If you’re choosing to have sex without barrier protection (condoms, dental dams etc), testing regularly will help to diagnose and treat STIs quickly to reduce the chances of passing them on. The more you have sex and the more sex partners you have, the more often you need to test. If you are having sex and aren’t using barrier protection regularly, it’s recommended to get tested every 3 months. If you use barrier protection every time, you probably don’t need to test so often. For HIV-positive folks, you may want to ask your doctor to test for STIs when you go for your viral load and CD count. Talk to your doctor or sexual health clinic about what is best for you. You can also get vaccinated to prevent hepatitis A and B and HPV. These vaccines are free for certain populations, so check out our sections on HPV and Hepatitis or talk to your doctor or sexual health clinic for more info.
HPV, Cancer, and HIV
HPV means Human Papilloma Virus. It’s one of the most common STIs in Canada with over 150 strains. Fortunately, only a few strains cause health problems. It is spread through skin-to-skin contact and in some cases, can cause warts on your ass hole, inside your anus, or on your penis, on your vulva, or inside your vagina. These warts are uncomfortable, but do not pose any significant harm. Some strains of HPV however can lead to anal, cervical, vaginal, penile, and oral cancers. For HIV-positive folk, the risk of cancer is higher. People with HIV have a harder time clearing pre-cancerous warts, and are more likely to develop cancer. These risks are decreased when someone is on consistent HIV treatment, but still higher than for an HIV negative person. This is an important consideration for folks deciding whether or not to use barrier protection after an HIV diagnosis.
Currently, HPV testing is only available inside the cervix, so there is no testing available for folks who participate in anal sex to determine if they have HPV. It is always recommended to consult your doctor if you start to notice symptoms in your butthole (anus or rectum), such as unexplained bleeding, pain, or discomfort. Currently there are vaccines that protect against the 9 strains of HPV that cause warts and cancer. Even if you have HPV already, getting vaccinated is still a good idea to prevent additional strains. Check out our section on HPV to learn more about this STI and the resources available to you in Nova Scotia.
This section was adapted, with permission, from The Sex You Want Website.
*disclaimer: we do not necessarily endorse all of the information, content, or language used in these references
Hepatitis C and HIV
Hepatitis C Virus (also called Hep C or HCV) is a virus that affects the liver. It is spread through blood and is transmitted through sex (especially rough sex, fisting, group sex, sharing open tubs of lube, and sharing sex toys) and sharing needles. Unlike Hep A and B, there is no vaccine, but there are tests available. Hepatitis C is more commonly spread through drug use where someone with HCV’s blood comes into contact with someone else’s.. HIV positive folks are more likely to contract Hep C so talk to your doctor about developing a testing routine if this is a concern for you. Additionally, folks with both HIV and chronic HCV are more likely to have HCV symptoms develop faster and with more severe effects. If you test positive, effective treatments are available, and many of them are covered. For folks with both HIV and HCV these viruses can in many cases be treated simultaneously, however is it very important to talk to a doctor about pairing these medications as their dosage/schedules may vary depending on other comorbidities or how advanced the infections are.
This section was adapted, with permission, from The Sex You Want Website.
*disclaimer: we do not necessarily endorse all of the information, content, or language used in these references
MPOX and HIV
Like many infections, the impact of MPOX (a virus originally referred to as monkeypox) can be worse for people with weakened immune systems. For people living with HIV who aren’t on treatment or have low T-cell counts, including people who don’t know they have HIV, it is possible for more complications to come up if they contract MPOX. There’s no evidence that someone living with HIV who is undetectable has any greater risk of complications from MPOX than someone without HIV. Learn more about MPOX here.
This section was adapted, with permission, from The Sex You Want Website.
*disclaimer: we do not necessarily endorse all of the information, content, or language used in these references