Of the many Australians holidaying every year in Bali and Thailand that end up involved in a sexual relationship, STDs or STIs can be a real concern. Chlamydia, Hepatitis B and HIV are common infections with sex workers in these countries. Many sex workers do test for HIV and with the availability of HIV test kits you would hope that HIV testing is on the increase. Whilst many commercial sex businesses may enforce HIV testing on their sex workers many sex workers work as freelancers and as such have no management over their HIV tests. They may or may not be self-testing for HIV.
As a result, Australians returning home after unprotected sex with a local (be they a sex worker or not) are at real risk of exposure to HIV or other sexually transmitted infections. It is essential to practice safe sex at all times, especially in a country that may or may not regulate its sex workers. A logical rule of thumb if you have had unprotected sex with a sex worker or casual acquaintance is that they will of course have done that with as many causal acquaintances as they could potentially have met in the last x years. As you can see the risk of them crossing paths with HIV or another serious sexual infection is high.
The only way to know if you have contracted HIV is to test for HIV with an HIV self-test kit. These kits also referred to as HIV rapid test kits or HIV home test kits give you a result within minutes of detecting the HIV antibody. It is important that you understand the HIV window period for developing antibodies as testing immediately after potential infection is not accurate. You should consider testing at 4, 8 and 12 weeks after the unprotected sexual act.
For more information on the window period please read www.freedomhealth.co.uk/forum/f6/elisa-3g-4g-8819/ and see www.headstarttesting.com for a full range of STD/STI test kits that you can purchase online and use in the privacy of your own home.
As a result, Australians returning home after unprotected sex with a local (be they a sex worker or not) are at real risk of exposure to HIV or other sexually transmitted infections. It is essential to practice safe sex at all times, especially in a country that may or may not regulate its sex workers. A logical rule of thumb if you have had unprotected sex with a sex worker or casual acquaintance is that they will of course have done that with as many causal acquaintances as they could potentially have met in the last x years. As you can see the risk of them crossing paths with HIV or another serious sexual infection is high.
The only way to know if you have contracted HIV is to test for HIV with an HIV self-test kit. These kits also referred to as HIV rapid test kits or HIV home test kits give you a result within minutes of detecting the HIV antibody. It is important that you understand the HIV window period for developing antibodies as testing immediately after potential infection is not accurate. You should consider testing at 4, 8 and 12 weeks after the unprotected sexual act.
For more information on the window period please read www.freedomhealth.co.uk/forum/f6/elisa-3g-4g-8819/ and see www.headstarttesting.com for a full range of STD/STI test kits that you can purchase online and use in the privacy of your own home.