Do you know your HIV status?

[rockstarbob.livejournal.com]

Hi everyone,

It's National (U.S.) Women and Girls HIV/AIDS Awareness Day 2012. Here's a quick quiz to test your knowledge:

[Poll #1825466]



The CDC notes: "In 2009, [those who identify as] women comprised 51% of the US population and accounted for 23% of new HIV infections. Of the total number of new HIV infections among [those who identify as] women, 57% were among black women, 21% were in white women, and 18% were in Latina women."

Do you know your HIV status? Do you know your partner's? Click here for testing resources (many are free and/or anonymous) and more information on why it matters.

We encourage you to use this space to tell us your personal stories around HIV and/or the testing process.

Cheers,
rockstarbob
For the VP Team
contact_vp

Comments

[akashasheiress.livejournal.com]

Am getting tested in the immediate future!

[ini.livejournal.com]

I got tested for HIV last summer as part of general STD testing because I wasn't ready to have oral sex without a condom unless both my partner and I get tested, so we did. To be honest, it wasn't a "big deal" to me because we both had never had sex in our lives without a condom (with any partner) so we weren't really worried, but I still liked the extra reassurance.
My mother also once told me I was tested for HIV without anyone's explicit consent when I was six or so and in hospital for surgery (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Adenoidectomy). (Negative both times.)

[foxestacado.livejournal.com]

Thank you for this post! We had events as part of our prevention program to celebrate and educate women and girls about HIV and stigma surrounding testing. It is great to see this post here. Everyone needs to be tested for HIV regularly. The number one risk factor for HIV worldwide is being married.

[jennifer0246.livejournal.com]

Testing is for sure important for all sorts of people - married, single, and any other demographic factor you can think of. Do you have a source that explains why the "number one risk factor for HIV worldwide is being married"? I'm not familiar with that idea, and would like to learn more.

[mennamachine.livejournal.com]

Not the original commentator, and I don't have a source, but I did work in HIV/AIDS education/prevention in Swaziland in southern Africa. I am guessing, based on the worldwide qualifier, it's more influenced by developing nations. Because of the lack of jobs, many men in southern Africa work away from home (usually in mining operations, don't get me started on diamonds...). Because of the largely patriarchal societies, coupled with a cultural norm of polygamy, among other factors, the vast majority of the men I interacted with who worked away from home freely admitted having sex with prostitutes whenever they "needed" to. We spent a lot of time and effort working with prostitutes there to use condoms, but they were quite resistant, mostly because they said it would affect their clients and they wouldn't make enough money. When the miners returned home, their wives were infected by them. There really isn't a realistic way for most women in developing countries to refuse sex with their husbands, or for them to insist on condoms. I only have experience with Swazi, South African, And Lesotho men, but the job and cultural situations are common enough in the developing world to make me think it applies in other places. Also, South Africa has well over 5 million HIV+ citizens, most of whom are married (or were married). That's a goodly chunk of the worldwide HIV+ population.

[also-warriors.livejournal.com]

I get what the poster above you was getting at (that people who are married or in monogamous relationships often think that HIV/AIDS isn't a factor), but I can't find anything to support the idea that being married is the number-one risk factor for HIV/AIDS. It's kind of a semantic difference, but I worry about obscuring the behaviors that are often associated with HIV/AIDS transmission by making blanket statements about the kinds of people who get HIV/AIDS. I think your explanation does a good job of helping to bridge this gap between behaviors and identities.

In the scenarios you lay out (which are supported by World Health Organization data (http://whqlibdoc.who.int/publications/2011/9789241501668_eng.pdf) [pdf]), the biggest risk factors are still things like sex with multiple partners without barrier methods (therefore, doing sex work or being a client of a sex worker or having sex with sex workers or clients), anal sex without barriers, injecting drugs, or having barrier-free sex/sharing needles with anyone who does the above. As you point out, it's often this last clause that presents a risk.

[knittinggoddess.livejournal.com]

This explanation and the focus on behaviors reminds me of this article (http://www.reed.edu/reed_magazine/march2012/articles/features/morris/morris.html) about mathematical models for HIV transmission.

[sweetchild92.livejournal.com]

I do! Finger prick test at Planned Parenthood when I was treated for chlamydia. Came back negative, but those few minutes of waiting could be nervewracking. While my chances were statistically low...as said in statistics class..."nothing is ever 100%"

[sweetchild92.livejournal.com]

Also, my current sexual partner's status is negative as well.

[misfit4leaf.livejournal.com]

I was tested last March, when I was pregnant. Negative. Considering getting tested again just because, even though I'm in a monogamous relationship.

[boltonlove.livejournal.com]

This is something that's been on my mind for the past few weeks. I've tested negative for it from 2 finger prick rapid tests at Planned Parenthood and an EIA test but I'm not out of the window period yet since the unprotected oral happened a month ago. I've been freaking myself out even though my partner insisted there is nothing to worry about (but won't get tested to ensure that).. I'm kinda terrified.

