Safer Sex

✅ Consent always matters

Consent is a Freely given, Reversible, Informed, Enthusiastic, and Specific (FRIES) mutual agreement to engage in any verbal and/or physical activity. 

To obtain consent, it is important to openly communicate with your sexual partner(s) about your wants, boundaries, and form of protection from STIs.

✅ Condoms are the only type of barrier protection

You can practice safer sex by using condoms. Condoms are the cheapest option available in Singapore and can be used during oral, vaginal, and anal sex. However, condoms are 90-95% effective only when used consistently and correctly. 

This means using a new condom for every sexual act (from start to finish). Inconsistent or non-users of condoms are 10 to 20 times more likely to contract HIV when exposed. In this case, it may be more suitable to take PrEP too.

✅ Get tested for STIs every 6 months

As part of your self-care routine, get tested often for STIs especially if you are sexually active or at higher risk of an HIV transmission. It is recommended to test for HIV and other STIs at least once every 6 months. 

It can be daunting to get tested for STIs, thus, it is important that you find a trusted healthcare provider, with whom you can have an open and honest conservation about your sexual history and concerns. 

We have a list of HIV-friendly healthcare providers here.

Once you know about your HIV status, you can start HIV treatment. Starting HIV treatment as early as possible allows a better treatment outcome. Receiving treatment also helps you to avoid transmitting STIs to your sexual partner(s).

✅ HIV testing just got better

Get results in under 20 minutes 

Rapid HIV tests provide results in under half an hour (using either blood or saliva). You can get a result even before you leave the clinic. When done by a trained clinician or volunteer, rapid HIV tests rarely give a false result.  

Nevertheless, rapid tests are not as accurate as lab-based tests. A reactive result will be confirmed with a lab-based test (e.g. Western Blot). The results of a lab-based test usually come out after a week. 

Anonymous testing is safe and confidential

Anonymous testing does not require you to provide your name, NRIC, or contact number. Instead, a number is assigned to your test. This means that no personal particulars are recorded even if there is a reactive or positive result. 

You only need to fill in an anonymous questionnaire about your sexual history but all these details are kept confidential. Only ten clinics offer anonymous HIV testing, and you can find the list of clinics here.

The most affordable option is Action for AIDS Anonymous Testing Service. Results are given within 15 to 20 minutes. Action for AIDS also has trained counsellors who can give you the most relevant and accurate advice on safer sex, PrEP, PEP, and so on.

Be mindful of window periods 

You need to be mindful of the time between when you think you were exposed to an HIV transmission and the point when the test will give an accurate result. During the window period, a person can have HIV but still test as negative. 

This means that the markers of contracting HIV (p24 antigen and antibodies) are still absent or too scarce to be detected. It is also much easier to transmit HIV during this period.

For a conclusive test result, it is generally advised to take an HIV test after 3 months. If you take an HIV test during the window period, then it is strongly advised that you do a repeat test after 3 months.