Dragoncastle's Gay Asia - Gay Thailand's Leading Website

Question:
Should i have a safe sex with my bf as both of us are positive since last August 2006? we are not in medication yet as our doctor saids its too early to start the medication. w€hen will the right time to start the medication? I'm affraid it might be too late. please get back to me as soon as possible... thank you so much.

Answer:

It is ALWAYS best to have safe sex, even in a purely 121 relationship. There are many different strains of HIV and to cross infect each other would not be a good idea.

I am not a doctor so cannot advise with authority on when to starts meds. But the general rule seems to be a CD4 250 or below (some say 350) or a viral load of 10,000 or more.

I was 202 and 100,000 when diagnosed so HAD to start right away, 3 years later and at it is 61yo obviously harder for the body to cope have a CD4 of 753 (above 500 is considered safer from opportune infections) and my viral load is<50 in other words undectable which is the target for everyone. So as my results show it NEVER too late to start meds. But your doctor will advise.

When and If you do start, respect the drug regime, never miss a dose, take as perscribed and live your life. that is hard at first but just be positive about being positive, it helps!

Question:
I have a question for Auntie Bee, I am a farang living in Bangkok and have just been diagnosed as positive, I am slowly dealing with all of the medical and mental attention I need to battle this new challenge. I was hoping you could give me some insight as to how you think the thai community and gay thai community will respond when I tell friends and possible lovers that I am possible. I have not lived in thailand long enough to have a sense of how this culture feels about someone who is positive. I know this may be a trivial question, but I am very nervous as to how my thai friends will respond when I tell them my new situation. Thanks so much for any thoughts you have.

Answer:
Firstly your question is NOT trivial from my experience. In fact I say it is vital, your doctor can prescribe medication to put the lid on to stop the virus replicating, but you and only you can at the end of the day come to terms with the fact that you are HIV+.

At first I told nobody because I was in total shock. I then told those closest to me that I knew 99% for sure would accept without question. In fact as time past more fitted that than I dared hope.

There is still sadly a huge degree of stigma out there, so beware.

Why tell more people than you actually need to at this point. I have no idea how long you have lived here or how many close friends you have back home, or here of course.

I found it stressful telling people as one has little idea of how they will react. For me nobody was hostile.

Lovers - Online and in general there is a huge amount of info about HIV+ people having sex, what is advisable and not. I feel its impossible to say to someone as you jump into bed "By the way I am HIV." I would run a mile!! You too?

They say its NOT easy to become HIV+, I have no real idea of with whom or when it happened.

So as long as you have safe sex i see no reason to come clean. All HIV+ people (and HIV-) should respect safe sex, yet still on my sauna visits it shocks me what people get up to. Heat of the moment.

Thai's by nature are very accepting of most things but this is a different issue. Its different person by person.

You should also, if you have not already, look at the list of support groups on Dragoncastle etc and talk to other HIV+, it helped me greatly.

Question:
It took me time to find the courage to go and get checked for HIV in Bangkok. I was found to be positive. I never have had the CD4 test yet. I have had stomach pains in the lower section on and off for four months now and diorea often. My eating habits have now changed, sometimes I eat lots sometimes a little bit. I would like to know from yourself what is the best private hospital to go to see a doctor which is not too expensive. Also I work offshore for two months, then come back to Thailand for one. So I also want to know the quickest way to do the CD4 test and if I need to start drugs them I will. Also do you recommend I go to get a full medical done, where and how much?

Answer:
It is very important for you to have a CD4 and viral load test done ASAP. The latter takes about 14 days for the result from any hospital. This might not mean you have to take drugs straight away. Most important it will tell you how advanced your condition is. It is vital to start meds at the right time. As for a full medical your doctor is best to advise if so.
On Dragoncastle is a list of hospitals, Chualongkorn is excellent as is Siriraj, both government, but if the latter is good enough for The King then.... I am not in a position to advise on the best private hospital and costs.
Peace of mind is most important and in your situation you are stressed for obvious reasons which is not good for your overall health.
Please let me know your results

Question:
I also just found I am HIV and am now in England. What would you suggest? I had a good teaching job overseas but alas I know they will not re-new my contract now. No Money and NO home?

Answer:
Dear Friend
Are you on medication? If so that would be free in the UK. I recommend 'The Kobler Clinic' at the Chelsea and Westminster Hospital as it is the leading research centre in the UK. You have to join the John Hunter Clinic first for some reason and be referred to Kolber. In the country you've been living in care is excellent but if you need medical help I recommend a good hospital rather than a local clinic. Viral Load acceptance levels in the country you mentioned are 400 or less is considered as undetectable whereas in the UK 50 or less is used. Personally I see no reason why you cannot continue to teach, it is your business that you are HIV+ and providing you feel well enough to work then it would be good therapy. For sure having just been diagnosed your are in a state of shock even though you might not feel you are! I am very happy to help and advise you in any way, please keep in touch.

