Yeah same here, I’ve been blessed with pretty decent teeth but you still need to go to the dentist to get a good cleaning every so often

Some people cant afford a dentist. Everyone can at least get tested for STDs for free.

Well true that’s a good point.

I do the trek to st james guide clinic… its annoying but I do.
I just wished getting tested through your gp was cheaper. It’s around €100.
Annd I also wish people would change their thinking that std clinics are just full of people who already have stds or that free clinics dont do the proper testing :/

Never thought of it that way nicki. Wonder would they have a look at my teeth down the GUM clinic?

Brendan — Hah! Not everyone will get that but well played, sir. :)

Because they can’t afford it, John

But it’s only once a year. Its a small price to pay to reduce the risk of having more serious problems later on in life. You can still get a free check up through your prsi just in case anyone didnt know.

Thanks for the FYI John. I wasn’t aware. Therein lies the problem, not many are aware that PRSI covers STI health checks. Information needs to be better

Indeed. Condoms are usually only considered a contraceptive which is obviously not required in homosexual relationships. Everyone should take into account the risks of unprotected sex.

@PRSI Care…Afraid dental care for PRSI is nearly non existant, part of the same problem in Ireland where peoples beleif in means tests as a silver bullet has led us into a situation where we punish people for working.

One of the drugs I’m on weakened my tooth enamal, I went from having zero fillings in my life and perfect ortho n braces work from childhood to needing fillings in everything but my very front teeth. One of the teeth down the back literally shattered in my mouth exposing the root which led to an infection all through my gums and sinus, the pain on it was worse…to my amazement, than the tumor ripping my kidney apart…and nope, not covered. Had to wait till I got my medical card…then only two fillings a year are covered. I had to write to the HSE to get special authorization because the dental issues had to be proved to be directly related to medical issues …I guess if you just drink a lot of coke you can go f*k yourself or something? anyway, dental benefits even with a med card are quite sparce.

Also you should be aware they’ve pulled a sly nasty little trick with the prsi. I assumed I was fully covered for everything since by 23 I’d been working since 16 and had hoardes of PRSI paid, worked full time in summers and all…oh no sorry it only counts after 2010 they said…it only counts AFTER the recession started, you see that sly little trick?
Thankfully for some things like sick pay its the whole thing thats considered but be aware they are moving the goalposts with PRSI a lot, don’t reply on it.

That made me laugh! Your very funny but it’s dental checks they cover!

That’s an Irish issue. I lived abroad in several countries and they go dentist much more regularly

i agree Nik http://www.yoursexualhealth.ie/inner_page/sti_gum_clinic/

I’d blame drunken one night stand culture long before I’d blame any foreigners. There should be an STI testing van parked in front of Copperface Jack’s…

A medical professional working at St. James’ told me that once someone* gets diagnosed and treated for HIV in Ireland, they cannot legally be deported. Some people have just been in the country just days or even hours and they’re looking to be tested.

*I don’t know whether he meant Asylum seekers or absolutely anyone.

Exactly right gastrophase. While the barebacking culture among LGBT is a big problem, there is a growing shocking problem among college age teens/twentysomethings where they just don’t fear STI’s at all.
I’ve known a lot of people who just confidently said ”my gfs on the pill” and the same lad will tell you ”oh she’s never been with anyone before me” or some such…and I’m thinking to myself and you believe her? Partly it’s guys fault with their hypocracy around this topic but IME a lot of girls live in mortal fear of the word/rep ‘slut’ so any I’ve ever known plays down their sexual past even if they’ve only been with 7-8 guys in their entire past.
There is no way to know if she’s having unprotected sex with YOU that she didn’t have it with someone else, and could be infected without her knowledge, continuing that unprotected sex (for the pregnancy ”I forgot my pill WINK…WINK” problem alone!) is one thing but not getting tested is another.
Anyone whos even semi sexually active should be getting tested twice a year. I know guys who’ve been with 20+ women some of whom unprotected one night stands and they’ve never had a test. The ignorance about how long HIV takes to incubate is another factor in this, as is stupidity like ”I was the top how could I be in fected” .

A guy meeting a girl in a bar and going off for a one night stand may or may not be considered xyz depending on ones perspective, but were talking apples and oranges here.

