HIV is the name of a virus that can lead to AIDS, which stands for Acquired Immune Deficiency Syndrome. AIDS is what happens when your immune system is too weak to fight off infections and illnesses. A person with HIV infection may not have symptoms for years or even decades.
Right now, very early in the disease, you are more likely to transmit it to someone else if you have unprotected sex with many partners. HIV testing in Singapore could just be what you need if you have been exposed to a risky HIV situation and you wish to protect your partner from this disease by knowing your status and what to do next. If you get tested before any symptoms show up on their own, however, there are drugs that can help keep the virus from getting stronger inside your body.
Should Straight Men also get tested for HIV?
There are many reasons why people might not want to get tested, but the most common ones are that they’re attracted to both men and women or because their sexual history isn’t entirely clear. Straight men in groups 1, or 2 should make sure they get tested.
If you are a socially active gay man who has unprotected anal sex with multiple partners, getting an HIV test is really necessary. But if you happen to be straight but have lots of sexual partners in various situations, that’s another story altogether.
You require protection when it matters – because where your life matters more than what you do personally. Really, it is never a bad idea to get tested, and straight men really shouldn’t be ashamed of, or stigmatized by testing for HIV, regardless of their sexual orientation.
It’s also important for straight men living with HIV to take their condition seriously since they can live healthy and productive lives if they do so. Getting HIV testing in Singapore, and knowing your status is the first step in staying healthy.
You may want to have a few tests done at different times so that you can find out what you are dealing with. If the tests keep coming back negative, that’s great! You are safe from HIV infection.
More importantly, the CDC recommends all sexually-active persons between 13 and 64 undergo yearly HIV tests—regardless of gender identity, sexual orientation, or lack thereof. The reasoning is twofold:
- HIV can be transmitted much easier through anal intercourse than through other forms of sex
- Providers don’t always ask about recent exposure when examining patients, so someone could go through years of testing without having their DNA screened for HIV.
How to Find out if You’re at Risk for HIV
We get it. It can sometimes be hard to talk about STDs, leave alone taking action to protect yourself. But if you want to avoid HIV and STDs, it’s important to talk about your sex life with your healthcare provider. They’ll be able to give you the facts you need so that you can take steps toward protecting yourself from getting one of these diseases. To know if you are at risk of HIV, here are six questions you may want to answer:
- Have you shared needles with someone who has HIV/AIDS? HIV can be transmitted through needle syringes. If you use intravenous drugs, chances are there you may have shared the needles with HIV-positive individuals.
- Have you had casual sex with someone who has HIV/AIDS? You don’t necessarily need to have unprotected sex for HIV to spread. All that’s needed is contact with the infected person’s bodily fluids such as semen, vaginal fluid, and even sweat – although this can only happen if there are open cuts on your skin. That means receiving a deep kiss from someone who has HIV and AIDS could put you at risk, too, so long as sores or bleeding cuts occur during the action.
- Do you inject any kind of drugs? If doing recreational drugs like heroin, meth, crack cocaine or others like this; it’s highly likely you’ll get HIV/AIDS.
If you answered yes to any of these questions, it’s important to talk to your healthcare provider about whether you can get tested for HIV/AIDS. If you’re sexually active, have unprotected sex, or have been with a man who uses IV drugs—get tested. You should really take steps to protect yourself from getting HIV today.
How to Protect Yourself from Getting HIV
You can’t contract or transmit HIV if both partners are negative for the disease – because if one person is positive, it means they have contracted it from someone else earlier on in their sexual life. You don’t need to be married or have had sex with this partner before to be at risk—as long as your partner was exposed prior to you getting involved with them sexually chances are of contracting HIV are there. With that being said, here are some tips to protect yourself from getting HIV:
● Use Condoms – Every Time
Before having sex with your partner(s), put on a condom (or not, if the person is HIV and AIDS-free and you trust them). Also, make sure never to share needles.
● Get Tested Before Having Sex
Get tested before having sex with someone who could be at risk for HIV/AIDS. Some of the most important STDs that you should worry about include Gonorrhea, Syphilis, Chlamydia, Herpes Simplex Virus Type 2 (HSV-2), Hepatitis B, and HPV—all of which you can get from even one unprotected encounter.
● Use Protection, Even If the Person has been tested before if you’re in relationship with casual partners
Don’t take risks by assuming your partner is 100% safe before engaging in activities like unprotected sex. It’s really important that you always protect yourself, even if the person has supposedly tested negative for STDs before. Since STD testing isn’t perfect, it doesn’t mean they aren’t infected; rather, there could be a false positive. And since HIV can remain dormant in people for up to 6 months after they’ve contracted it (without showing any symptoms), you should take all necessary precautions while protecting yourself against HIV/AIDS and other STDs – including never sharing needles with someone who uses IV drugs.
Final Words
The risk of getting HIV and AIDS isn’t limited to gay men – straight men can get it as well. If any of your partners have ever engaged in sexual activity with someone who has been diagnosed with HIV/AIDS before (or if they themselves are IV drug users), there’s a high chance you’ll be infected too if you engage in sexual activities with them–which means you no longer have 100% protection. Knowing your status is just as important for straight people, too – not just gay or bisexual ones.
Dr Ben Medical @ Jurong West : Men’s Sexual Health Clinic
221 Boon Lay Pl, #02-160 Shopping Centre, Singapore 640221
+65 8881 2344