I met a new friend this week, a fellow pozzie. So I got to treat myself to a bit of a social life, something that I’d set aside a bit for a while now.
The day was laden with such lively conversation, probably because, needless to say, we could relate to each other.
He introduced me to a new concept. He said that HIV was the New Virginity. A New Virginity?! I was so curious, but baffled at the same time. Wouldn’t you be?
He pointed out how the pre-HIV we, and the HIV-negative rest of the world technically didn’t have a need for limitations when choosing a sexual partner. Whereas we, at this new HIV stage of life, have a bit of exclusivity to consider, and sexual practices to re-think and re-learn.
Hmm, very interesting. Might this just be what I am looking for to increase my personal value? I gave it some thought.
I’ve actually set aside the possibility of having sex with anyone, long before I started on my medications. And now, I’d set my mind on letting my body adjust to the medications, before moving on to even think about other stuff that might complicate it. And that included sex.
I haven’t really been totally sexless, and honestly, I’ve still been horny as hell until now. My outlet has just shifted to a more personal level, if you know what I mean. Self-gratification has become a daily habit. Okay, okay, I saw your jaw drop. Oh, get off your high horses and gimme a break! Hehehe.
So anyways, I’ve gotten to a point where, if sex isn’t like riding a bicycle, I might just forget how to do it. Or if the law of evolution that states “use it or lose it” applies, I just might be left with one appendage and one orifice less on my body. And that’s absolutely scary. Hahaha.
So I started reminiscing, and did remember some questions that popped into my head since getting my gift. How does sex go for a pozzie like me? How will I have sex? Can I ever have sex? Who can I have sex with? What can and can’t I do?
So many questions that I have no ready answers for. Me? Asking about sex? How virginal!
And so it hit me. I was convinced. Maybe there is something to this New Virginity thing. Wow, who would’ve ever thought I’d be a virgin again. My pogi points must’ve just went up by a couple of thousand…
But so much for my New Virginity... Ooops, I lost it already. (Imagine me with a guilty smirk on my face...)
Monday, October 06, 2008
The New Virginity
Monday, July 21, 2008
My Virgin
Another week has passed. I’m still not on medication. Time has flown so fast. I just realized that it’s been a month and a half since I was last at the H4 Ward of the San Lazaro Hospital. A month and a half since I found out my CD4 count. A month and a half since I was recommended to start on ARVs.
For now, I’m trying to go on with the other parts of my life. Work. Family. Friends. Life. All that, while trying to stay healthy. I’ve been doing pretty well, considering it’s the rainy season. No major ailments. No fever. No flu. I’ve been taking my multivitamins regularly. And something else. A virgin is helping me out.
Now before you wonder, I’m talking about Virgin Coconut Oil, or VCO. An uncle of mine gave us a bottle of it last Christmas. I had no idea what to do with it, so it had been sitting on a shelf since December. Until last month, that is.
I had stumbled onto articles online about the anti-AIDS benefits of virgin coconut oil. They repeatedly refer to a Filipino doctor, Dr. Conrado Dayrit, father of former Philippine Health Secretary Manuel Dayrit, who investigated how a component of VCO, Lauric Acid, could inhibit, delay and reduce the spread of HIV. I’m not really sure what further studies are being done to this day, but there is little noise being made on the possibilities of this seemingly innocent fruit.
I remember what Maestro Ryan Cayabyab said in his song, Da Coconut Nut: there are so many uses of the coconut tree indeed. Considering this country I live in is a paradise of coconut groves, it should be reasonable to expect more studies to be done.
Although these are still just studies being done, and there seem to be no conclusive results and no therapeutic claims, I’ll take my chances. I would have loved to be a guinea pig for studies like this. I would love to be an instrument towards discovering a cure for the rest of those like me.
I can only hope that VCO could indeed fight, if not totally wipe out HIV. No harm in trying. Who would’ve thought I’d need help from a virgin?
