HIV screening info

[maxsee]

Yeah, do write down the stories if you have time doc...sure seem interesting...

[hellobye]

Originally Posted by DoctorTan

Sadly, I have diagnosed many many HIV +ve cases. Reactions vary greatly.

The coolest guy I've seen just looked me squarely in the eye and said 'OK. Just tell me what I need to do next.' No emotion, no doubt, no questioning. Just practical, cold, crisis management mode. Truly strength of character.

One young lady I saw just crumbled into a heap on the floor. Fortunately her sister and brother came with her and could help. When she recovered from her catatonia she was completely inconsolable, crying and screaming. Her family had to literally carry her out of the clinic.

There was this guy who was convinced I was joking with him. When I told him the HIV test was +ve he laughed and said 'C'mon! Is this when you tell me this is a joke? When are the people going to jump out and laugh at me? Hahahah!' I had to tell him that I never joke about things like that. And his face fell.

Another guy just freaked out. He kept shouting 'No! No! No!' Banged his head on the wall, screamed into the pillow. When he stormed out of the clinic I had to follow him because I was convinced he was going to kill himself. After a while 'No! No! No!' became 'My beautiful wife! My beautiful wife!' After a long while he called his mother and said 'Mom I f***ed up! I really f***ed up!' and started crying really hard. That was when I knew he would be alright. It's called emotional cartage.

You gave me a good idea. Maybe I should write all these stories down somewhere.

Its really sad to hear stories like that and it could serves as a good wake up call for some of us..

[Shadow_warrior]

Might be a good time to either

1. Stick to one sex partner, gf, wife, tested FB.
There are reasons why this is always the less appealing and its not just because men are dirty or always horny. Sometimes relationships fail or get too disappointing.

2. DIY, start visiting sex shops for tenga or fleshlight

3. Only visit commercial sex that do HJ, or capped BJs.

[sammyboyfor]

Originally Posted by DoctorTan

Sadly, I have diagnosed many many HIV +ve cases. Reactions vary greatly.

Doc it is no longer a death sentence. With the facts before them the diagnosis could be made far less traumatic.

Is HIV any worse than Hep B, Hep C, Diabetes etc in terms of outcome. Could the trauma be caused more by the stigma than the actual disease?

[malou]

Originally Posted by DoctorTan

You gave me a good idea. Maybe I should write all these stories down somewhere.

Please do. It will serve as a deterrent to those who are thinking of practising unsafe sex, and help those who are already positive know that they are not alone.

[Frankiestine]

Originally Posted by sammyboyfor

Doc it is no longer a death sentence. With the facts before them the diagnosis could be made far less traumatic.

Is HIV any worse than Hep B, Hep C, Diabetes etc in terms of outcome. Could the trauma be caused more by the stigma than the actual disease?

HIV is not any worse then any other terminal diseases, the only difference, society has branded it as a disease of shame, you don't get to die as a morally upright man. Compare a man that caught AIDS and another SARS, who will garner the sympathy votes? What defines us in life is the legacy we leave behind after death. All of us know the disease itself does not kill but it simply destory your immunity till you die of some form of illness. But will the day ever come where society accepts HIV as just any other diseases like cancer that is terminal (granted there are cases of recovery)?

[maxsee]

The worse thing about HIV aside from the social stigma and friends fleeing from you is the very fact that the day you die, you will be deprived of the chance of a peaceful death...It is going to be a slow agonizing death with multiple different cancers and diseases....And let's not forget the monthly cost of HIV treatment...

[DoctorTan]

Originally Posted by sammyboyfor

Doc it is no longer a death sentence. With the facts before them the diagnosis could be made far less traumatic.

Is HIV any worse than Hep B, Hep C, Diabetes etc in terms of outcome. Could the trauma be caused more by the stigma than the actual disease?

You are absolutely right. In fact, when I first break the news to the patient, I try to concentrate on the medical facts. The fact that they will have a normal life span, a healthy life. It can be controlled. I tell them the only difference is that they need to take a few tablets everyday. That is all. I try my best to drive home this point (to those that are actually listening).

