OFW Needs Help

Hi,

I hope and pray that you can help me to go through this. I am diagnosed with HIV here in Qatar and i am about to go home to Philippines within the week. I need to go for second opinion thru proper HIV test. I hope i can personally see you. Thank you.

Got your contact number. I will be calling you soon. God bless.

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Email 497: One Pill a Day?

Dear pozzie,

May med po ba na isang tablet lang per day and inumin sa mga HIV positive or dapat coctail talaga? kasi may friend ako balak nya bumalik pa to finish his contract kaso natatakot sya kasi baka masita sa immigration sa middle east..

marky

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Email 612: Help with HIV Testing Kit or HIV test in Dubai

Good Day po,

Salamat ng marami sa blogs nyo.I just stumbled in your website seeking for advice. Bago lang po ako dito sa Dubai on a visit visa at naghahanap ng trabaho to stay and make a living. Pero natatakot po ako na ma blood test prior to issuance of residence visa. Mandatory po kasi ang HIV test dito na conducted ng government ng Dubai. Ayoko pong mapahiya, madetained, madeport at mabanned for life kung may nakita silang problema sa dugo o baga ko. I considered myself as high risk dahil ako po ay natreat na ng STI before but never been tested for HIV. Ang favor ko lang po baka merong alam po kayo na pwedeng magdeliver ng rapid HIV testing kit sa bansa na ito. At kung wala, baka po may magtip na available yung kit dito at mabigyan ako ng pangalan ng pharmacy so i can buy this product. Sa gayon, pwede po ako magtesting sa bahay. At kung sakali na ako ay magpositive, I will voluntarily leave the country without a bad record. Kahit malaman ko yung bad news, my next step is to seek treatment in our country.

Help me kung pano po ako maka acquire nung testing kit. That maybe will have a peace of mind. Meron akong naresearched malapit dito na discreet HIV testing. (Zach's) pero bukod sa mahal ang fee, marami ang nagsasabi na irereport din sa pulis ang malalamang positibo sa test as required by UAE law.

Sana matulungan nyo po aq sa queries ko,

Salamat po in advance,

T.

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Email 541: Negative?

I went for mandatory medical test last August 5, 2013 while applying for my residence visa here in UAE. The result came out last August 19, and the papers were delivered to the address I gave them.

I called the Testing Clinic and asked if I passed the test or not. UAE medical test screens conditions for TB, Hepa B and HIV.

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Email 456: Interpreting My Blood Work Result

Hello,

Good Day,

Year 2010 when I was about to leave Philippines going to Saudi, I have unsafe sex with the same gender (M2M) that I didn't know who he is, We just meet each other in Manila Mall and then we have one night sex for one time only. I came  in Middle East May 2010. I started to have sex with men (M2M), February 2011 with  different nationalities. To make the story short I was indulging in oral sex maybe 15> men for just of lust.  And 3 men who unsafe sex with me in different time and place. 2 or 3 with safe sex  Now March-April 2013 One of my colleague need blood donor. So I also had the opportunity to donate blood. But then, the result of my blood is: 

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Email 436: There is A BRIGHT FUTURE!

Good Day Pozzie!

I am Diagnose HIV positive diagnose last year november. Lahat ng pangarap ko gumuho pati yung mkapag work sa ibang bansa parang nawala na rin. I am a professional 23 years old. Lahat ng family ko nasa ibang bansa sa middle east ako nlang ang natitira dito sa pinas, Gusto na nila ako kunin para don na mag work pero panay ang tangi ko sa knla dame ko dahilan na ayaw ko, kc alam ko pag pumayag ako malalaman nila at ma dedeport din ako pag nag work na ako don at makulong pa. Wala pa kc nkaka alam sa family ko kaht sa frend ko. alam ko mallaman din nila pero sa ngaun dko pa kaya. 

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Email 410: Another OFW Concern

Hi po kamusta po. Ako si XXX. Nababasa ko po ang mga tweet at blog niyo. Napakaganda po ng advocacy nyo makatulong. Anu po ba ang unang symptoms na maaring malaman positive po. Gusto ko pong mgpatest kaso asa abroad po ako. Salamat po. Sa info.

TRANSLATION

Hi. How are you? I am XXX. I read all your tweets and blog entries. Your advocacy to help is so good. What are the symptoms to know if one is HIV positive. I want to take the test but I am here abroad. Thank you for the information

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Email 406: How to Tell Others to Take the Test?

Hi!