An example I saw many times in UCD people hang out at student bar have one night stand in campus apartment, why do I consider that diff to the likes of the Boiler House? It’s not because it’s a guy and a guy, plenty of guys were hooking up in that bar too, all the time, me included.

I say seedy because there is a diffrence between talking to someone at a bar in a clean normal environment, and a bathhouse where you are skulking and sneaking around in anonymity. I’d never out someone, and I understand that some people have to choose when they come out, but I’m sorry but it IS seedy when you get laid in a bathhouse and then go back home to your wife and kids, or go out the next night pretending you’re into your girlfriend, and that’s what I’m talking about:

1. People living a lie
2. People living in the shadows

It’s 2014 there is no excuse for one and anyone in category 2 who’s not living at home with their parents still is part of a problem. There is no reason in this day in age for people to be living a double life and skulking around in the dark shadows, and on it’s own its just morally wrong. Have the balls to stand up and be who you really are that’s my opinion. .

So just so there is no misunderstanding of my point.

If your choice is to get laid in a bathouse, it’s not my cup of tea for a lot of reasons, but if you wanna do it more power to you, if you wanna be dead centre of an orgy of 200 people, I think power too you.
I’m mature enough and secure enough in my principles (one of which is absolute personal freedom) that I can think it’s ok for someone to do something I don’t choose to do myself.

My problem is people with familys living a lie using places like that to perpetuate their lie, they’re not just making an adult choice they are hurting innocent people, and with their reckless barebacking then faking sex with the wife they are putting their familys life in danger to boot.

If you’re some 21 year old kid afraid how his parents will react I’m not talking about you, I feel bad for you… If you’re If you’re pushing 50 and not out…I’m loosing my sympathy …when you’re 30-40 and you’re expecting college age guys to hook up with you and indulge you full well knowing you’re living that lie…my attitude is disgust, my attitude is f-k you, my attitude is have the balls to come out, or at the very least stop living your lie actively by pretending with the wife or gf, you don’t wanna do that you don’t have the right to expect the rest of us to validate your living a lie by indulging you.

My problem isn’t those places it’s people who use them to perpertuate this image of us as these seedy skulking in the dark creatures, this day in age that kind of things not necessary anymore

Ryan
You are changing the argument completely now.
Firstly who said anything about people going to the BH are “skulking and sneaking in anonymity”.
Many many gay men go to the BH and are not sneaking around, what you are talking about are men who are married and are cheating , completely different argument.

The issue is lack of information and sexual health knowledge for gay teens that has implications for when they are sexually active adults and a crisis in confidence/stigma regarding getting tested, not sexuality you Neanderthal. It not just for men either, I honestly thought at one point that lesbians couldn’t get STD’s and happily acted away on that assumption until I went to a sexual health course and was rightly smacked upside the head.

We need a grown up attitude to sex ed that encompasses all sexualities from an early age and that sex does not just equal reproduction.

Do you have evidence to back that up or is this just some retro “gays spread AIDS” bigotry?

Are you speaking from experience

@ian, I think gay people know the risks of unprotected sex. I am not sure what your point is? HIV does not discriminate, young, old, black, white, etc etc. Education and protection are the best ways of for all communities.

Out of curiosity I looked up a recent WHO report on HIV in Europe.

When it comes to transmission of the virus, the WHO found that the routes were:
Heterosexual Sex: 42.7%
Male Homosexual Sex: 18.1%
Injecting Drug Users: 22.0%
Unknown: 15.9%

Kinda blows Ian’s assertion that “gay men are much more likely than heterosexuals to spread the virus” right out of the water.

Ian, have you any proof to back up your claims or is it your skewed opinion? As John outlines, the WHO have conducted research that shows otherwise.

Your comments scream generalised bigotry Ian, and not intelligence or informed reading.

It doesn’t, though, does it?

If you take Stonewall’s estimate of 6% of the male population (& therefore 3% of the total population) as gay or bisexual, then you’re 13x more likely to contract HIV if you’re a gay man. If you take the 1.5% figure from the UK’s ONS, then it’s more than 50x more likely.

