HIV/AIDS

Sabine Eggersdorfer is the head of the Lower Bavaria Aids Information and Counselling Centre. The institution, which is run jointly by the social welfare organisation (Diakonie) and Caritas and is responsible for all of Lower Bavaria, is celebrating its 30th anniversary this year. In an interview with the counselling centre, the 39-year-old talks about the risks of unprotected sexual intercourse, the prejudices prevailing in society about HIV and how people can protect themselves from infection.

Counselling centre: what is safe sex and what is not?
Sabine Eggersdorfer: safer sex is when people do not come into contact with potentially contagious body fluids during sexual intercourse, i.e. when the risk of infection is low. That would be the case with oral intercourse or foreplay. And of course during sex with a condom.

How do you protect yourself effectively against sexually transmitted diseases?
By practising safer sex. Using a condom offers the best protection. Apart from that, sexual partners can also pay attention and look for blisters in the genital area and then avoid sex or use a condom. In order to prevent sexually transmitted diseases, normal body hygiene with frequent showers and washing is also important.

Are there sexually transmitted diseases that are on the rise again?
We are observing a slight increase in cases of hepatitis C and syphilis. However, these are periodic fluctuations that occur over and over. With HIV, the number of newly infected people has fallen to just under 3000 a year. This is mainly due to the great preventive efforts carried out in Germany.

What is the best way to address the topic of prevention/protection in a new partnership or 'friendship with benefits'?
Actually you should always use a condom during sex at the beginning of relationship, regardless of how much you trust your sexual partner. Because sexually transmitted diseases are not visible on the affected person, there is always a risk of infection. In a partnership or among 'friends' you should talk openly about the subject. Some couples also take the HIV test together at the beginning of their relationship. It is possible that the infected person does not even know about their illness.

What is HIV/AIDS?
HIV is the virus you get infected with and AIDS is the disease that breaks out due to the virus infection. It destroys the immune system of those affected so that they can no longer protect themselves from external diseases. It can take 10 to 12 years for AIDS to break out. Due to the great treatment possibilities in Germany, AIDS hardly ever breaks out nowadays.

How do you get infected? What are the myths about infection?
Infectious body fluids (blood, sperm, vaginal fluid and breast milk) can penetrate the body through pressure or friction through mucous membranes or open wounds. The virus cannot be transmitted through spit, bleeding gums, shaking hands or sharing dishes.

Which groups are particularly at risk of contracting HIV?
Especially homosexual men, because intestinal mucosa is very sensitive and absorbent, so that there is a high risk of infection during unprotected anal intercourse. A small group of drug addicts who use the same syringes are also exposed to an increased risk. However, the entire spectrum of society is represented in our counselling centre.

If I had unprotected sexual intercourse and are unsure whether you have contracted it, where can I get help?
If there is reason to believe that the sexual partner after a one-night stand is HIV-infected, there is a kind of 'morning-after pill' that can be prescribed by a doctor and taken for four weeks. It is highly important to take the pill no more than 48 hours after sex. That is why it is best to go to an infectiologist or hospital. In Passau the hospital would be a point of contact.

How much does an HIV test cost?
It is free at the health department. In case of a justified suspicion, it can also be obtained free of charge from the doctor, depending on the health insurance company. Otherwise, it costs approx. 25 euros. We are currently advocating the introduction of home tests, which patients can order themselves and carry out at home. I believe that this procedure helps lower the inhibition threshold to take the test, because some people simply do not dare to go to the doctor.

What are the treatment options for HIV today?
Being HIV-positive no longer means a death sentence today, as was the case at the beginning of the 1980s, when the disease first appeared. Today there are such good medicines that infected people can expect a normal life expectancy and lead a normal life with work and family. However, the medication must be taken regularly for the rest of their lives.

Are there still prejudices and stigmatisations against people infected with HIV today?
Even though a lot of changed happened in the medical field, there is still a lot of exclusion and rejection on the social level. But this often has to do with a lack of social awareness. Some patients refuse to be treated by medical staff who are HIV-positive. Or worried mothers do not want to give their children to another HIV-positive mother to play, because they are afraid that their own child could become infected. The prejudices often result from fears that are mostly unfounded. By contrast, however, the fear of discrimination among HIV-infected people is usually greater than the discrimination they actually encounter. Essentially, it depends on the environment. In rural areas, infected people are more likely to conceal their disease than in urban areas.

Thank you very much for the interview!