I was diagnosed with HIV in middle east last month. Nagkaroon lang naman ako ng dalawang partner nung 2012... First yung partner ko from may to october, we were having unprotected sex all the time (anal and oral) by january 2013 he opted for hiv testing and it negative. My 2nd partner was november 2012-feb 2013  still with unprotected sex. and i was diagnosed this june 2013 in my counting sa huling partner ko nakuha ang virus.  
Nagpatest na din ako dito sa pinas and its reactive, just waiting for the confirmatory. Natatakot kasi akong sabihan siya, since we are not in good term and pati yung pinsan ko nagsex din pala sila before pa naging kami. I cant tell them both since wala pang may alam na i do have hiv, family ko pa lang ang may alam.  Can you help me how to tell them.

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Email 389: Worried and Confused OFW

Dear Pozzie,

Hindi ko alam kung saan ko sisimulan ang sulat kong ito ngunit gulong gulo ang isip ko ngayon at hindi ako makatulog kung anong mangyayari sa akin. Wala akong matakbuhan para sabihin ang problema ko. Gusto kung umiyak pero hindi ko magawa kasi gusto kong maging matatag. Ang hirap ng sitwasyong andito ka sa abroad.

28 years old na po ako and have been working here in UAE for 3 years now at ako po ang inaasahan ng mga tumatanda kong mga magulang at akong inaasahan ng aking pamilya na magtataguyod sa kanilang lahat. June 13, 2013 ng nagmedical ako for my visa renewal then after 3 days, tinawagan ako ng medical center kasi daw irerepeat for confirmatory yung blood sample ko at sabi ng Nurse confirmatory for HIV.

Nung sinabi nya sa akin na "HIV" hindi ko po alam anong gagawin ko. Minsan nakatulala ako at iniisip anong mangyayari sa buhay ko, pamilya ko at sa mga pangarap ko kung confirmed positive HIV patient ako. Isa po akong Nurse at naghihintay na sana ng interview ko para sa Canada. Iniisip ko kung saan ko sisimulan or sisimulan ko pa ba ang buhay ko.

Kung nagkataon na positive ako, tiyak na papauwiin ako sa Pilipinas at hindi ko alam kung anong mangyayari sa akin sa Pilipinas.

Sa Thursday, June 20, 2013 ko malalaman ang resulta ng confirmatory test ko. Ano po kaya ang chances na magpositive ako sa confirmatory test? Taga Cebu po ako, at ano ang gagawin ko?

Salamat po.

XXX

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Email 373: Is Persistent Fever a Symptom of HIV?

asked ko lang po pano po kung fever lang yung sintomas na 

nararamdaman mo almost 2weeks na po until now meron pa din me pabalik balik 

bukod don wala na po akong nararamdaman malaki po ba ang chance ko na 

maging positive kahit sobrang tagal na nung fever ko,,, sobrang takot na 

takot na din po ako sana po matulungan nyo ako

uaegay

TRANSLATION

I would like to ask if the only symptom that I have for 2 weeks now is intermittent fever. Aside from that I don’t observe anything. Is there a big chance that I am HIV positive even though I have fever for a long time? I am so scared. Please help me.

uaegay

POZZIEPINOY'S RESPONSE

Hi uaegay.

Thank you for your email.

Like what I always say, HIV has non specific symptoms. Your persistent fever can be anything. The only way to know what you have is to get a consultation with a doctor. If you had unprotected sex and you think that you may have been infected, then the only way for you to find out if you have it or not is by taking the HIV test. Some PLHIV's don't even have symptoms at all and some have a myriad of other infections, so really I can't say that what you have is HIV. For all we know, it can be something else, but until you take the test, you will never have peace of mind.

I hope I was able to answer you concern. Please feel free to email me again if you have other questions.

Stay healthy,

Pozziepinoy

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Email 359: OFW, Sex Encounter and HIV

hi,

good day po,,nabasa ko po ang mga email sa blog ng" living with hiv" at naglakas loob po akong sumulat sa inyo at hihingi po sana ako ng tulong, advise sa inyo dahil litong lito na po ako,di ko na po alam ang aking gagawin.

Nag karoon po ako ng sex encounter nung akoy mag bakasyun sa pinas noong nov 2012,sa ngayon ay nakabalik na ako sa aking

pinag ttrabahuhan..pang anim na buwan na po ngayon nang akoy nakipagtalik sa isang sex worker gumamit po ako ng condom pero tinangal ata nung babae ng hindi ko nararamdaman dahil ako po ay naka inom noon, at ngayon po ay meron akong mga sintomas na nararamdaman tulad po ng sakit sa tiyan na almost 3 months na " on and off" po,rashes sa tiyan na naalis din kaagad pero may bakas pa,nag patingin po ako sa mga doctor dito e binigyan ako ng mga testing sa dugo tulad ng CBC,blood chemistry,urine test,,ang mga results ay okay naman po,,pero patuloy po ang pag sakit ng tiyan ko,minsan nawawala pero minsan ay nandyan na hindi ako pinapatulog the whole night.pumunta po ako sa specialist/consultant sa (G.I.)gastrointestine at ipina CT scan po ang abdomen ko at pelves pero okay naman po ang results.

