Email 483: On STD's Boils, Shingles and HIV Symptoms ~ Living with HIV in the Philippines

Monday, July 29, 2013

Email 483: On STD's Boils, Shingles and HIV Symptoms

Posted by Pozziepinoy on 8:05 AM

Hi pozzie nagbabasa ko ng blog mo. ask ko lang kasi nag kaSTD ako 4 years ago. nkipag sex ako sa bayarang babae. then nagamot nmn ito ng mga antibiotic na pescribe ng doktor. nagkaron ulit ako 1 year after. this time d ko na alam ang dahilan. pero nagamot ulit ng antibiotics

now married nako with 1 child. last month nagkaroon ako ng pigsa. 2 beses sa loob ng 2 months. pro wla na. then ung baby ko ngaun nagka kulebra o skit sa balat. pero nagamot nmn tru antibiotic ng doktor. then nagkakapigsa rin ung baby ko.

ask ko lang kung sign un na positive ako sa HIV or AIDS ? then ung baby at asawa ko mron din?

pahelp nmn. im so worried about this.

Thanks,
XXX

TRANSLATION

Hi Pozzie. I am always reading your blog. I would like to ask this since I had an STd 4 years ago. I had sex with a pain woman. Then it got cured with antibiotics that were prescribed by the doctor. It recurred a year after for no apparent reason. But it got cured by antibiotics again.

Now I'm married with 1 child. Last month I had a boil, 2 times in 2 months, then it disappeared. Then my baby had shingles or skin infection. But the antibiotic that the doctor gave cured it. Then my baby also had a boil.

I would like to ask if those were signs of HIV or AIDS? Then perhaps my baby and my wife have it too?

Please help me. I am so worried about this.

Thanks,

XXX

CONTRIBUTOR'S RESPONSE

Hi XXX.

You did not mention the kind of STD that you had but I suspect that the infections could either be gonorrhea, syphilis or chlamydia.It is the infection transmitted by the man to the woman that is more worrisome as this sunsequently transmitted to baby.Women who are pregnant can become infected with the same sexually transmitted diseases (STDs) as women who are not pregnant. Pregnancy does not provide women or their babies any protection against STDs. In fact, the consequences of an STD can be significantly more serious--even life threatening--for a woman and her baby if the woman becomes infected with an STD while she is pregnant. As the list of diseases known to be sexually transmitted continues to grow, it is increasingly important that women be aware of the harmful effects of these diseases and know how to protect themselves and their children against infection.

HIV has no specific symptoms but can only be proven by undergoing the screening test. The symptoms you describe and those with your child are not typical of any HIV manifestations but only a negative test can provide certainty to your concerns.

Best regards,

Phillip Tjr (MD)
Philippine Contributor