Someone HIV-1 Positive

[Anonymous]

I know someone who recently confessed he's tested positive for HIV (HIV-1). He hasn't tested positive for AIDS yet, though, so does this mean his infection was fairly recent? He called to let me know because we slept together a couple weeks ago. It was unprotected, penetrative sex, and I let him finish inside me............

I was stupid, I know, so please try to be kind. I do plan to get tested soon.

Anyway, while I've already done some research on this, I just wanted actual people to talk to about this. It's different to have actual people chime in on the matter in a message board, instead of just relying on something an author wrote that went through an editor (talking about articles) and other "official resources."

What kind of symptoms does one experience when they get infected with HIV?

I was just wondering what options there are for positive people. Are the lifetime medications oral, or will there be syringes involved? I've never been seriously ill in my life prior to this. I was just wondering what's the life expectancy of someone who tests positive that from here on out watches their health closely?

[Lexington]

There are no symptoms really when you're infected with HIV. That's the reason it's spread as much as it has - everybody thought (or assumed, or hoped) they were clean.

I believe the current rounds of medications are oral, but I'm sort of out of the loop there. Somebody more up-to-date can probably give you a better breakdown.

Best of luck to you.

Lex

[edhued]

Hey there,
AIDS is the last stage of HIV. Some people can live with HIV for a long time, because they were diagnosed early and they are taking medications for it, so it will almost never develop to full blown AIDS. HIV can't be detected until 2-8 weeks after the exposure, so you can get tested now, but still you have to do a follow up test in 3 months or so.

Some people well get some kinda of flu-symptoms 2-4 weeks after the exposure, then they will be asymptomatic (HIV virus is slowing down). Again it's different from a person to another and you can't rely on these symptoms, you really have to get tested for that. initial symptoms like fever (this is the most common symptom), swollen glands, sore throat, rash, headache, fatigue. So after the acute phase, the virus will be on the low levels and the person will not have any symptoms at all, but still the virus is multiplying.

At this moment, with the new medications and cocktails, an HIV+ individual can live like a normal person, but with the addition of taking these medications every day or week. The best outcomes can be achieved if the person have been diagnosed in the early stages of the replication of the virus. So with medication, the virus can be controlled easily. Usually the live 10-15 years longer than an HIV+ person who isn't on these clinical interventions (because they will develop AIDS and that leads to secondary diseases and so on).

Hope that gives you a better picture of it, if you have any more questions let us know.
Good luck buddy

[meridannight]

Anyway, while I've already done some research on this, I just wanted actual people to talk to about this. It's different to have actual people chime in on the matter in a message board, instead of just relying on something an author wrote that went through an editor (talking about articles) and other "official resources."

uh, official resources is scientific research. you should read up on that. those are facts, not someone's interpretation of the facts.

What kind of symptoms does one experience when they get infected with HIV?

I was just wondering what options there are for positive people. Are the lifetime medications oral, or will there be syringes involved? I've never been seriously ill in my life prior to this. I was just wondering what's the life expectancy of someone who tests positive that from here on out watches their health closely?

and all of this has been covered in scientific texts. unless someone on this forum is actually an HIV/AIDS researcher himself right now, then the advice can't be any different than what the research has already concluded.

[Anonymous]

To edhued,

Thank you for your input man. Even though I already knew most of what you said from the stuff I've read online, it still made me feel better. Like I said, it's just different when someone says something directed specifically at you.

What about guarantee of infection? I haven't been sexually active for years, no lies. And then the one time I did 'resume' participating in a sexual activity, it was with a person I've known for so long, then he turns out to be HIV positive. Just my luck, coupled with my stupidity. I was so unlucky with this decision that I feel like I will also be unlucky with the results. I'm just surprised at my current state of mind, because when the guy called to let me know, he was crying and kept repeating he has no idea what to do anymore, while I'm here reading every article I could find and seeking support from strangers on a message board. Different people I guess. I hope that if I do end up testing positive, I'm still able to keep myself together like now.