Question:

i found out i have hiv positive. i think i had known for long times that i have got this kind of virus in my body i think about 4 years ago but i am too afraid to accept the real world. yes i agree that when u find out, everything release i wasn't even surprised when the doctor told me... anyway now i am unemployed and the doctor said my white blood cell is perfect..but she didn't tell me about how they count the amount of the cells how we can say it's ok and it's low. i want to know about it when i go and check somewhere else.....another question is ...according i told u now i am unemployed and i want some job about aids organisation in thailand that help people who has got hiv positive.. not much money i want to keep it in case when i need medication.....

Answer:
Dear Friend
Thanks for your question.
I hope you had the test at a major hospital and not a local clinic that gives the result in 30 minutes. If so, get a new test.
Only when your CD4 is around 300-350 will you need to start drugs. You must ask for a copy of the results - they are about you.
It would be interesting to know the results, then I could advise you a bit better.
CD4 should be high and Viral load should be low.
On Dragoncastle are many ideas and links to HIV/AIDS contacts. I am sure one of those can make use of your time.
Take care and let us know your result details
Aunite B

Question:

After reading the story of the Anonymous shared with us I found HIV+ is not the end of life and advise from a HIV+ friend is so precious. I am currently on medication but side effects are severe like him at the beginning. I live in Bangkok without any HIV+ friend. Is there a channel to chat or meet with other HIV+ in Bangkok? Thanks!

Answer:
Dear friend,
I feel for you at this hard time. Not easy at all but you must think postive about being HIV+. The drugs are very good if you take them as the doctor told you. The side effects are not nice as we both know. But from my experience things do get better. Try not to take other drugs to help with the side effects as often they fight one another and make you feel worse. Below I give some contacts and I hope they help (they are for all HIV+, not just gay only). Feel free to email again even just for a chat by email.

Wednesday Friends Club Hotline (662) 255-7893, 255-7894. Support and social organization for people living with HIV/AIDS in Bangkok. Their Drop-in Center is at 830 Soi Galaxy, Rama 4 Road, across the street from The Thai Red Cross Society and behind the Monthien Hotel. Services include hostel, weight room, support groups, counseling, vitamin shop, karaoke.
Auntie Bee

Question:

Dear friends, I read your story and what you have gone through being hiv+ is so sad but encouraging. I have just when for the test and was diagonised hiv+ from the aids association. I will be consulting a doctor from the hospital for my first visit. Of course, it has been hell ever since the day I was tested positive. I believed it will be a long road to medication and am afraid about the side effect that I will face. Futhermore the cost for medication will be a worry. A consellor has advised me to start off medication but it is very expensive over here. He has told me at a later stage to buy the medicine and seek treatment overseas. Can you help me to find and recommand me. I feeling very sick and will not be going abroad as I have to get started and consultation here. If I feel better,I would like to meet up with you in Bangkok. I'm in my forties.It will be a compliment to meet you. Right now, I really do not know what to do. Nobody knows about my condition except the consellor from the aids association. Please help me.

Answer:
Dear Friend,
I presume that so far you have not been recommended to start meds. There is a optimum time for that and I am sure your doctor will advise well. Starting at the right time is important, not too early or late. Side effects can be unpleasant and the later you start the worse they can be as in my case. The drugs these days are vastly improved and taken correctly lessen the side effects and increase the drugs ability to fight the virus. You MUST tell someone close to you, I know at first it is very hard and their reaction is unknown. However, from my experience all I have told have been 100% understanding and supportive. That will help you cope, trust me. To know you are not alone with your illness is SO important. Treatment in Thailand is good and costs for the generic (copy) meds is cheap and effective. I have a friend on them for over a year and his condition has improved greatly. However it is not advisable to consider buying the meds like you would for a headache, they must be prescribed by a qualified doctor. Feel free to be in touch again and to ask whatever questions make you feel more at ease. You do not need to feel alone, you are still the same person you were and with guidance and support from friends you will win the fight.
Regards
Auntie Bee

Question:

In this article, the patient mentioned about treatment in UK. How do one get access to this treatment? What is the cost? Do u have to be a British citizen before u get qualified for such treatment? How long does it take to apply? Thanks.

Auntie Bee Says:
HIV Treatment in the UK
To the best of my knowledge all clinics in hospitals operate on a walk in basis, as they treat all sexual related infections. There is no cost for
these, nor do they ask your name so ones nationality is not an issue either. These types of clinics often have set times for men and women, so check that first.

