Wah lau. Given the choice, i would rather be tested by AFA liao.
Since there is a difference in procedures involved, how come DSC can let AFA use their premises for tests?? It's really quite contradictory.....

Thanks bro for the info. Every cheongster need to be armed with HIV knowledge.

Well, the MOH knows it needs to keep track of infection rates to estimate the spread of HIV. But it also knows that the rates it can keep track of can only be underreported because not many people will want to risk being exposed as HIV+ given the laws and the society in Singapore. It knows that more people will be more willing to come forward to get tested, if they could remain anonymous regardless of result. (If you've taken a test by the AfA, you will remember a question in the survey form you have to fill in that asks if you would take the test if you had to give your personal details like name and IC # etc.) That's why it struck a deal with AfA.

It's not the ideal situation for MOH, but it's the best they can get. This way, at least they get to track the spread of this disease. They only get numbers and some demographics and details to splice the data—like how many men, how many women, how old, whether they got it from syringes/needles shooting up on drugs or through sexual contact, whether it's homosexual or heterosexual intercourse etc. Which is useful enough for epidemiological study, but not enough to hunt down and persecute and destroy HIV+ people.

Another reason to do the AfA test instead is the DSC Clinic no longer offers the rapid test like it used to a few years back. So if tested by DSC Clinic, have to wait about a week for the results, not like the 30-45 minutes you have to wait for the AfA one.

well said bro perrymason32.. u know something.. of all the points i have giving out.. i think u deserved it most.. there is something which i was wondering though.... do you work for them or in the medical field of work??? and thanks for keeping this thread alive...Cheers!

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Thanks, but no lah. You deserve more credit for not just creating this thread but putting together all the information on it too. (Actually, a lot of questions don't need to be asked, a lot of fears would be allayed—if only folks would just read the info you put on the first few pages of this thread.)

And no lah, it's just that I went through a six-period of psychological horror—fear gripping me to near psychosis—of sheer worry that I kena this evil virus. And so 1) I spent a lot of time asking a hundred and one questions of every doctor and AfA counselor I saw during my frequent trips to see them, 2) days and weeks of trawling the Web for the latest research (damn painful, this) on symptomatic readings and misreadings on infections (by the way, that's useless, cuz ultimately only the ELISA Gen3 can clear you, no matter the symptoms or the PCR (quantitative and qualitative variety included) 3) and months and months with only drugs to get me to sleep, so I have serious empathy for the worriers among us.

Been cheonging for four years, but this last episode was really bad, and I didn't know, still don't know, why. It's true what one counselor told me: When the fear grips you, it really grips you. And no matter how rational you are, and how well you know that the probability can even be negligible—when the fear's got in you, and wrenching your gut, it just won't let go.

I'm glad I'm out of it. Thinking about working with AfA, but damn clumsy with my hands, so may not be able to help with doing the tests on people...
How about you?

Anyway, have a good weekend, bro!

Bro Perry has always given out useful and sensible advice to bros posting questions on Sexual Health Issues corner.
He is our Sexual Health Guru here.
Got any doubts or questions on STDs or HIV, he is THE MAN to look for.

I can't agree anymore! Bro Perry is the man! The official advisor to all bros in the Forum on all HIV related matters. He had helped me overcome all fears and continue living a normal life.

Bro... even working wif AFA does not mean being just a counsellor, there are many other things that is offered... I do think those guys there deserve a donation for their selfless work!!

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Blk 31, #02-16 Kelantan Lane
Sat fr 1.30 to 3.30 pm, Tue and Wed fr 6.30 to 8pm.

bro bongster i would like to compliment you on doing a good job on the HIV screening info thread as well.. keep it up! will add point for you too..

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Bro perry, + yr pts when I can.

But if the rapid test is +ve, for the second test how much blood will they draw? Got girl here whose afraid of needles.

Also..like..why can't they sell the equipment for the first test?

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PPle + ed :gottasexu , Camelot, kkspore, roflmaoxz, alf_9, goodpartn, BustLover, ChokDeeDee, m0n3ym1nd, raverboy,odsendSYT

Thanks bros for the kind words. I do what I can, especially for those who went through, or are going through what I went through not too long ago. I know exactly what invades your mind when something like non-specific symptoms hit you, sui sui during the 2 to 3-week period after doing it with a hooker or worse, an FL. Suddenly simple skin problems, ulcers in the mouth, or slight fever assume monumental importance--because it could be the one! Then when in the midst of the symptoms, you go through the Web (thebody.com and other websites...) and your drug-addled mind kena attacked by negative thoughts and panic sets in...