To meridannight,

I get that man, but like I said, I basically just wanted actual people to talk to. I never said official resources weren't scientific research, nor did I say I was avoiding them. I just came here so I could have a conversation with people, instead of just reading scientific research that you can't particularly interact with

[edhued]

To edhued,

Thank you for your input man. Even though I already knew most of what you said from the stuff I've read online, it still made me feel better. Like I said, it's just different when someone says something directed specifically at you.

What about guarantee of infection? I haven't been sexually active for years, no lies. And then the one time I did 'resume' participating in a sexual activity, it was with a person I've known for so long, then he turns out to be HIV positive. Just my luck, coupled with my stupidity. I was so unlucky with this decision that I feel like I will also be unlucky with the results. I'm just surprised at my current state of mind, because when the guy called to let me know, he was crying and kept repeating he has no idea what to do anymore, while I'm here reading every article I could find and seeking support from strangers on a message board. Different people I guess. I hope that if I do end up testing positive, I'm still able to keep myself together like now.

I'm sorry to hear that, I can't say that I have been there, but I know some people that have been throw that. I know that probably know a lot of the stuff that I said, but it just feels different hearing *reading* it from someone else than researching about it.

All you can do now is just wait and get tested, that's literally what you can do about it. If you end up positive, what is that going to mean to you?

[MikeW]

... I basically just wanted actual people to talk to….

I think it is a good thing to seek out a support group when you're dealing with potentially heavy stuff like this. Listen to edhued, BTW, he is studying nursing. I know there is at least one medical Dr. on the forum as well, maybe more.

The main thing is you have to get tested -- you know that. The hard part is until you get a final test after 3 months, you're kind of in 'limbo'… not knowing. That's always difficult because our minds tend to take us places, imagining the worst. The thing to keep in mind is that these days being + is *not* a death sentence. It *is* a big deal, in the sense that you have to make life changes to deal with it. BUT… the thing is, we're getting a bit ahead of ourselves, aren't we? You don't *know* your HIV status ATM. You only know you've been exposed.

So, my advice, take your life one step at a time.

BTW, it totally sucks that you got exposed after being celibate for a long time … We all *know* better… unfortunately we don't always do what we know is best for ourselves.

[Borg69]

I know someone who recently confessed he's tested positive for HIV (HIV-1). He called to let me know because we slept together a couple weeks ago. It was unprotected, penetrative sex, and I let him finish inside me............

I haven't been sexually active for years, no lies. And then the one time I did 'resume' participating in a sexual activity, it was with a person I've known for so long, then he turns out to be HIV positive.

I'm not judging YOU, OP, but I would like to emphasize your story to remind everyone out there to ALWAYS wear protection. It doesn't matter how well you think you know someone.

[Anonymous]

I'm sorry to hear that, I can't say that I have been there, but I know some people that have been throw that. I know that probably know a lot of the stuff that I said, but it just feels different hearing *reading* it from someone else than researching about it.

All you can do now is just wait and get tested, that's literally what you can do about it. If you end up positive, what is that going to mean to you?

If I end up being positive, obviously it'll mean I'll have to make a lot of changes with my life. i will probably roughly plan out how I'm gonna live the rest of it so I can do the things that would give my life more meaning especially with my family, instead of, say, wasting my time on too many wants.

It just sucks that I made a mistake that can't be undone. I was conscious of it, too! I was thinking, "what if he has an STD?" But I went ahead with it anyway. i let the 'moment' defeat my better judgment, w/c was obviously really stupid.

[edhued]

If I end up being positive, obviously it'll mean I'll have to make a lot of changes with my life. i will probably roughly plan out how I'm gonna live the rest of it so I can do the things that would give my life more meaning especially with my family, instead of, say, wasting my time on too many wants.

It just sucks that I made a mistake that can't be undone. I was conscious of it, too! I was thinking, "what if he has an STD?" But I went ahead with it anyway. i let the 'moment' defeat my better judgment, w/c was obviously really stupid.

It might be early for me to say, but don't let regret eat you up. I know we all regret stuff that we did in the past (either small or big), but we don't have control of the past, so just accept it. To me it sounds that you're not thinking negative about it (if you end up positive), which is good, because a lot of people will think that it's the end of the world and they don't care about living anymore.

wasting my time on too many wants.

Reminds me of "For the curse of life, is the curse of want"

Hope the best for you