But intravenous drug use is a far bigger risk factor than any kind of sex.

Bi men are probably even more risky, some even attached through Marriage playing about unknowing to their missus. I have heard of several cases where women have caught it from their husbands.

The highest proportion of new diagnoses in 2013 (46.2 %) were among men who have sex with men Dublin Aids Alliance. But you carry on living in denial John, theirs a good chap.

It doesn’t do any good to pretend that there isn’t a higher risk factor of HIV transmission for gay men, but trying to paint that as a problem that’s is rooted in sexuality instead of the real issue that is a complete lack of focus on homosexuality in sexual health education and the stigma and costs associated with clinics and testing itself is misleading and yes, bigoted and only reinforces the issues that have allowed for attitudes in the gay male community to continue to be one of the highest risk factors.

We need to tackle oh attitudes to sex in schools first and foremost. We still teach abstinence in some schools for gods sake!

Eh denial of what Ian? As the WHO have determined, the single biggest transmission route of HIV in Europe is heterosexual sex, followed by drug users.

This demolishes your claim that gay men are responsible for most of the transmission.

Sweet Jaysus if I hear one person say gay men are more promiscuous I’m going to smack them.

MEN are more promiscuous, not gay men. Gay men are shaggin other men so they’re just a whole load more successful about it.

The stats are obvious as day

Gay Male couples are the least fateful >followed by> Heterosexual couples >followed by> Lesbian couples.

Homesxuality isn’t the biggest factor of shagging around. Men are.

He didn’t say that, John. He said that gay men are proportionately more likely to spread the virus than straight men. The WHO’s figures show that this is correct.

Ian, Fiona put it excellently. Gay men arent the issue. The issue is that homosexual sex education and sexual health information is virtually non existent. Gay men are no more promiscuous than heterosexual men.

In both areas you choose to blame it on the fact that they are gay. You are clearly blind of the reality Ian.

And drug users are proportionally more likely to spread it than gay men; but we don’t see Ian singling them out do we.

As another poster stated, placing the blame for the spread of the virus on sexuality is pointless. I objected to Ian’s attempt to use this story to do a bit if gay bashing.

Object all you want, but don’t be making stuff up. The WHO statistics unequivocally support Ian’s assertion that gay men are proportionately more likely to spread the virus than straight men. If you want to have a legitimate bash at Ian, you could point out that this is not at all the same as “[gay men's] sexual practices are very high risk”.

I’m not making stuff up.

More than twice the number of Europeans get HIV from heterosexual sex then from male homosexual sex.

Individual gay men may be proportionally more likely to spread the virus, but gay men do not do most of the spreading.

Emily, we have it covered, don’t worry. John’s point is not necessarily invalid. It depends on the research methodology in terms of how the statistical analysis was conducted. If the analysis took the population into account, then John’s point stands. It would be interesting to see the research.

Yes, but gay men also get tested far more than straight men.

Some of the mental contortions on this thread are extraordinary.

Unprotected sex is high risk. Unprotected anal sex is higher risk still. Gay people are not the only ones who have anal sex…

Emily, want to clarify that last comment, please?

@ Conor, just saw your point now, I’ve been trying to figure out how to make that point forever.

Men by nature have higher sex drives, the only difference between hetero and gay or bi males is opportunity. Take looks out of it even, even if a str8 guys a greek god (and 99% don’t even have that advantage to compensate for the fact that it’s harder to get a girl into the sack) he’s going to have to work harder to get laid than any gay guy, even if the girls dying to tear his shirt off she’s still gonna play it out a bit so she doesn’t seem too easy then on the run up do the whole ”I never do this…” routine, a few hours at best, a few days or weeks at worst (a year in the case of one mates gf….a YEAR! …I’d have shot myself first…). Two gay guys can be in action 5 minutes after names are exchanged and back at home when mr greek hetero’s girls on her third drink fishing for what kinda car he drives.

The usual spin coming from the same people, everything in gay world is perfect and golden and better than everything else.

No Ian, we defend ourselves when.people like you try claim that it is the gay communities fault with no evidence whatsoever. It is not perfect at all. But not to blame either. You just can’t accept that Ian

No Ian I didn’t say it was all flawless, take a look above at my attacking people living a lie via seedy backstreet bathhouses, I never said nor did any of the others it was perfect.

