Mar 7, 2013

#14. On Prophylaxis and Contact Tracing

The first time I encountered the word "PROPHYLAXIS" was when I visited the dentist. Oral Prophylaxis, which just meant to clean my mouth. Sabi ko parang tongue twister, yun pala lilinisin lang ang mga ngipin at gums ko.

At ngayong infected na ako at nagsusumuigaw sa kababaan ang CD4 count ko, I had to be put under prophylaxis, pero this time, mas seryoso na yung role niya.

Ano nga ba ang prophylaxis? 

According to wikipedia (yes, I know, hindi credible ganoon ka-credible ang source ko, pero magbasa basa pa kayo ganoon din naman ang sinasabi ng iba more or less):

"Prophylaxis simply means preventive medicine or preventive care rather than curing them or treating their symptoms."

Ang literal translation naman niya, of course, from the Greek words "PRO", which means before, and "PHYLAXIS", which means to watch or to guard.

At dahil nga mababa ang CD4 count ko, as a prophylactic measure, katulad ng ibang mga pusit out there, I was prescribed three medications:

Isoniazid/Azithromycin/Cotrimoxazole
Isoniazid is for the prevention of tuberculosis, alam na nating lahat ito. Anim na buwan itong lecheng tableta na ito na talaga namang nakakasira ng araw dahil ang chaka ng pakiramdam sa tiyan.

Azithromycin is to prevent anything diarrhea related. If the CD4 count is below 50, kasali ito sa regimen. So pag over 50 na ang CD4, pwede na itigil. Isa pa itong gamot na ito, once a week lang pero 2.5 tablets at talaga namang nakakastress din. Nakakalambot ng jebs pero saglit lang naman.

Lastly, ang ever famous na Cotrimoxazole to prevent Pneumonia. Wala naman akong reklamo sa gamot na ito kasi parang wala lang naman siya. Once na over 200 na daw ang CD4 count ko, pwede nang itigil itong gamot na ito.

Ang scientific diba?

Pero according din sa mga nabasa ko, prophylaxis or prophylactic measures can be as simple as brushing your teeth.


Oo nga naman, to PREVENT oral cavities, or kung ano mang mouth-related chenelar na pwedeng mag-arise if we don't brush our teeth.

I'm sure lahat tayo at one point in our lives napaalalahanan na kumain ng prutas at gulay. Believe it or not, considered prophylactic ito.


Kasi nga naman, ang pagkain ng gulay at prutas strengthens the immune system. So in the event na may infection may panlaban ang katawan natin.

And the list of the role of prophylaxis and prophylactic activities in our daily lives goes on and on. In other words, any action geared towards the prevention of something ill-effecting can be considered prophylactic. Tama ba? Or basta, ganoon ang pagkakaintindi ko.

So applying the concept of prophylaxis in my sex life, mukhang naging prophylactic nga ako kasi I've always practiced safe sex, believe it or not. No condom no entry ang policy ko.

Yes, loyal ako sa brand na Durex. Ever since, yan ginagamit ko. Yung Extra Safe line pa nga eh.
So anong nangyare? Baka isa yun sa instances na I swallowed his cum? Pero each time I'd do that iIreally make sure wala akong cuts or mouth sores, at kung pwede nga lang sa ngalangala ko na idinidiretso (parang straw) to further minimize the risk. I am so sure na hindi sa pag swallow ko nakuha itong sakit na ito.

Then in my attempts to trace my contacts, one event stands out. Ugali ko kapag ako ang anally receptive, kinakapa ko talaga yung birdie ni top to ensure na may nakalagay na condom, and lagi naman silang compliant. Super praning ako na baka tanggalin nila or matanggal sa kalagitnaan ng kasarapan. Mahirap na. So naging habit ko na ang mangapa from time to time especially kapag long durations. Until this one guy who did me.

I must say, it was an explosive encounter. It was the first time I came without touching myself. It was pretty quick, less than 10 minutes of continuous humping, kung tama ang tantya ko. When I finally touched his birdie, katulad ng nakagisnan ko, WALA NA ANG CONDOM. Nalusutan ako! What's worse is, he came inside me. I knew he came inside me because when I touched myself down there, may fluid. It wasn't lube, mas viscous kasi. So ano pa ba yun kundi cum.

I remember reacting VERY vehemently, even punching the wall. He told me naman na he was safe blah blah blah.. But I don't believe it! Eh paano kung ako naman ang hindi safe? So I though it just didn't make sense. I hate to think pero either trip lang niya manghawa or talaga super hot ko lang na gusto niya ako tirahin ng bare.

Super stressful.

Sa pagkastress ko I deleted his number and tried to forget about it.

And looking back, malamang, sa kanya ko nga nakuha ito. Siya lang naman yung naging unsafe practice ko na very high risk. And the most disappointing part is that I did my fair share of prophylaxis, which is wearing a condom. Ako pa nga nagsuot ng condom. Nalusutan lang talaga ako. Tinanggal niya.

Oh well. That's life. I've learned my lesson well, and I will pay the price for as long as I'm living.





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