Sense Project

Q: I had a possible exposure in August 2010- unprotected receptive anal. Im a female btw. At 5 and 6 1/2 months I got tested for all STI’s. All results were negative. My main concern is HIV. Do I need to test again? P.s. I had no exposure since that night.

Since you got tested twice, and your results were negative both times, I would feel pretty confident in your results. You also got tested after 6 months, which fully covers the window period for HIV (the time frame in which the virus can’t be accurately detected by a test - for HIV it’s 3-6 months). In your case, I would let go of the stress and start enjoying safe sex again.

In general, when you are sexually active, you should get tested for STIs every 6 months even if you use protection - that way, you cover all the window periods of the different tests. People sometimes choose to get tested every year, or even less often, if they have one partner and they’ve agreed on a monogamous relationship. In your case, it sounds like you’ve got your bases covered for that one situation, and you could consider getting tested regularly (e.g. every 6 months to a year) in the future. You can also stock up on free condoms and lube at Head & Hands (and most other clinics), to further protect your health!

pile o' condoms!

This week in Sense animator training, volunteers started practicing delivering the series of three workshops we offer to youth.  It was exciting to see their mad facilitation skills and secret talents come out of the closet!

-if a condom breaks while you’re putting it on, start with a new one! this is also true if a condom breaks during condom demonstration - hey, it happens!

Animators rock the Rocky Horror look at Ca Marche!

Tags: ACCM, animator training, Ca Marche, Events, fundraising, HIV, hiv/aids, photos, sense project, volunteers

Thursday, January 28th, 2010
1455 de Maisonneuve W. H-110 6 PM

Quebec PLWA author Laurette Lévy (Debout en clair-obscur, 2007; Zig Zag, 2002) and HIV/AIDS activist (speaking in French) will address her personal trajectory as a woman and as a writer through the quarter century since her infection, raising issues around the involvement of people living with HIV/AIDS in volunteering and activism.

This event is FREE and open to the general public.

So, why do we make bad decisions when we’re naked? Well, I don’t think that even the most reputable social and natural scientists in the world would be able to provide a clear answer to this question or be able to agree on one. And, I happen to think that human beings are pretty complex when it comes to their behaviours and practices so the answer to this question might always remain an unsolvable mystery. This means that the only thing we can do is learn about what constitutes risky behaviours and practices that might put us in harms way and of course, educate others.

Throughout the month of November, the Sense Project posted a series of myth busting questions and answers, opinion polls, videos and other related content in the hopes of clarifying certain misconceptions about HIV/AIDS while pointing to prevention strategies. We began by illustrating that HIV/AIDS affects us here, in Canada. After that, we addressed the infamous “mosquito bite” myth, confirming that mosquitoes cannot, in fact, transmit HIV. This was followed by a controversial poll which inquired into the possibility that we live in a post-AIDS world. It was inspired by a very interesting talk I attended given by epidemiologist, journalist and author of The Wisdom of Whores, Elizabeth Pisani. Afterward, issues pertaining to HIV stigma were discussed with the help of provocative videos created by other awesome organizations such as AIDES and COCQ-SIDA. Then, we tackled particular sexual acts such as anal and vaginal intercourse in the hopes of illustrating that safe sex always needs to happen, regardless of the ways you choose to have it and/or your sexual orientation. Evidently, this provided the perfect introduction to a discussion on the ways in which HIV is transmitted and the different stages of HIV infection.

And, today is World AIDS Day which means that the Sense Project’s e-blitz has come to an end. Though, we hope that the month of November along with our regular programming has provided you with the opportunity to learn more about HIV/AIDS and well, we hope that we’ve better equipped you to fight against prejudice and practice safe sex.

So, please take a moment to reflect - to think about the millions of people worldwide who have died and/or who continue to be affected by HIV and AIDS. But, also, show your support.

Be fair, be aware and BE SAFE.

Cheers!!!

Chopstix

Check out this video and see my response in the following post!