the disease at length for many years and by working to help prevent new infections by trying to get people to test themselves...straight or gay.

It's going to take all of our cooperation to make this disease a thing of the past. Trying to include religion isn't going to help. Religion doesn't control viruses.