STI and sexual health (adult thread)

[Matt King]

Hey guys,

So i finally feel i have this health anxiety under control, and i seem to invent new things to worry about haha.

I'll just dive right in. I'm happily single and usually have one night stands rather than being in a monogamous relationship. I went to the doctor about an ingrown toe nail (think the doctor was relieved it wasn't about chest pains for a change :P), and the receptionist asked me if i wanted to be tested for chlamydia as they're doing it for people within my age range.

I did the test and came back negative (:noangel:). Reading the sheet about how many sexual partners you've had etc got me thinking about getting checked. I Googled about STIs and getting screened just to learn more about it (we didn't get a lot of sex ed at school) and scared myself half to death. What did my health anxiety decide to inform and worry myself about? The most dangerous STI of course, HIV. I've finally gotten over fears about my heart and now a small voice niggling away seems to think my immune system is shutting down on me. Seriously, a single sneeze...i suffer from hayfever...the pollen is high...there's a difference brain.

I've used protection with every girl i've ever been with and been careful. HIV can't get through latex. The virus particles are bigger than oxygen particles and you can't breath through a condom can you? The risk of transferring it via oral sex is almost equally as low. So why is this bugging me? I'm getting screened in a couple of weeks just to be sure. I've never been checked before and this is concerning me for some reason.

I'm just wondering if anybody's had similar concerns? I really don't want this to affect this part of my life. Sorry if this is a bit TMI for some people, but it is health related.

Cheers :)

[Hypo]

I went through STI fears many years ago.

It was awful.

One day after sex I came down with a cold and for some reason I googled it (and that was before I even knew I had HA) and well the google told me the worst obvious thing as you can imagine.

That started a full blow HIV fear which was the start of my HA. I googled that people at the end can get a rash.. lesions.. I worried so much that I woke up with a rash.. just a normal skin rash, but I was so convinced my body did start doing odd things.

Like you say.. you have been having safe sex and that is great!! HIV is SO so hard to get and with a condom you have nothing to worry about.

I always think getting a full check for STI's is a good thing anyway when you are having casual sex but you seem like you are being safe unlike me who had a year of being a little reckless ;) Not to worry you more just bear in mind that condoms does not protect against herpes and I believe syphilis. Just keep that in mind, not to panic about it, you would know if you had it, but those are the two that you can't protect yourself against even with a condom. While condoms lower the risks they do not eliminate them.

[southey]

So long as you uses condoms you will have been protected. Oral is not a route of transmission, giving or receiving.

As Hypo said, the HIV virus is quite hard to transmit as viruses go. Once outside the body it very nearly instantly neutralized. The reason oral is not a risk is because saliva contains over a dozen compounds that neutralize the virus.

Other STD's are much easier to transmit and is why anyone sexually active is recommended to have a full STD panel at least once a year but ideally twice.

You have no Risk of HIV from what you have described and if you don't believe me you can always look at the AIDS MEDS FORUM in the 'Am I infected' section.

Steve.

[Matt King]

Thanks, I really appreciate the words of wisdom :). It's quite easy to get wrapped up in the worries of STIs with our good friend Google but i guess so long as you rubber up.




I googled that people at the end can get a rash.. lesions.. I worried so much that I woke up with a rash.. just a normal skin rash, but I was so convinced my body did start doing odd things.


The body's a bizzare thing isn't it? I ended up sleeping with someone at a festival and long story short i adopted the nickname "Herpes-man" from my friends, because they're hilarious like that. Few days after i got home i came out in a tiny cold sore above my lip and my lips were slightly chapped. Completely ignoring the fact that i'd spent nearly a week in the freezing cold rain without washing my face properly i freaked out and convinced myself i have herpes and several other STIs. Kind of the other way round to your rash situation but along the same lines :)