Blog #4

This week I went to get my HIV test for Module 3. I had actually just went for a test on my own before I found out that we had to do it for an assignment so I will talk about that first since it was my very first HIV test. I went into the place (I think it was called Hope & Help) and waited to be called in. A lady called me in, explained how the test works, and asked me some personal questions about my sexual history, if i used drugs, etc. Then she gave me the OraQuick test in which you take a testing stick and rub it between your gums and your lips. Then she puts it into a solution and sends you outside to wait. 20 minutes later, she called me back and informed me that my results were negative. I was actually really nervous while waiting in the waiting room. I thought about all the ways I could have got HIV and what would happen if I did have it. I felt very relieved when I found out my results and it was all over with.

For my second test for the assignment I had to take the OraSure test. For that test, you have to wait 2-3 weeks for your test to be sent to a lab and your results to come back. It was pretty much the same as my other test. I was asked the same questions, given the same information, etc. The only difference in the procedure was that instead of rubbing your gums you just hold the test stick against your cheek. I was not nervous for this test because I already knew what to expect. I will not be nervous about going back to get my results either because I already know from my other test that I do not have HIV. I feel like if I had not taken the first test, I would be worried about it for 2-3 weeks. It would have probably crossed my mind at least a few times every day until I got my results back.

Did you Know -
In 2005, 65% of men who have ever had sex with men also reported sex with women. However, in another study, very small percentages of women who were having sex with MSM (men who have sex with men) reported having a bisexual partner which means most women are unaware that they are having sex with MSM. (Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, 2009)
I learned about an experiment in my sociology class in which a man pretended to be a restroom attendent on one of the restrooms on the side of the highway. Many men go in those bathrooms to have sex with other men and he would record their license place numbers as they left. Then, he tracked each one of them down and found that most of them either had a girlfriend or a wife and were living seemingly straight lifestyles.
As a woman, if I had a boyfriend or a husband, I would feel secure that they were not having sex with men, but as this study shows, some men have sex with other men secretly. These are things to consider when choosing to have sex without a condom.

Works Cited:
Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. (2008, August 3). HIV/AIDS Among Women. Retrieved September 28, 2009, from http://www.cdc.gov/hiv/topics/women/resources/factsheets/women.htm.