My friend told me the other day that he watching a programme a while ago about a woman who was diagnosed with HIV, 10 years after a 1 night stand when she was 16. She didn't suspect anything until 10 years later and she was going for a check up. Thanks to this we are now both on a full scale HIV paranoia-fest.

I've never had unprotected sex but the woman's story freaked me out. What if I have it and don't know? Now I'm analysing every muscle-ache I get, every sore on my tongue that I see. I'm trying to remember whether I have ever had a fever 4 weeks after I have had sex. I'm trawling through websites looking for any stred of consolance. Everything it seems, bears a risk - if it's not HIV, then it's herpes, chlamydia or syphilis and the worst thing is, none of them seem to have obvious symptoms.

I guess the only safe kind of sex is with yourself - atleast it's with someone you love....although, don't you go blind from that?

Andy