Hello, As the title says, someone that I could potentially see a future with currently takes immunosuppressives for an autoimmune disease (not HIV). He is of course concerned about this, as am I. Aside from protection and the antivirals, has anyone been in this situation that has advice of more that we can do. Thank you.

Thanks for your reply! I don’t think that I have that. Since being on the medication (I started December 2018), I haven’t been itchy at all really. And the drynesss started way before I started taking the medication. Like two weeks after I was exposed (August 2017). So... idk. It’s really irritating. But there has to be a cause. One of which I am determined to figure out

Thank you for this 😊 I was beginning to lose hope! Your positivity was a pleasant reply. I hope that the others who replied to this thread see this as well!

Hello, This is my second post in a couple days because I’ve really felt compelled I guess for a sense of understanding. Prior to being exposed, I spoke to God all the time. I prayed nonstop and really felt as if though he was truly there for me in my life. When I got exposed however, no matter how much I prayed, I was still in pain. And around that time I was feeling symptoms nearly every day for MONTHS!! I felt like I was trapped. And when I turned to God, it felt like I was talking to a wall as nothing ever got better. Since then, things have improved (about one year later), but my relationship with God never recovered. I just couldn’t get past how much I prayed and how long the pain persisted. I’m reconsidering now trying to rebuild the connection but it’s very difficult. Has anyone else had a similar experience? Thank you

I can relate to how you’re feeling as I’ve felt the same way. I used to get them extremely often even with intervention. Getting on the medication though (1 gram; 500 mg didn’t help) has helped a lot. Are you on them? If so, it’s just about figuring out another plan. You can’t let this thing defeat you! That’s how I’ve tried to look at it. Like I’ll be damned if I let this stupid thing ruin my life. Of course it’s easier said than done. But sometimes it’s helpful to look at it from that perspective. Have you explored other types of treatment? Lysine, oregano oil, acupuncture, etc.? Something is bound to work. Just keep trying to defeat it until you find what it is. Sending positivity your way 🌻

Black women are the pillars of the world. I love us forreal. Thank you for posting this! Being a black woman with this can feel so alone

So I was exposed about 1.5 years ago: July 2017. Since then, life has not been all that great with my body. For one thing (and this is the biggest thing), I’ve experienced vaginal dryness, which seems to just be getting worse. I NEVER had a problem with that before and now that combined with this has been unbearable. I went to two OB/GYNs whose best advice was just to “use lube,” which clearly would not address the root of the problem. I finally found a third OB/GYN who looked a little more into it and tested my estradiol levels; however she said that they were “high” for my age (103, 24 y/o) so I don’t know if that is the culprit. I know that these things technically don’t overlap, so I just feel so discouraged. Has anyone else hasn’t this problem? Next, I’ve found myself getting sick far more often: on the order of at least once a month. This just began last year November. Prior to this, I got sick at most like three times a year. Could it be related? It just feels that since being exposed, my life has not been the same (in a not good way). Any help/advice would be greatly appreciated. Thank you