POZ Prevention and HIV Disclosure 

This section is dedicated to men who are HIV+. It is a common and unfair misconception that  all POZ men do not care whether they pass on HIV and much of the prevention material you will see is directed to HIV- men. This section will attempt to address some of the issues that are specific to HIV+ men's sexual health as an acknowledgement that there are many POZ men concerned about their sexual health and that of their partners.

 

 

The logo above is part of a Canadian organization called POZ Canada which can be found at www.poz.ca and provides a great source of information and an opportunity for chatting and socializing with other  POZ people.

Q. We’re both HIV positive. Do we need to wear a condom?

Some experts say that if you don’t wrap it up and have high-risk sex (more on that below), you may risk superinfection with a rapidly progressing, multi-resistant new strain of HIV. However, if you and/or your partner are on meds or have low viral loads, superinfection is pretty much reduced. Condoms are still a good idea though.


Condoms win bonus points for blocking syphilis (if your sores are covered), gonorrhea and chlamydia—although not always herpes, HPV (genital warts) or crabs, all three of which are transmitted from skin to skin. And remember: HIV makes it easier to pick up STDs, and the heinous bumps and sores tend to hit us harder, too

Q. Can you transmit HIV if your viral load is undetectable?

“Undetectable” just means the amount of virus in your blood is too small to measure, but it’s still there—and there is new research that strongly suggests that blood viral load is NOT necessarily the same as in your other bodily fluids, particularly your semen. If your viral load is undetectable (and/or you’re on HIV meds), you’re less infectious, but still transmittable. 

The POZ.com site includes some excellent  video dealing with topics that are relevant to POZ men.

**IMPORTANT HEALTH NOTICES** 

CLICK HERE For More Information

 

POZ Tidbits

This section will  contain quick info spots pertaining to issues faced by POZ men  

"Adherence"

WHAT IT MEANS
Taking your HIV medications as directed: number of doses per day, number of pills per dose, with food or on an empty stomach. Your doctor should spell out these rules before writing the prescriptions for your combination, and once you fill them, the labels on the bottles will remind you.

WHY IT MATTERS
The HIV in your body can become resistant to a drug if your blood doesn’t get a steady supply—crossing that drug (and maybe others like it) off your list of treatment options for good.


HOW TO
With the real world outside your doctor’s office (and your own stubborn self) conspiring to slip you up, you may need help staying on schedule—whether it’s with phone calls, alarms, Post-Its or pill holders—or getting ready to start taking meds in the first place.

NOTE TO ROOKIES
Before starting on meds, adherence is one of the most important issues to discuss with your doctor. With 28 meds out now and so many combinations, you can likely find one that you can “adhere” to. But if your lab tests say “go,” but something in your life says “stop”—you’re depressed, doing drugs or scared of side effects, for example—your doctor needs to know. It may take some work before you are ready to start.

WHAT TO AIM FOR

95%



The percentage of the time that HIVers need to take their meds exactly as prescribed in order for them to work.  

WHAT TO WATCH OUT FOR
In a recent study, the top four reasons HIVers gave for missing doses were:
1. forgetting
2. changing routine
3. side effects
4. being away from home

(These questions and answers and the information for POZ Tid Bits were taken  from www.poz.com)

 

 

Websites dedicated to the needs of those who are HIV-positive typically tend to be serious and frankly a bit of a downer as we read through all of our health issues, treatment problems, stigma etc.

For the editor-in-chief, and founder, however, a sense of humour is what has gotten him through the last 23 years of living with HIV. There is no question about the role of humour and its relationship to positive health outcomes, there needed to be something different available that celebrated having fun.

The result is the creation of Positive Lite, a Canadian-driven website for both positive gay men and their friends, irrespective of sexual orientation, gender or nationality.

Check out and Join PositiveLite.com by clicking on the logo above!

 

HIV Disclosure 

The following is not legal advice.  It is information about the law.  You should speak with a lawyer if you want legal advice.

For legal information and advice you can contact: HIV & AIDS Legal Clinic (Ontario), known as HALCO

Phone: 416-340-7790 or Toll Free: 1-888-705-8889

or visit their website at: http://www.halco.org

_._______________________________._._______________________________._

Some Facts around Disclosure

  • If there's a significant risk of passing on HIV, if you lie ("I'm HIV-negative.") or you don't tell your partner about your HIV infection ("He didn't ask, I didn't tell."), you can be charged and convicted.
  • You can be charged and convicted even if you didn't know or think that you had a legal duty to disclose.
  • If there's a significant risk of passing on HIV, you have a legal duty to disclose your HIV infection; no matter where you meet or have sex with the other person; whether the sex is anonymous, you know the person, or how long you've known the person; or whether you have sex for fun, to make money, or in exchange for drugs or other things.
You may not want to disclose that you have HIV because the other person might tell others or post your HIV status on the internet.  Although this may make it more difficult for you to disclose, it doesn't change your legal duty under the criminal law.
 
If your going to disclose your HIV status to your sex partner, avoid code words or hints.  Don't assume your sex partner knows what words like "poz" and "positive" mean.  It's best to tell him or her that "I am HIV-positive" or "I am infected with HIV."  Also, make sure your sexual partner understands what "HIV infection" or "HIV positive" means.
 
Protecting yourself from those who might lie about your disclosing
 
Even if you told a person before sex that you're HIV-positive, after you have sex the person might lie and say you didn't disclose to them.  So you may want to get evidence that you disclosed your HIV status before sex.  Here are some suggestions:
  • Have witnesses.  Tell the person you want to have sex with that you're HIV-positive in front of a friend or someone you trust.  Your friend becomes a potential witness who can say that you disclosed your HIV-infection.  A group of friends is even better.
  • Double check: Have a friend ask the person if he or she knows that you're HIV-positive.  If the person answers that he or she knows, then your friend can be a witness.
  • Save online conversations and emails.  If you disclose in an internet chat or by email, be clear about your HIV status.  The person should acknowledge that you're HIV-positive.  Save an electronic copy of what you wrote and the other person's response.  Print it out, too.
  • Create support and counselling records.  If you're thinking about getting into a relationship, you and the person can go to see a counsellor or support worker together.  Ask the counsellor to make notes of the session.  During the session, disclose that you're HIV-positive.
  • Sign a document.  Before having sex, ask the person to sign and date a paper acknowledging that you're HIV-positive and that he/she knows what it means.  This is also the most unrealistic strategy. 

    • You may not like what the criminal law says.  You may not agree with it.  It can seem very harsh and unfair.  But it's still the law.  When you have information about what the law says, hopefully you'll be able to make more informed descisions about your life and your sex life.

    This information comes from 'Living Poz Magazine',  'Positive Side Magazine' and from 'HIV disclosure: a legal guide for gay men in Ontario', published by the HIV & AIDS Legal Clinic (Ontario) and Gay Men's Sexual Health Alliance.

    If you'd like a copy of 'HIV disclosure: a legal guide for gay men in Ontario' which contains more information,

    please contact the AIDS Committee of Durham Region to obtain a copy free of charge.