I was just pointing out some of the benefits. I’ve never had unprotected sex, I’ve never even considered it, anyone I’ve ever been with has had that policy as well. There is unfortunatly the whole ‘braebacking’ culture which has led tto MSMs being the biggest group with HIV but theres two things to that:

1. It’s a minority of MSMs who believe in that culture
2. Str8 people have that same culture, half my friends don’t use condoms with their gfs some don’t like to use them with one night stands if the girl says she’s on the pill, one because he’s had the same gf for years has only ever had sex with her, and ergo has only ever had unprotected sex.
3. You can’t pin this to every LGBT guy out there, in fact I always resist considering LGBT a ‘community’ at all, most people are not on the ‘scene’ and don’t let it define their whole lives, they’re average people who just happen to be that way as much as they happen to say be blond. This would be like me holding all heterosexuals responsible for the wonton teen pregnancy’s among skanker girls so they can get welfare.

Not sure but I doubt you’d be turned away for not having had sex with men. You can always just say you did, you won’t be asked to prove it! :o)

There are free testing clinics in major hospitals like James, colleges like UCD sometimes have them in their health service, if not on site, off site, for a subsidized rate.

If you don’t go to a private clinic you need to be prepared to be surrounded by …well…knackers basically (and I don’t mean travelers). First time I went to one I remember a preppy dear in the headlights rich kid on my left in an abacrombie sweater over a shirt n dubes, and on my right a hoopy earringed skanker in a blindlingly white tracksuit. Both of them on the phone. The guy was about 15 telling his mother he was in his mates house, then that same mate rang he was letting loose at him to get down there because ”I’m waiting here on my own like a tosser, you have to get tested too were in this one together”. You’ll find a few middle class or upward kids thinking nobody they or their parents know will be at the CC free clinic, and the rest being the white tracksuit brigade there for tests some of whom already have kids.

Anyone other than someone who is a functional virgin should be getting tested, even if in a relationship. You can play safe every time and still get certain things even while wearing a condom. So it’s best to be safe, for you and those you’re with.

Neal , I’m shocked by how casual people in the gay ‘community’ are with ‘barebacking’. Even with a long term partner I’d never have unprotected sex and never have. But the premise of the point you made is that they almost deserve it.

Whatever their stupidity in having unprotected sex, contracting a virus that you can never get rid of, that will work day and night to destroy your immune system leaving you open to many horrific sub-conditions, and having to take 30+ pills a day just to slow that destruction down…that’s punishment enough for any lapse in their common sense, don’t you think?
Thats before we get into the other grey areas, everyone on this websites comment sections love to clamour in the black and white areas, but 95% of life is grey:

Ryan, just a tiny point: current Anti-Retroviral Treatment (ART) regimens are down to about 3 pills a day. Biomed researchers reckon that it won’t be too long before ART is one pill a day, or even an injection once every few months.

Thanks for clarifying that Perry, I don’t know anyone with HIV (to my knowledge…) so my informations from leaflets around school time and tv shows from the early 2000s so my information on thats probably a bit dated.
My cancer drugs were not even available when I was in school, medicine moves v fast.

If there’s one – NO two – things that are coming across from the comments on this article, they are:

1] There is a very low level of HIV knowledge or HIV intelligence out there. And that isn’t down to individuals being “ignorant” but because of a lack of effective public information campaigns.
A lot of the comments above are “I’ve heard” or “so-and-so told me” … which gives rise to myths and stereotypes.

2] It seems that people really do want to know more about HIV/AIDS. Because knowledge is empowerment and, in this case, has very real health benefits.

HIV/AIDS is often called “the most political disease in history”. And its up to our politicians to step up to the plate and put some information campaigns out there.

Perry you hit on the VERY thing that made me start posting here in the first place earlier this year.