There are some clinics such as the Kobler Clinic (part of the Chelsea and Westminster Hospital, Fulham Road, London). But to use this excellent clinic, which is a research centre, you first have to visit the 'Paul Hunter' (same building upstairs) STD clinic to register where your blood will taken and the results passed to Kobler for you to see a specialist. Appointments are possible for the Paul Hunter clinic and are advisable. Again nationality is not an issue, and you do not have to prove your name from my experience.

I rate both of these units highly, one is treated with respect in a professional manner. The UK's National Health Service website will have contact information and the Terrance Higgins trust (see http://dragoncastle.net/hivresources.shtml) will assist.

Follow up Question:

Thanks for your prompt reply. I've spoken to the clinic that I attend and they are happy to supply me with my medication although I would have to return every 3 months. I'm told that I can purchase a season ticket with Emirates so I guess thats my best option. I'm currently taking combivir, efavirenz and co-trimoxazole forte. Are these available in Thailand should then need arrise? I've been very fortunate so far in that I've had no side effects from the anti-retroviral drugs.

Anutie Bee Says:

Another consideration - Viral Load results: Some countries use different values. My home country wants a zero reading i.e. below 50 copies of virus. In Thailand, any reading below 400 copies is considered as zero.It was only when mine was below 50 that my doctor was happy, even though my CD4 was not that good at 339. At diagnosis it was 202. However the percentage reading of CD4 seems another good measure. My doctor also said age is a factor and at 59 I cannot expect the same response as a younger person. The time of day your blood's taken can affect the result. A 12 hour fast before is important to give a true blood sugar result. My feeling is viral load is of greater importance than CD4.

It is hard to say if your drugs are available here. Generic drugs vary slightly from the original but work well for 70% of patients. Original drugs available here are mostly from the USA, and expensive. Drug-rating approval varies from country to country. The types of drugs here vary all the time. It would be a good idea for you to look at hospital websites in the area in Thailand where you may reside. You can email and ask.

Dragoncastle has many links as well.

I was taken off Combivir as it has a greater risk of lipodystrophy, as once this starts it is non-reversible even by changing drugs.

I use Emirates, join their FFP Skywards, book online as the price is often cheaper, and you get extra miles. Very soon you will be a silver or gold member and that gets you lots of benefits www.skywards.com

Question:

Hello I am HIV + and my partner and I are considering a life changing move to Thailand. I would very much appreciate any useful tips or advice from the person who wrote the article. I am currently on medication and well.

Auntie Bee Says:
Good that you are well, long may that last! Without more detailed information it is not easy to answer your question. HIV care in Thailand is excellent and cheaper than western countries, however you must budget 20,000 Baht a month for medication and blood tests.

I now get my medication from my home country, but I got them here in Thailand before that. The regime I am now on is partly not available here. The same maybe true for you. As you may know, to change medication can cause rejection and side effects. As my story says, my side effects were severe at first, but thankfully are now minimal.

Are you considering sourcing medication here or doing as I do and get them from your homeland?

Please feel free to ask further questions.

Question:

I am a HIV negative Thai man in early 20s and currently having a one year online relationship with a man in his late 30s from abroad. He has recently been diagnosed with HIV in February. The news come as a really hard blow to both of us as we've discussed the possibility of him residing with me in Bangkok. It will be unjust for me to break off our relationships just because of his new health status. However, I am not sure of how to engage in sexual activities with him in a way that I can be 100% safe from the possible transmission. Apart from that, he wasn't sure if his HIV status would prevent him from gaining a permanent visa in here, not to mention the kind of medical facilities available for him once he moves to Bangkok. So my questions are 1) Are there any informations on how to have safe sexual relationships with a HIV+ man? 2) Should I consider to re-establish my relationship with him from being possible partners to just friends and convince him to stay in his country as the medical facilities are much better there and he also has medical insurance. I know there are no right or wrong answer on question 2 but I just need some advice. Thanks for your help!

Auntie Bee Says:

The only really safe sex is no sex, but few of us can really live with that. For your first question we suggest this web link or this web link for you to read through as a starting point. In the meantime, please make sure you use condoms, and do not allow body fluids to enter your body through any cuts, or through the mouth or your back end. Maybe just mutual masturbation would be safest if you are going to have sex.

For your second question, that depends a lot on how strongly you feel about each other. Good quality HIV care in Thailand is expensive and it is highly unlikely that medical insurance would cover such treatment in Thailand. Some westerners who can afford it, make trips back to their own country every few months for treatment and to buy stocks of medication, but we know that not everyone can do that. As far as we know, there is no immigration rule to stop your friend coming here, but 'permanent' visas are very difficult to get; we suggest your friend takes a look at Thaivisa.com

Question:

I'm 28yo, Thai, working abroad at the moment. Last year in Sep 04, I went to do a body check up and ask the doctor to test for HIV, and the result was that I am HIV+. Till today, I do not dare to tell anyone. I do not know where I can find a doctor or buy drugs for the HIV. I need help.. I do not have any way to go. Is good to fly over to Thailand to Buy the drugs?