[makale-83.livejournal.com]

I would refuse to have sex w/ partner if he refuses to get tested.. what the heck!

[boltonlove.livejournal.com]

I'll be honest and admit that I didn't even ask. I was being really dumb and reckless and wasn't even thinking about what could come from unprotected oral sex.. I really wish I had been thinking properly weeks ago because I could have saved myself all of this stress and worrying. When I discussed my worries with him he basically just laughed and said I was worrying over nothing, and maybe I am, but he doesn't seem to understand the fear that has taken residence in my mind. We work together so I still have to see him and I try to be civil, but I realize the other mistakes I made by even messing around with him. If he doesn't care about his well being then he obviously wouldn't care about mine.

So basically all I can do is hope and pray everything is okay and learn from the mistake.

[knittinggoddess.livejournal.com]

If it helps, oral sex (giving or receiving) is a fairly low-risk activity for most STIs, but especially HIV. It's not a no-risk activity by any means, but it's certainly lower than anal or vaginal with a penis. Your risk is lowest if you have decent oral health, no mouth sores and haven't recently brushed or flossed. This was the closest I could find to data on oral STI transmissions. (http://www.uhs.uga.edu/sexualhealth/oral_sex.html)

And, of course, you need to be having sex with someone who does have an infection--with all this talk of risk, it's easy to forget that STIs don't spontaneously appear.

Good luck! I hope the next few weeks before you have your followup tests aren't too stressful for you!

[boltonlove.livejournal.com]

Yeah, I had read about that. My gums bleed slightly when I brush and I have a bit of gingivitis, which is adding to the OH GOD factor.

Thank you :)

[gryphonwing.livejournal.com]

Partner and I have both been tested, and we're both negative. We're low-risk to start with, but the peace of mind is nice, and the new-ish fingerstick tests are AWESOME. I remember when getting tested was a huge ordeal. Now it's a few minutes of waiting and an answer! :)

[makale-83.livejournal.com]

Was just tested because I'm in the military and they require bi-annual testing!! (Neg!) My hubby hasn't been tested in a long while.. he used to be in the military and was neg then, and we are monogamous w/ each other so not worried about it. :)

[claws.livejournal.com]

got tested in october. negative baby!

[knittinggoddess.livejournal.com]

I was first tested at age 4 because I had received blood transfusions at birth, back before they tested for HIV in donated blood (or even knew what to test). I don't remember this, but I do remember all the worry over HIV and AIDS, growing up in the eighties. The misinformation back then was rampant but understandable. My mom once told me not to put my mouth on the water fountain, because that was how HIV was transmitted. (And yet we knew enough to test blood?)

In 2010, when I went to get STI tested for the first time ever, I didn't think I was nervous. I had a few reasons to be slightly concerned--broken condom, plus one incident with no condom--but talked myself down with statistics. After all, most of the STIs were curable, and the two that weren't, were at least manageable with meds. But those ten minutes after my finger prick test were awful. I knew it was unlikely, yet I still psyched myself out and then was incredibly relieved to hear the negative result.

I've had the same partner since 2009, so I haven't been re-tested since.

[elephantus45.livejournal.com]

I was tested last summer at pride fest actually. My hubs gets tested bianually because he's in the military.

[rabbitfacts.livejournal.com]

I believe I got tested when I was pregnant last year. I think they always do this for pregnant people nowadays.

[luna-glass-wall.livejournal.com]

Both my girlfriend and I are virgins who never touched dirty needles, had a blood transfusion, or otherwise shared body fluids, so I think it's safe to say that we're HIV- :3

[noblesandwich.livejournal.com]

Likewise for me.

[lifechronicled.livejournal.com]

=/ I must say, I get super offended when anyone suggests I be tested for STDs even though I'm married. I don't care if you're just trying to be helpful... it is rude as hell to suggest that I can't trust my husband to be faithful. If I didn't trust him with my life I wouldn't have married him in the first place.

[barrelofrain.livejournal.com]

My partner and I are monogamous and have been for years, but I get tested frequently for several reasons. For one thing, personally, I think it's a good practice to keep up. For another thing, some clinics/organizations/doctors who do HIV testing are provided with funding from organizations like AIDS Institute based on statistics like how many people they test in a given time period, so sometimes, my getting tested will help them hit their "metrics" and get funding to test others who are at a higher risk than I am.

So, while some health practitioners probably are rude and suggesting that your husband is unfaithful, there are plenty of other factors that might influence them to suggest a test. :)

[lifechronicled.livejournal.com]

I understand their want for funding... but the metrics used for determining funding are so it can be funneled to the places it will do the most good. Those metrics don't work at all if we're testing everyone, including people who are super low or no risk.

I got tested yesterday (Saturday)

[franklanguage.livejournal.com]

I was negative—but I believe that only applies to three months in the past, and I could still have a developing virus in me three months down the road.

The expedited test gives up-to-the-minute results, but I didn't request that.