I also tell them stories of my own patients who went on to get married and have children and lead very fulfilling lives all while they are HIV +ve. Of course their spouses and children are all HIV free. I try to illustrate to them that there is life after HIV.

People have very different crisis management strategies. Some people cannot even handle a simple car accident much less finding out that they have HIV. It is usually a lot easier for those who have knowledge and who have been exposed to friends or family already living with HIV. It is the unknown that gets to people.

Stigma plays a huge role of course. If a person finds out he has cancer, he can fall into the arms of his social support system. Not so much for HIV. In fact, I made the mistake of telling a patient who just found out she was HIV +ve that 'at least it's not cancer'. She looked me square in the eye and said 'I wish I had cancer instead'. And I believed her. It is however sad that society has made it such that a person would rather have a terminal disease that they will die soon and painfully from rather than a chronic disease that can be easily controlled with some tablets.

[Frankiestine]

Originally Posted by DoctorTan

I also tell them stories of my own patients who went on to get married and have children and lead very fulfilling lives all while they are HIV +ve. Of course their spouses and children are all HIV free. I try to illustrate to them that there is life after HIV.

Pardon my ignorance doc, you mean it is still possible to have unprotected sex with an uninfected partner and have children? That is assuming the patient is already under medication.

[RunInRunOut]

Nice information

[DoctorTan]

Originally Posted by Frankiestine

Pardon my ignorance doc, you mean it is still possible to have unprotected sex with an uninfected partner and have children? That is assuming the patient is already under medication.

The risk of contracting HIV from unprotected sexual intercourse with a HIV +ve partner is roughly about 1%. For details please read: http://www.drtanandpartners.com/hiv-.../#.U5ZT9_mSyTw

In the situation where the male partner is HIV +ve and the female partner is HIV -ve, we have 3 solutions. First is TrAP (Treatment as Prevention). By making sure the male partner is properly treated with an undetectable viral load, the risk of passing HIV on to the female partner drops by about 87%. Secondly, the female partner can be given PrEP (Pre-Exposure Prophylaxis). This adds up to 99% protection. Lastly, and most popularly, the pregnancy can be achieved via IVF with 'sperm washing'.

In the situation where the male partner is HIV -ve and the female partner is HIV +ve, we can also use TrAP and PrEP. Of course, the pregnancy can also be achieved with either IVF or IUI both of which reduces the male partner's risk to zero. When the female partner is actually pregnant, she needs to be on special anti-HIV drugs to prevent the baby from becoming infected. This is called prevention of vertical transmission. The baby should also not be breastfed.

We actually covered the 3 pillars of medical HIV prevention. TrAP, PrEP and prevention of vertical transmission. These in association with education, awareness and universal testing make the the global strategy to eradicate HIV.

Ta-Dah

[Frankiestine]

Thanks for the informative guide on this doc, always thought that been struck with HIV is effective the end of ones sex life...

[sammyboyfor]

Originally Posted by Frankiestine

Thanks for the informative guide on this doc, always thought that been struck with HIV is effective the end of ones sex life...

That is why we have a doctor here to help clear misconceptions and correct misinformation.

[rachgu]

Hi,

Interesting thread but i have some enquiries.

I have read up Dr Tan wesite about the anonymous HIV testing and Rapid Anonymous HIV combo test. Something which i do not understand, i was told by my doctor last time once we are tested and re-confirm positive for HIV, our name will be submitted to sg government health board? So how can it be anonymous?

Another thing, anyone know roughly what is the cost of treatment per month for HIV?

[Satos43]

Originally Posted by rachgu

Hi,

Interesting thread but i have some enquiries.

I have read up Dr Tan wesite about the anonymous HIV testing and Rapid Anonymous HIV combo test. Something which i do not understand, i was told by my doctor last time once we are tested and re-confirm positive for HIV, our name will be submitted to sg government health board? So how can it be anonymous?

Another thing, anyone know roughly what is the cost of treatment per month for HIV?

I've gone for the anonymous combo test at Dr Tan's clinic.
What you simply do is tell the counter you want a test, make payment whereby they'll issue you with a pamphlet on the tests and other information which also has your queue number. The queue number is how you are identified.

At no point is any personal information taken. Same with the testing procedure at AFA.