Traditionally, Valentine’s Day is celebrated with flowers, chocolates, poems, and sweet words. This year, TEDxAUTH decided to celebrate it differently. A few days ago, we visited the offices of MyCheckpoint in Thessaloniki, asked questions, learned, and looked at love through a different lens: that of safe love. Or rather, safer love.
Mrs. Amalia Manolopoulou answered what we knew and what we wanted to learn.
Chapter 1: Safer Sex
“Realistically, it’s much more accurate to talk about safer, rather than safe, sex—because truly safe sex can sometimes be a utopia.
No one can guarantee, for example, that a condom won’t break during intercourse—whether it’s because it’s not the right condom, it wasn’t applied correctly, or someone mistakenly uses multiple condoms, thinking it will be safer—or that something won’t go wrong during an encounter. Therefore, it’s more appropriate to talk about safer sex, which aligns closely with the philosophy of harm reduction.”
Chapter 2: Kinks
“First of all, we don’t judge any body, sexual practice, or logic related to sexual play. Every person is free to choose how they want to enjoy themselves in bed—or even outside of it—no matter how risky a practice may sound or how unimaginable it might seem to others. And for everything, there are ways to stay protected.
Of course, we must always keep in mind that consent is paramount. No matter how ‘dirty’ what we choose to do might be, no matter how painful or intense, no matter how extreme it might seem to some, there must be consent from both—or all—parties involved.
Consent must exist at the beginning of an act and throughout its duration—if something happening makes us uncomfortable or we want to stop. We must feel safe within an agreed framework where both sides respect each other’s wishes. So, I believe consent is everything. At the same time, we must also make sure to take the necessary protective measures.”
Chapter 3: HPV Vaccine (for men too)
“What we definitely need to know is that the vaccine is now nonavalent, meaning it protects against the 9 most dangerous cancer-causing types of HPV. This nonavalent vaccine is recommended for boys as well.
Many people believe that the vaccine can only be given up to a certain age. In reality, what applies is that it’s offered free of charge up to a specific age—18 years for girls and 26 for boys. Beyond that, the vaccine doesn’t have an age limit and is highly recommended.
Its usefulness is immense. Women can be vaccinated against types of cancer that have taken the lives of other women in the past. In fact, without the Pap smear test, which helps diagnose certain issues, many more women wouldn’t be with us today. For boys, the vaccine’s utility is also significant. In men, such cancers can appear in the anus or the oropharynx. So, the vaccine certainly provides greater peace of mind.
However, it doesn’t mean that one won’t develop warts or another type of HPV.”
Chapter 4: Contraception and STIs
“Beyond protecting us from most sexually transmitted infections (STIs), condoms are also a method of contraception. I say most STIs because, for example, warts can be transmitted through skin contact alone. Certainly, condoms protect us to a much greater extent. So, they are both a preventive and contraceptive measure.
In the case of contraception via pills, things are different. It depends on each woman’s trust in her sexual partner’s exclusivity. Under no circumstances should we try to advise someone in one direction, point fingers, or worse, criticize. Dialogue is a key factor. Whether a couple chooses a monogamous relationship or decides to have a more open relationship while seeing other sexual partners, it should be somewhat agreed upon.
However, because we’re human and often act on instinct, we must take precautions to avoid putting ourselves or our sexual partners at risk. Thus, consent, dialogue, and protection are essential for ‘playing away.’”
Chapter 5: STI Detection
“At MyCheckpoint, we can detect HIV, Hepatitis B and C, and syphilis.
Tests for HIV, Hepatitis B, C, and syphilis are antibody tests. Essentially, what we aim to identify is whether antibodies for these specific viruses or bacteria exist—in the case of syphilis, it’s a bacterium. For Hepatitis B, we check for the antigen.
As for detection time, there’s a specific ‘window period.’ For third-generation tests, such as those performed in laboratories at hospitals or diagnostic centers, the window period is about 6 weeks. For our tests, the window period is 3 months to ensure very accurate results. There are also more advanced tests performed in labs with a window period of 3 weeks, while molecular testing has a window period of 1 week.
At MyCheckpoint, the detection process is very simple and easy, requiring just a small blood sample from a finger!”
Chapter 6: HIV
“1996 was a landmark year as the first antiretroviral ‘cocktails’ were introduced—a combination of several pills that proved highly effective. Today, when a person tests positive for HIV antibodies, the result must be confirmed at a reference center or hospital with an infection unit. In Thessaloniki, the AIDS Reference Center for Northern Greece is located at the Medical School, while the AHEPA General Hospital has a specialized infection unit. With a confirmed molecular result from reference centers or infection units, a patient’s anonymous file is opened.
Individuals monitored at infection units are recorded in the clinic’s system only by their initials to ensure complete anonymity. Since, unfortunately, HIV still carries social stigma, those living with it are fully assured of their privacy.
A person living with HIV is monitored regularly by their doctor twice a year, undergoes thorough blood tests, and receives daily antiretroviral therapy for life, though now it’s just one pill per day.
Antiretroviral therapy ensures undetectable viral load, meaning zero transmissibility, and a gradual increase in CD4 T cells. With proper treatment, the viral load drops, essentially putting the virus in suppression, and the immune system returns to normal levels.
So, in essence, a person living with HIV is healthy but must remain on consistent antiretroviral therapy.”
Chapter 7: Sex and HIV-Positive Individuals
“If we are in a stable relationship with someone living with HIV who follows their antiretroviral therapy, they will never transmit HIV to us because their viral load is insufficient for transmission. In the case of a heterosexual couple, they can also conceive and have HIV-negative children.
We are also seeing a shift. Ten years ago, when MyCheckpoint started in Thessaloniki, the answer to the question ‘Would you have sex with someone living with HIV?’ was typically ‘No.’ However, as awareness increases, more people now choose to have relationships with HIV-positive individuals on therapy rather than with someone who has never been tested and doesn’t know their status.
It’s very clear from the scientific community that U=U. This equation—Undetectable = Untransmittable—encapsulates extensive scientific evidence and a reassuring social message, both to the community of HIV-positive individuals and to the general, HIV-negative population.
The days of the ‘death sentence’ of AIDS are behind us; they belong to a different era!”
Chapter 8: Social Stigma
“What people need to learn is U=U, meaning undetectable equals untransmittable. Today, a person diagnosed with HIV and undergoing antiretroviral therapy has an undetectable viral load and is therefore not infectious.
People should learn from an early age that we can coexist with HIV-positive individuals in any environment, as HIV is transmitted in specific ways. It cannot be transmitted through social interaction. Ignorance is not a suitable guide in society, as it breeds fear, which in turn creates discrimination, racism, exclusion, and stigma.”
This Valentine’s Day, let’s love safely. Let’s ask questions, learn, and get tested. MyCheckpoint’s new campaign aims to inform in a dynamic but above all inclusive way. Sexuality, gender identity or expression, vanilla or kinky sex, side sex…
Because now, in 2024, no matter who you are… Just take the test!
You can find MyCheckpoint offices in Athens (Pittaki 4, near “Monastiraki” station) and Thessaloniki (Egnatia 112, near Agia Sofia), Tuesday-Saturday, 12:00-20:00. Appointments can be made by phone or via their app.
