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AMA

I was born HIV positive and now have AIDS

59 replies

RemusLupinn · 01/05/2019 15:52

I'm female and in my early 20s - AMA

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InglouriousBasterd · 01/05/2019 22:15

Are you not taking any medications now at all? It sounds (and tell me if I am wrong!) like you’ve given up, and I hope so much that’s not the case. I have people close to me with HIV and they have been diagnosed when seriously ill and still reversed back to undetectable status.

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InglouriousBasterd · 01/05/2019 22:17

Oh and you are incredibly brave. It’s a scary illness to face and I’m so sorry you didn’t have that support when you were younger Flowers

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Littlechocola · 01/05/2019 22:31

Thank you for answering Remus. Smile

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RemusLupinn · 01/05/2019 22:31

@grimupnorthLondon Thank you for sharing! That sounds encouraging and I'm glad your friend is doing well.

Are you in the UK?

Yes

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RemusLupinn · 01/05/2019 22:40

Are you not taking any medications now at all? It sounds (and tell me if I am wrong!) like you’ve given up, and I hope so much that’s not the case. I have people close to me with HIV and they have been diagnosed when seriously ill and still reversed back to undetectable status.

I wouldn't say I've 'given up' but just thinking about all the appointments I'll need to arrange and go to and then beginning the process of taking medication and the side effects that always seem to come with it is overwhelming. And a few non HIV related events have happened recently that have made me question if going through that difficult process all over again is worth it in the long term.

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InglouriousBasterd · 01/05/2019 22:42

Whatever you decide I wish you all the best Flowers

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planesinthesky · 01/05/2019 23:24

Yeah. The story is a bit too convenient and he most probably got it through unprotected sex like the majority of people.

When does he say he was infected? Do you not think it’s possible he was one of the victims of the contaminated blood scandal?

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HIVpos · 03/05/2019 00:08

Hi OP, it’s good to see someone else living with the same condition on MN sharing their story 😀.

So sorry to hear about how you heard about it, though I guess there’s no good way really! And a great shame you didn’t go on the young person’s residential as I hear it’s a great thing to do and really helpful. At least those you have told have been supportive - I found this too and it is so important to be able to talk freely about it as it somehow helps normalise it.

I understand that some people have more sensitivity to side effects from the meds. I had some nausea with one of mine (raltegravir) but found eating something helped a lot. Luckily we are getting new meds all the time, and even better, dual therapy is now being approved (2 drug combinations instead of 3) which reduces down the possibility of side effects. Perhaps at some point you could consider giving that a go as it might work better for you? Then there’s long lasting injections (like once every 2 months) which will replace pills that will probably get approved soon.

Out of interest, have you actually received an AIDS diagnosis? Do you know what your test results are for viral load and CD4? I do hope your clinic are giving you good support. Have you thought of accessing any peer support - others living with HIV who you can chat to either in person or online? I found this incredibly helpful and it helped me realise I wasn’t the only one and I felt less isolated.

Btw, re mortgages, as there is no requirement to disclose your HIV status there is no difference in price. Yes, life policies can be taken out, though at a premium. As far as travel insurance goes, on meds with a decent CD4 and undetectable viral load, there’s no difference in price.

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HIVpos · 06/05/2019 16:13

@RemusLupinn if you do ever want to have contact (online/in person) with others also living with HIV to chat please feel free to PM me

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