Auntie Bee says:
I am very sorry to hear your news and am very concerned, as it is VERY important that you do something very soon. The sooner you start on medication (if you have to), the better the results will be, and with less side effects.

I guess you do not know your CD4 level, or your viral load. Until you do know that no one else will know when you will need to take medication, and maybe you will not need them for a long time.

YOU MUST NOT BUY ANY MEDICATION (DRUGS) WITHOUT CONSULTING A DOCTOR FIRST.

What recent illness have you had? There are many clinics here in Thailand that can help you - take a look at this page, where you will see a list of places that can help you. It may be a good idea to have a new HIV check at one of these clinics in Thailand.

Do not delay doing something, even just for your own peace of mind, as worrying about it does not help you. We are here to support you in any way we can, so please feel free to contact us again and ask any questions.

Question:

I have recently been diagnosed, and it is a recent seroconversion. Without any doubt this came from my contact with a Thai man I met in Oct/Nov and with whom I have fallen in love..... Where should I suggest he goes for a test? Where would he get the best support? I intend to bring him to my home country, if we can get a student visa for him, and fully intend to go on caring for him whatever happens to our relationship. The risk I took was as much my decision as it was his, so I am far more angry with myself, and do not blame him at all. (30/12/04)

Auntie Bee Says:

Thanks for your email and I hope that you are not having too many side effects, assuming you are on meds (medication). Drink loads of water is a good tip and sugar free soft drinks, also tea which is health giving with its antioxidants, this applies if taking meds or not.

Your friend for sure should go for a test as it is important to know at what stage of HIV+ he is at. If his CD4 level is 350 or more he most likely will not need to start meds. The other measure, and some say more critical, is the viral load. (the amount of virus in the blood, however only about 2% of the virus lives in the blood, the rest in our organs, so it is a fairly crude measure) An HIV- person’s viral load will be undetectable, which is the target for an HIV+ person. Mine at diagnosis was 195,000; it is now after one year undetectable. Undectectable here in Thailand means less than 400, less than 50 is considered undetectable In Europe.

Where he goes is also vital, there are many clinics which for a few hundred baht give a result in 10 minutes, but only about the HIV status, not the degree of infection. I suggest going to a government hospital, they will first do an HIV status test and, if positive, a full blood test for both CD4 and viral load. The first costs around 300B but the full test is about 9,000B. The result of the latter will take anything up to two weeks. The hospital doctors will advise on when and if to start medication.

Support is a major issue here in Thailand, hence these pages. I found no support available in my part of Thailand, so I doubt much support exists in his area (see our resources list). I suggest he joins one of the many online support groups, but unless he is mentally quite strong that may harm as much as it helps, as I found. He now has Dragoncastle and can ask whatever he likes. Chualongkorn hospital in BKK has an excellent HIV department and a call to them would be a good idea.

Visas to the country you mentioned are not easy as you seem to be aware, but that is another issue!

Please feel free to ask whatever comes to mind.

Question:
A Thai friend of mine has been diagnosed HIV+ and is very reluctant to seek any assistance from any organization or group. I'm going to visit BK next summer for about a month and would like to help him get medical care. The problem is that I cannot give him money with any confidence it will be spent on medical treatment. Is there an organization I can contact using the English language (sorry, I don't speak Thai) where, if he is willing, I could arrange to pay for medical care directly to the organization or hospital, medical facility, etc. which would provide the care. He currently is back at home in Northern Thailand and would return there after visiting me in BK. (30/12/04)

Auntie Bee Says:

My principle worry is why he is reluctant to seek treatment. At some stage he may have no choice, as without treatment he could become ill. It would be crazy to allow that to happen, as the sooner medication that might be needed is administered the better the result. Do you know only that he is HIV+ and do not know to what degree? To wait until next summer is six months, too long if he has known for some time already. Some people progress quickly, others not so quickly.

For the reasons you mentioned, it is not a good idea to give him money. Do you mean he may seek treatment or support in the north or would he come to BKK?

I would think it possible to prepay once an arrangement is setup. Help with that may be possible. I am sure that any treatment in the north would be of a high standard from my experience outside of BKK.

So at this moment a little more info is required to help to any real degree.

Feel free to be in touch anytime.

This is hosted anonymously by a guy who recently discovered he was HIV+.

He is NOT a doctor, nor medically trained, but is happy to answer any questions he can about living with HIV+ from his own experience, in the hope it may help others in a similar situation.

You can send your questions, or tell us about your experiences, from this form. We will not publish your name or email address.

A list of HIV/AIDS resources can be seen here.