1. I noticed soo many people basing their opinions on personal anecdotes, local chinese whispers (I heard that Indians on 3 welfare payments..) and urban legends rather than on facts
2. Someone lack of understanding of a topic was inversely proportional to the passion and venom of their opinions on the subject.
3. When they received the actual facts, instead of (and studies have shown the reason for this..which is just depressing…) instead of saying ”Oh..I stand corrected” or ”Oh ok…I’m releived thats not true then”. I’ll give you two examples to illustrate this. When I was broke in college no parents money none of that, I was hearing from a friend about someone who was on SW he knew and was drinking it everyweekend anyway the details of it are not important, I was fuming that people I perceived to be contributing nothing getting loads off help but I got no real help trying to build a life where I’d be paying the higher rate of tax back to society.
I came across these grey social welfare dart tickets with €0.00 on them and I thought do you get these for just being on the dole….ah here! Come on…put a tennar on your leap card what’s this about? I went home and looked up the free travel scheme rules, was releived that you DON’T get those on the dole.
Whenever anyones said to me that people get those on the dole I always say I’ve checked and thankfully no they don’t, the reply won’t be ”oh ok..good” it will be ”NO…NO! They do get it…my neighbours sisters neices brother in law gets them…”.

I’d worked in politics since I was a kid, for every party as a hired gun so I wasn’t new to the notion that certain political opinions are not rational, but I expected more of Generation Y, who have easy access to the facts via their information savvy means laptops tablets smart phones,
On the thing about the rugby teams healthcare the other day everyone was having a big argument over the cost…it was going on hours but nobody had bothered to look up the (public!) IRFU budget and find out the actual cost.
Govt info is one thing but people need to inform themselves if they are going to be ranting on an issue.

I’m going back up to red thumb you for reminding me of how long it is since I got a BJ.

Sorry Tony I did not mean to single out the gay community. I am a proud gay myself.

There’s a link between recreational drug use in gay n Hi men and unprotected sex. Reasons obvious

…and I should add it’s _repeated_ unprotected Sex, because the likelihood of becoming infected on a single encounter is around 1:1000 to 1:100,000

http://aids.about.com/od/hivaidsstats/f/infectionrisk.htm

So Junkie, do you think its one or the other that will get your funding? Or are you supporting cutting all funding for HIV research. Africa won’t be pleased!

Funding can be provided.

I don’t drive. I hear it’s risky business.

Should I ask that my taxes don’t go towards up keep of the roads?

HIV can also be contacted accidental through burst condoms, accidental contact with infected needles, rape etc…

@Deirdre, do you repeatedly drive without a Seatbelt ?

@Ailbhe

Country’s broke and we have Cancer sufferers being denied access to potentially life saving drugs.

She’s said she doesn’t drive.

@Ailbhe, the chances are that Deirdre will at some stage in her life use our roads whether as a driver or a passenger. The chances of going out and repeatedly having unprotected sex or using dirty needles is a bit less for the average person… unless they’re a grossly irresponsible individual.

Junkie, so you think we should sever funding for all HIV research and transfer it to cancer research? Eff HIV sufferers is it? Cop on

Ailbhe O’Nolan … Just to let you know.. Untreated HIV when developed into full blown AIDS will also lead to a number of cancers..

Kaposi Sarcoma in particular…. (Those horrible red lesions as was seen in that Tom Hanks movie Philadelphia) also Hodgkin’s lymphoma.

Sorry was meant for Junkie Joe Joyce..

So you advocate cutting all funding to HIV research? How does that make sense. Should those suffering not be considered? Should prevention not be considered?

If you want to cut funding to HIV based purely on the number of sufferers and likelihood of you getting it, should we stop innoculating against meningitis? Should we ignore those that suffer from ME as you personally are unlikely to suffer?

No problem Frank. I wasn’t aware that HIV can lead to cancer. Thanks for the heads up! (genuine, not sarcastic)

You can dramatically reduce the risk of getting HIV through a burst condom by not having sex with the first thing that doesn’t vomit when it looks at at you. Or at least getting to know him or her first,

Junkie…. it’s all in the name, isn’t it? Do you even pay taxes?

Junkie, people who wear seat belts get hurt on roads as well as those who repeatedly drive dangerously.

Just like people who are as safe as possible when it comes to sex can still contract diseases.

I know nothing about you but I’d like my taxes to be able to give you a free screen should you ever worry about your health in that regard.. and go towards treating people who have been hurt on the road, regardless of the circumstances.