It's horrible. So terrifying in fact that you would stop cheonging for a long time.

Anyway, thanks bros. Next time if you got contact for Jap or Ah Lian FL, pass to me, can?

OK, OK...Just kidding. But who knows. When the wallet is full again, courage and self-confidence is back to normal, my phone is going to be busy...heh heh heh...

Good point bro bongster. I know, which is why I'm considering doing the other work for them. Aside from administering the test at Anonymous Testing, there's still counselling, and definitely got fundraising activities etc.

As for donations: yup, they need all the funding they can get. One way is to direct all your HIV testing to AfA's Anonymous Testing.

I'm not being flippant or joking here.

I don't know how much the test kit costs them, but have been told that it certainly doesn't cost them $20 each--so in a way, you'll be subsidising their kits. For people who are being tested, they get a test with absolute anonymity, at only $20.

So it's a win-win for the AfA and the person being tested--as far as the $ money goes with each test.

hi bro thecas:

Aiyah, points are nice. But if you got contact for a Jap who looks like Bunko Kanazawa or an Ah Lian who looks like Jeanette Aw, pass me, can?

Seriously, though. The first test is the ELISA. Because it is the rapid test kit used, it just means a drop of blood. The second test is the Western Blot (sorry, I didn't mention that earlier), which is not a rapid test, is a more sensitive test, and they need to draw a blood sample to send to a lab to run the test. As for sample size--I'm afraid, yes, they need to draw blood with a need--it's about as much as, say, when you go for other kinds of blood tests. About a vial, I think.

But don't jump the gun here with the girl. Take the rapid test first and only worry about the Western Blot when there's reason too. The reason for the Western Blot is confirmation of the ELISA test's result. The ELISA test is more likely to produce false positives (and just about never false negatives--so don't take a Western Blot after an ELISA -ve). Of course, these statements hold as long as the full Window period is observed (6 months).

In any case, if suay suay someone kena +ve on the ELISA, I don't think the size of the needle or how much blood is being drawn will the first thing on his/her mind. Whichever it is, worry only about getting the girl to do the ELISA first.

As for selling the rapid test kit. You mean the AfA? They can't do that. The healthcare providers in Singapore don't do that. Even the DSC Clinic doesn't do that.

But I do recall someone with a thread somewhere in this forum who said he had a lobang for buying/selling/distributing the rapid test kit here. I can't remember if it's like the Orasure kind (that tests scrapings or saliva from the mouth/tongue) or blood-based on like the one AfA uses. Maybe some other bros remember and can dig up the thread?

I like to add one important point here regardring about Doc reporting to MOH if one tested +ve. Even if u got tested +ve in AFA, your identities might be withheld. But you will not be able to be given treatment unless ur identities are reported. Hence its a clever collabration between MoH and AFA. W/o Afa many may not dare to get tested. And if tested +ve u have no choice but to seek treatment.

Hi bro MitMit:

(Yes, I'm still fighting the urge welling up in my didi to go get some FL action...But so far so good! My big head is keeping my smaller head under control...)

Anyway: Agreed. But there is a way around that, though not necessarily for everyone. (I won't mention if the AfA advocates this or is against it, so we'll just have to read between the lines...)

There's quite a trend among the HIV+ folks in Singapore who can afford it, to go overseas to get treated. Their closest, and preferred destination is Thailand. Preferred due to not just how close it is, but because the Thai government has been more aggressive in tackling the AIDS pandemic than other governments round the world--and this has meant a lot of good things done.

For one: Thailand has the only government-backed retroviral drug cocktail production, not sure if in the world, but certainly in Asia. Being generic (that is, unbranded) the drugs are sold quite cheap there (relative to prices elsewhere in the world, and certainly compared to prices in Singapore). So Singaporean HIV+ folks actually save money on drugs when seeking treatment over there.

Ironically: you have to have $ to make regular trips to Thailand for treatment, in order to get savings from treatment over the years. The poor, and the 9 to 5 office workers will have to have their savings depleted and even lose their livelihoods due to prejudice in the workplace after being exposed as being HIV+--will just have to suffer even worse, sooner.