Makikita po kaya pag HIV positive ka sa results ng CT scan,o kaya related sa HIV?marami ang nakakapansin sa mga co worker ko dito na nangagayat daw ako,malaki raw ang pinayat at binagsak ng katawan ko sa ngayon po ay nasa abroad ako nasa middle east,di ko masabi sa mga doctor dito ang experience ko sa pinas at baka madetect nila kung ako ay may HIV at ako ay ma deport.ano po ba ang ibang testing bukod sa HIV test na related sa mga sintomas ng HIV?Sa ngayon po,mi singaw po ako sa gums ko at medyo masakit na lalong nag papa worry sa akin ,,  LITONG LITO NA PO AKO,,tulungan niyo po ako kung ano ang aking gagawin,,ako po ay takot na takot sa ngayon lalo na kung maging + ako sa HIV.

maraming salamat po.

Mar

TRANSLATION

Hi,

Good day. I read in the email in your blog, “Living with HIV” and I took the courage tow rite you to ask some help and advice from you because I am so confused and I don’t know what to do.

I had a sex encounter when I ook a vacation in the Philippines last Novemenr 2012. I am back in the country where I am working. It has been six months since the sex encounter with a sex worker. I used a condom but I was thinking that the woman removed it without me knowing because I was drunk then. Right now I am feeling some symptoms like intermittent stomach pain for almost 3 months now, abdominal rashes that go away but leave marks. I went to a doctor and was given a battery of tests like CBC, blood chemistry, urine test and everything turned out normal. However, the stomach pain persisted that sometimes wont let me have a good night’s sleep. I even went to a GI specialist/consultant and a CT scan of my abdomen and pelvis were done. Everything was normal again.

My question is, can the doctor determine if one is HIV positive from the CT Scan? A lot of my co workers are noticing that I am losing weight now. I am in the middle east right now and I can’t tell the doctors here about my experience in the Philippines because if they detect that I have HIV I will be deported. What other tests can be done to detect HIV aside from the HIV test? Right now I have mouth sores which makes me worry more. I am so confused. Please help me on what I need to do. I am so scared now and don’t know what to do if ever I am HIV positive

Thank you so much

Mar

POZZIEPINOY'S RESPONSE

Hi Mar.

Thank you for your email. Thank you for finding your blog.

I have encountered the same email with the same problems like yours, so I can definitely understand your situation. A lot of things will come to your mind right now about HIV, it's symptoms, your sudden weight loss, your gum problems and abdominal pain. Of course you are worrying about your situation in the middle east right now as we all know, they forbid foreign nationals working in their countries who have HIV and they accost them and deport them back to their own countries as soon as authorities find out. Because of this fear, I do understand how confused you are as to what you are going to do as you can't even get an HIV test there.

Unfortunately, the only way to know your HIV status is by taking the HIV test. HIV can't be detected by any other tests except by this only. The symptoms of HIV are non specific which means that the symptoms vary from one person to another. Other's don't even have symptoms at all but they are positive.

You have two options here. Either, one you come back to the Philippines for a short vacation to get tested or second, go to another country wherein you can take the test. It is only this way that you will know the real score.

I know it is hard but you have to weigh in these two options. If you think that the HIV test will give you peace of mind then don't even think about it and just do it. It is your responsibility now to yourself and to the people who love you.

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

Stay healthy,

Pozziepinoy

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Email 278: OFW's Concerns

Hi Pozzie..

First of all gusto ko magpasalamt sa staff na nag alalay sa akin nung time na nag patest ako..

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Email 257: Worried OFW from the Middle East

Hi Pozziepinoy...

Thanks you so much for your blog.. it really helps me....

Im working here in the middle east.. I had unsafe oral sex with a russian prostitute.... that is the big mistake that I have done in my life, a friend treated me and I grabbed it..........after 4 days I had this fever and flu till now almost 20 days already,  I’m having diarhea, sometime night sweat which are very uncommon before this unsafe sex... Im going for unscheduled vacation this XXX for HIV test... 

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Email 231: Concerned OFW from Abu Dhabi

Dear Pozziepinoy,

Thanks for your inputs and blogs about HIV. Just last Jan. 25, 2013.. I had an unsafe sex (oral) with a prostitute here in Abu Dhabi... after that day I feel guilty, tensed and afraid... After 4 days I had a cough and fever inside till today and all the time I am urinating... 

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