Contracted HIV in "middle age"

Nick_C

C_Mababejive wrote: »

With all due respect to these people it really depends on what you call normal.

They are dependent on medication for the rest of their lives
They may have to declare their status to certain bodies eg medical/Government/Insurance(?)
They cannot (shouldnt) indulge in unprotected sex
They should tell anyone they may have sexual contact with of their status

I do agree their life expectancy has much improved but according to data, it isnt equal to an otherwise healthy non HIV individual.

http://www.nhs.uk/chq/Pages/3106.aspx?CategoryID=118&SubCategoryID=126

I really do think we need to launch another high profile media public health campaign. I think Governments have been reluctant due to agendas driven by gay pressure groups.

Many people are dependant on daily medication, for example diabetics. Taking tablets daily doesn't interfere with normal life. Needing injections daily might cause some inconvenience. Needing regular dialysis would interfere with leading a normal life, but not taking tablets.

I've not been asked if I know my HIV status for more than 25 years, which is the last time I took out life insurance.

Someone who knows they are HIV+ and who has an undetectable viral load (because of treatment) has a lower risk of passing on the infection than someone who is HIV+ but does not know their status. No one should indulge in unprotected sex outside of a monogamous relationship, regardless of their HIV status.

I see no reason why someone who is HIV+ should tell a casual sexual partner of their status. If you are having sex with strangers, you should assume they are HIV+ and practice safer sex. If you enter into a new relationship and plan to have unprotected sex, you should both get tested.

I know people who are HIV+ and lead perfectly normal lives.

The only friend of mine who has died from AIDS was a heterosexual woman in her mid 20s who had only slept with two men in her entire life.

The continued ignorance of HIV and AIDS in the heterosexual community does not surprise me.

I can't imagine the "gay pressure groups" opposing more HIV/AIDS education.

According to the UK's National Aids Trust, in 2011, 47% of newly diagnosed men contracted HIV through sex with other men. 41% contracted HIV through sex with women. Two thirds of newly diagnosed women contracted HIV from having sex with men.

fairydiamond

What? What a stupid woman! Only African people can get it? I didn't realise diseases could pick and choose! Silly woman.

SandC

Crikey - she's my age and I was a teen in the middle of the massive media awareness programme back in the 80s, you simply couldn't avoid getting clued up.

I'm with Nick C though - treatment has come on leaps and bounds and life expectancy is actually very good. Holly Johnson has been HIV positive for over 20 years for just one example of someone in the public eye. It does seem like complacency may have set in but the government no longer seem to want to spend the money on these big ad campaigns - aside from which anything like that usually spreads mass hysteria and the prejudice that the OP has mentioned this lady has come across, albeit from the minority. I don't believe it is on the increase though?

I also concur that I have never been asked on any official forms for my HIV status!!

itsanne

Nick_C wrote: »

Many people are dependant on daily medication, for example diabetics. Taking tablets daily doesn't interfere with normal life. Needing injections daily might cause some inconvenience. Needing regular dialysis would interfere with leading a normal life, but not taking tablets.

I've not been asked if I know my HIV status for more than 25 years, which is the last time I took out life insurance.

Someone who knows they are HIV+ and who has an undetectable viral load (because of treatment) has a lower risk of passing on the infection than someone who is HIV+ but does not know their status. No one should indulge in unprotected sex outside of a monogamous relationship, regardless of their HIV status.

I see no reason why someone who is HIV+ should tell a casual sexual partner of their status. If you are having sex with strangers, you should assume they are HIV+ and practice safer sex. If you enter into a new relationship and plan to have unprotected sex, you should both get tested.

I know people who are HIV+ and lead perfectly normal lives.

The only friend of mine who has died from AIDS was a heterosexual woman in her mid 20s who had only slept with two men in her entire life.

The continued ignorance of HIV and AIDS in the heterosexual community does not surprise me.

I can't imagine the "gay pressure groups" opposing more HIV/AIDS education.

According to the UK's National Aids Trust, in 2011, 47% of newly diagnosed men contracted HIV through sex with other men. 41% contracted HIV through sex with women. Two thirds of newly diagnosed women contracted HIV from having sex with men.

I agree with everything you say apart from the bit in bold. Yes, people should practise safe sex, but I think if someone knows they are HIV+ or has any other sexually transmitted infection they should tell a prospective partner.

Nick_C

I really disagree.

If you are practising safer sex, then the HIV status of your sexual partner should not be a concern.

If you have any other sexually transmitted infection, you should be abstaining until it is cured or advising your partner if it is incurable.

thriftyemma

Nick_C wrote: »

I really disagree.

If you are practising safer sex, then the HIV status of your sexual partner should not be a concern.

If you have any other sexually transmitted infection, you should be abstaining until it is cured or advising your partner if it is incurable.

How utterly irresponsible!! Of course you should tell your sexual partner if you are HIV+ In fact, I believe it's illegal not to. Don't qoute me on it, but I'm sure I heard of someone being prosecuted for such a thing. The man knew he was HIV+, had unprotected sex with many different women, some of whom subsequently contracted the disease. It's a form of abuse/bodily harm or some such.

Condoms are great, but are not 100% perfect. How would you like it if you contracted HIV from a partner who didn't tell you they had the disease? But it's ok, you were practising safer sex! :eek:

Person_one

C_Mababejive wrote: »

With all due respect to these people it really depends on what you call normal.

They are dependent on medication for the rest of their lives
They may have to declare their status to certain bodies eg medical/Government/Insurance(?)
They cannot (shouldnt) indulge in unprotected sex
They should tell anyone they may have sexual contact with of their status

I do agree their life expectancy has much improved but according to data, it isnt equal to an otherwise healthy non HIV individual.

http://www.nhs.uk/chq/Pages/3106.aspx?CategoryID=118&SubCategoryID=126

I really do think we need to launch another high profile media public health campaign. I think Governments have been reluctant due to agendas driven by gay pressure groups.

Lots of people live with chronic and long term health conditions, HIV is really no different to any other these days, as long as you live in a developed country.

SandC

I think the prosecution was because he was having unprotected sex with women whilst in full knowledge of his HIV status.

Person_one

Nick_C wrote: »

I really disagree.

If you are practising safer sex, then the HIV status of your sexual partner should not be a concern.

If you have any other sexually transmitted infection, you should be abstaining until it is cured or advising your partner if it is incurable.

Even if you practice safe sex, there is still a risk of infection. The potential partner has the right to know the facts so that they can make an informed choice whether to take that risk.

Nick_C

According to the NHS website, around 25% of people who have HIV don't know that they have it.

If you don't want to take the risk of having sex with someone who might be HIV+, then ask people for their HIV status before having sex with them. If they don't know, then decide whether or not you want to take that risk!

NHS advice though is that you should tell people.

"If you do not tell your sexual partners and you have unsafe sex and infect someone, they could prosecute you."

"Nobody can force you to tell any of your partners about your HIV, but it is strongly recommended that you do. Left untested and untreated, HIV can have devastating consequences and will eventually lead to death."

http://www.nhs.uk/Conditions/hiv/Pages/living-with.aspx

(That latter statement is a bit melodramatic and not necessarily true. You could be HIV+ and be knocked over by a bus. I wonder what percentage of HIV+ people eventually die of an HIV related condition?)