What would you do if you were infected with HIV?

STD's are terrifying.

If I were having sex with strangers I'd feel pretty stupid if I didn't use a condom. Those things can tear though... It's a gamble.

If I was infected with HIV I'd feel really upset/disappointed with myself.

 

I'd kill a great many people. I'd try and make my blood into a aerosol based biological weapon.

 

Oh Shai... you would. So would my housemate, interestingly enough.

 

The Lynx effect

 

If I'm going out, I'm taking as many with me as possible.

Most particularly the power centres of industry and politics. They'd be the ones who'd try to give me AIDS, so, revenge.

 

That's exactly why you should be fearful, if you think about it.

I'm not afraid of getting it, but only because I'm married and don't fool around.

If I got it, I'd probably look to alternative medicine for help. Seems that modern medicine does more to treat symptoms than the root cause of illness.

 

Most people aren't afraid because most people don't do casual sex, I think. Of course, who am I to talk? Female to female transmission rates of STDs are pretty damn low to begin with. (and yes I realize it can and does happen)

 

If HIV infected this body, I'd give it one hell of a fight and continue living my life. It wouldn't be the same, of course, but I'd keep going forward the best I could. I would also refrain from sexuality activity with other folks because I would not want them to contract the virus.

And honestly, Satya, in cases like these: better paranoid and safe than sick and sorry.

 

Hm...this is an interesting question because it affects me on different levels.

First, teens and young adults don't really know what safe sex practice is these days. It used to be taught a *lot* in the 1970s and everyone knew what the types of STDs were out there, and what they did, and how they affected folks. Now, all teens know is "HIV" and they don't realize that even oral sex can give them STDs. They don't know about chlamydia, about herpes, or gonorrhea, or anything else. They don't realize that those diseases can be just as debilitating as HIV, and some you don't realize you have.

So yes, I think there's reason for concern. But the concern should be that sex at any time is a gamble, so use protection and be as safe as you can. The only "safe" sex practice is having one partner, and you and that partner being in a monogamous relationship all the time.

Annnd...how often does that happen?

On the other end of the spectrum, I've had close family members die of the disease and one of my good friends is managing his quite well (although he's had to go under the table for his meds). AIDS is less of a disease to fear, but we should be careful any time we have a sexual encounter. There are risks, period.

Ah. To answer the question - lol! I think...I'd pretty much do the same thing I've always done, except I'd try to take better care of myself and fight to stay healthy.

 

I spoke a healthcare worker and he said that there is a significant problem with HIV infected men who *deliberately* set out to infect as many people as possible, often using cunning or less subtly like happened here in holland recently, drugging unsuspecting people and then injecting their AIDS blood into them with a syringe.

If I had AIDS wow.. take my meds, try to enjoy life to the fullest extent, get a biohazard tattoo to warn medical workers should I get in an accident and have no sex at all. Not even with other HIV+ people cause if the strains are different, the prognosis for both will be significantly worse.

 

Not gonna like I would probably kill myself.

 

Continue to live my life, take what I am prescribed, and be more cautious to prevent injuries.