Personal story: Davidzo

"I was like a usual dude in his 20s. I drank a lot during weekends and had sex around. One day I drank so much I even paid for sex. I realised the next day what a blunder I had done. I was totally depressed and scared of getting tested.

I didn't get tested for 6 months and all of a sudden, I had a swollen gland in my armpit. I was depressed and had no option other than getting tested. Trust me, those were the scariest times of my life!

I was waiting for the GP for my test results. My temperature was high, and heartbeat was rocking. I was expecting a YES from the doctor.

The Doc said, all is well, and I was relaxed like a rebirth. I thanked God and I promised I would give to charity after that. I am still doing it till now.

I would always say this “Never make alcohol overcome your life, so that you won’t regret it later".

Also please get tested ASAP if you want to avoid unwanted stress and depression."

What we say

Drinking can make you think less clearly, which may make you forget to use a condom. If this happens, it is important to get tested for HIV and other STIs as soon as possible. Like Davidzo, you may find that everything is OK, and that all your stress was for nothing. For more information, check out our Alcohol, drugs and sex page.

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These personal stories have been submitted to us anonymously by individuals who use our site. Some of the stories have been edited for clarity purposes and names have been changed to protect identities.

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