Well junkie I have cancer. I’m on round 3 of renal cell carcinoma which is immune to radiation n chemo. So I think I’m more qualified to comment on this.
It came as a huge shock to me I’d been working out since 15 playing rugby u could loose a paperclip between my abs I barely drank never smoked. I’d been just taking paracetamol, nurofen plus thinking it was my kidney stones back..they’d been only thing I’d ever had..got a scan after peeing bright red blood.
Anyone who has stared into potential death would never engage in the my pains better than your pain game.

The health service resources in oncology and HIV treatment are v difft and n not interchangeable.
Theres no legitimate ethical link between cause of exposure and need for treatment. So someone got HIV from sex..so what? Are we not grown ass adults? Is there something criminal about sex? Straight people have anal sex too..str8 people can have sex lives as mad as any promiscuous gay guy, I’ve know girls who were with 2-3s at once..so what? We could die 2moro why not live? Is it cos gay sex is ‘dirty’ so it serves um right? Contrary to the image u have in your head most lgbt guys are very metro, smooth clean n polished downstairs and if/when they’re not they don’t do it anymore than a girl on her period. So they got it from sex..I got mine from a quirk of genetics..so what? People have sex..they should do it safe but we all make mistakes. Let’s b adults here.

HIV will only lead to cancers if left untreated, CD4 count falls below 200 (AIDS) extremely rare these days with antiviral treatment however there are still a number of AIDS cases diagnosed from those that have neglected getting tested. The earlier that one gets tested for HIV the better as the longer you put it off the worse it can get .

One of the symptoms of HIV infection is a fly like symptom, fatigueness with a very dry throat..(Sandpaper) ….If you have or had this recently and have been playing about in the past…. Get tested.

Ryan Carrol, you weren’t kidding about those abs! :O

Very well said, dude. It’s nice to see someone making courageous, intelligent and well-written comments amid all the filthy cowardly ones that plague the Internet today.

More I think about this ”good AIDS/bad AIDS” nonsense (As Brass Eye called it) the more stupid it seems. Nobody deserves death or major illness for a trivial mistake of youth. Nobody who has ever actually fathomed their own death could ever make a comment like that, and if you’re reading mate, think it over, imagine what I’m about to tell you.
Someone tells you that you have something inside you that may kill you…you get this horrible sinking feeling at first, then you’re almost giddy you wanna laugh…that’s absurd I’m the fittest person I know…..no this is a mistake this…. happens to OTHER people not me..(you look in the mirror) I look fine…people who have fatal illnesses are all worn away…this has to be a mistake…..

While they get further results you’re on a figurative death row, your brain can’t process it, childlike as it seems you think ”how could there be no more me…I’m all I’ve ever known…I can’t just STOP…how could I…”. If you’re someone who had big dreams like I did / do for what you wanted to do with that life , you get angry, start to realize other people are gonna hit the history books while you’re in a cold box in the ground, it’s not fair you think, (in my case I’m grumbling ” incompetents and half wits are gonna take my place and will be running the country while I’m turning to dust”)….this isn’t fair I’ve never done anything to deserve this….I’m a good guy…and on it goes…you sink further and further until the full gravity of it hits you.

If you’re lucky enough, as I was, to get that life back when that slowly turns around, you value life, realize the universe can snuff you out in a second, that you’re not special unless you make your mark, you’ve no inherit entitlement to it, and you never wish that kind of harm on anyone.
If someone slips up and gets HIV they are already being punished enough without diverting resources away from their treatment.

It’s OK frank unlike a toilet seat you can’t catch it off a train

People who become HIV+ can often lead a far healthier life than they did prior to infection if they adhere to Doctor’s / HSE recommendations. Usually starts with taking their medication on time, having a well balanced diet with nutritional foods. Avoiding regular binge drinking and drug abuse. Open Heart House was a great resource for providing meals but unfortunately has recently been shut down.

If people that are HIV positive neglect their Doctors advice it may hit them in later on in life with health complications.

People that are HIV positive have the advantage of regular health checks. Rigorous blood and other tests tests at least twice a year. There is the possibility that something could be detected during these tests such as prostate cancer or some other critical non HIV related ailment.