I had unsafe sex, do I have HIV?

Auntyji says....Pehlaan eh dass, have you heard what unsafe sex is, hain? Then you must have also read or heard what it can lead to, hain na? Taan pher?

Wait it out

Beta ji, darne se phaayda koi nahin. No gain in fear! What you have to do is a test. The only hitch is you have to wait three months at least. That will tell you where you stand. The issue is, with such fear, will you even be able to stand? Oye, kithey gir na jaayen!

The virus takes three months to show up in an antibody test, the ones most commonly being used are ELISA and rapid test. You can get this done for free in any government  hospital, it’s all anonymous and confidential, provided you can easily find the room. You know how it is in our government hospitals, the only system of finding information is to ask each other!

You must get some counselling alongside of course! You can go in for an immediate test called an antigen test, which only select clinics may offer. There you can rule out the three-month window period, but you will still be advised to do one more after three or six months, understood?

Risky propositions

O chal hun that you have all the gyaan, let me ask you a few questions. Betaji, I ask all of you, is it worth taking such a chance? Hain?  Sex ke liye, if you are ready and prepared, sure go ahead. But beta being ready also means being safe.

Now just like you boys, there are some kamlee kudidyan, who will hold the jhanda of safe sex, all through, make posters, go for a march, but then comes the lover boy, “requestaan paiyaan ne...” and all the marches and morchas go down the tubes.

Next we know, they have forgotten all the information and gyaan and given in to their manipulative boyfriends’ demands, “For love” and acquired a risk to their lives, or an unwanted pregnancy.

Undercover agents

You, gentlemen and your excuses. I have had it. “No fun with a condom,” “It’s like a raincoat,” “Can’t get the feel,” and the final one, “What kind of a man does it with a condom?” Beta, be a lover, don’t cower! The cool kinda lover, keeps the cover on!

Do you want to land up with an STD or an HIV infection? Or are you ready for that phone call when she is weeping, “I am pregnant ya dude...”

Is it really worth the terrible stuff that could follow? I swear not! I know you agree with me now, and yet, lekin, kintu, parantu... you still go ahead and dump the condom, “Man! It can’t happen to me!” Ya right!

What next, what now?

So Prashant, what are you going to do? Gather all the testing information, choose a centre. You can even quietly go check it out and go seek counselling. Go meet the VCTC counsellor, see if you get along and plan for your test.

Once you are past the window period, you will get the result in 24 hours. The three-month period is the tough one, I can understand. Read up a bit, but don’t overdo it, don’t make yourself sick over it  and then like innumerable people, convince yourself you already have AIDS, no less! Just wait it out, go to a VCTC and get the real info!

Ab jo hua so hua. No point in berating yourself or hitting your head on a wall, “Why did I do it, why did I not pull up my socks and my condom?” Now you know a lot about yourself and you know that there is a real threat of HIV,  that unprotected sex can be very risky, that you are experiencing real fear... All I can say is, all the best dude, hang in there!

To protect the author’s privacy, the person in the picture is a model.

This article has been re-published as part of our weeklong HIV/AIDS awareness campaign on account of World AIDS Day. This article was first published on 4th August, 2015.

Did you have unprotected sex with a stranger? Not sure what to do? Get in touch with Auntyji by commenting below or via Facebook.