Healthwise I've been feeling quite dodgy recently. I'm just a bit worried that it's connected to my sex life.
I'm not that promiscuous at all really, but I did have sex with my ex last month and it was without protection. We've been eachother's only full on anal partners for over a year now and he said he'd been tested and so on. I'm just panicking over nothing in a sense, but I was listening to Kelly Osbourne's radio 1 advice centre, being the strange **** that I am, and there was an "expert" who said that HIV/ STIs dont really have many symptoms which are unique, but can bring on extreme tiredness, lack of sleep, headaches, fever, the list goes on, in the first few months of conception. I guess I've sort of had that. What do I do?
I know I should go and get tested and put it out of my mind, but at the same time I'm petrified that they will find something incredibly serious. The one main thing my mum told me when I came out to her was "Don't get aids, I can't lose you to that", and I'm petrified of going to the gum clinic and finding out that it's happened. I'm quite private when it comes to this sort of thing so couldn't take someone along. I just couldn't really cope with it if it did turn out to be worst of the worst scenario.
ok well firstly i'd like to say that whilst, yes, many STI's present with quite normal flu like symptoms that doesnt mean that you're not just run down for regular, studenty reasons (lack of sleep, too much alcohol, stress or lack of fruit and veg in your diet). Whilst the idea of getting 'that' test done when you're actually worried about something is an incredibly terrifying experience (i myself am of the 'freak out over everything ilk' too :) ) if you are that worried about this then getting tested is the right course of action as either way it is better to know
To put your mind (Somewhat) at ease i've been looking through some statistics online. HIV is a very hard virus to catch even when having unprotected sex with someone who has it as the virus is incredibly unstable (this does not mean that you should not use protection for all sexual acts there are many other STI's that you can catch and it is a case of "better safe than..." so i urge EVERYONE to please always practice safe sex). Also, just because you have flu-like symptoms does necessarily mean you have caught anything - many STI's do infact have specific symptoms as well as these such as rashes appearing around the face and genitals and swollen lymph glands (under the neck, groin and armpits)
I do advise you to get tested if not purely to put your mind at rest and to be sure as you sound very worried about this. If you need someone to talk to feel free to e-mail me on jhm4hm@leeds.ac.uk or to continue using this forum or i have found the numbers for MESMAC and Terrence Higgins Trust for you to maybe speak to someone to help put your mind at ease.
Mrs Doyle: I have cake!
Father Ted: No thanks, Mrs Doyle.
Mrs Doyle: Are you sure, Father? They've got cocaine in em!
Father Ted: WHAT?
Mrs Doyle: Oh, no, not cocaine. God, what am I on about. No, what d'you call them. Raisins.
