Email 420: Worried OFW in Saudi Arabia ~ Living with HIV in the Philippines

Email 420: Worried OFW in Saudi Arabia

Posted by Pozziepinoy on 12:00 PM

hi pozziepinoy, nadiscover kita thru search engine...and then naisip ko na iemail kita...me problem ako na more than 1 year ko na iniisip....nahihiya man po ako but need ko ng expert na kausap...

i am working in saudi arabia and then last may 2012, annual leave ko.nagkaron po ako ng sexmate...then last june bumalik na po ako ng saudi.;then bgla nia po ako chinat na HIV positive daw po xa.lumaabas s medical examination nia supposedly papunta din po xa ng saudi...sobrang nagpalpitate po talaga ako at di ko alam ang gagawin...naawa din ako s kanya dhil lahat ng pangarap nia n makapagabroad eh bglang nawalan n ng pag asa...

on my side.inisip ko din ang sarili ko.inisip ko paano if HIV positive na din ako.at nadetect s saudi?mas matinding problema.so ang ginawa ko, nag patest ako...ilang series...last sex ko po eh first week of june....until bago ako bumalik dito s pinas nitong june, ika 1 year na, eh nagpatest ako, negative pa din po.

pero kabado pa din ako.anu po ang gagawin ko???me ibang way ba para macontrol ang HIV???me injection ba?me nag site lang po skin na me injection daw to control sa PGH???is it true?malaki ang pinagbago ng sarili ko cmula nung nanyari un.kahit negative pa ako...eh napalapit lalo ako kay god and parang ayoko n makipagrelasyon at mas gusto ko pa gumawa ng good deeds....

please help me po....ur response will be highly appreciated....

TRANSLATION

Hi Pozziepinoy.

I discovered you through the search engine, and then I thought of sending you an email. I have a problem that I have been thinking for almost a year now. Although I am embarrassed, I need an expert to talk to.

I am working in Saudi Arabia and then last May 2012 was my annual leave. I had a sexmate, then I came back to SA in June. Then suddenly we chatted and he told me that he is HIV positive. He found out in his medical as he was abot to go to Saudi too.I had palpitations and really didn't know what to do. I also felt pity on him as all his dreams of working abroad just vanished.

On my side, I thought of myself. I got scared of what will happen when I turn out to be positive too and it will be detected in Saudi. It would be a big problem. So what I did was I got myself tested. It was a series of tests. My last sex was first week of June, until I got back here in the Philippines in June it was already 1 year, I got tested again and it was negative.

I am still scared. What should I do? Is there another way to control HIV? Is there an injection? Somebody told me that there is an injection to control it in PGH. Is it true? I have changed a lot since that happened to me, even though I was negative. I because closer to God and I feel to not have a relationship anymore and to do more good deeds.

Please help me. Your response will be highly appreciated.

POZZIEPINOY’S RESPONSE

Hi.

Thank you for your email. Thank you for sharing your experience and your concern.

I am 100% sure that you are HIV negative based on what you told me, based on the series f HIV test and the last HIV test that you took which was a year post exposure. You can now rest you mind and stay healthy all the time and stay safe by using protection whenever you will have a sexual encounter.

Since you have a lot of concerns, let me give you some good advice here:

1. Get busy and focus on being healthy and your work. YOU ARE HIV Negative. Don't think about it anymore. Just be productive, love others and don't hurt anybody.

2. The only way to prevent the spread of HIV is by the use of protection, by the use of condoms, by not having unprotected sex, by not mixing alcohol and drugs during sex which one may forget to use protection, by not sharing needles or making sure that the the needle being used in clinics on you is straight from the wrap, etc.

3. Know the HIv status of the person you are going to have sex with. However, asking is not enough. You can ask for evidence or an HIV test result just to make sure. Protecting yourself is very important now as in the Philippines the cases of HIV is still increasing. Although asking is blunt, if your sex partner is not open to it, then you can think twice.

4. There is no injectable drug to prevent HIV transmission. If one thinks he or she got infected, the infectious disease doctors will have an emergency protocol of drug prescription for you within 72 hours post exposure. However, this only applies to medical professionals who got an accident in the hospital (needle prick, medical operations, etc) or for rape victims. The Department of Health doesn't allow HIV post exposure prophylaxis (PEP) to individuals who acquired it in risky routes.

I hope I was able to answer your concerns. Feel free to email me again if you have other questions.

Stay healthy,

Pozziepinoy