Health : Recharging the Battery +/-
Same gender loving men and the challenges we face can be broad, whether we are a person living with HIV or a person who is HIV negative.
Life as a person living with HIV comes with its share of challenges. There’s coming to terms with the fact that we’re positive; learning to adapt to regular doctor’s visits; finding the right medication regimen; and learning the new vocabulary of terms associated with our condition. Just when we get adjusted and think we might be ready to tackle dating, we learn we’ve been sero-sorted with the dreaded “No HIV-positives” on social dating site profiles.
A person who is HIV negative has challenges too. There’s the wondering if every person you’ve had sex with was honest about his status, or known his status at all; the getting nervous at every cough, sneeze, or itch a few weeks after that one questionable hook-up; and when we go for our HIV test we might experience the mental and emotional angst of counting backwards through past encounters, replaying every intimate act in case our test comes back positive.
Dating and intimacy are getting a boost with new tools to help us stay healthy. Among the many tools to prevent exposure to STDs is PrEP or Pre-Exposure Prophylaxis, the strategy of taking a pill called Truvada® once a day to prevent HIV. The pill is prescribed to HIV negative individuals, who feel it might be right for them. PrEP can be useful to ease anxiety about sex as a sero-discordant couple where one person is HIV negative and the other is living with HIV. It doesn’t prevent other STD’s but more than 90% effective in preventing HIV.
There was a time when HIV prevention only spoke to HIV negative individuals. Now we have “Prevention with Positives,” strategies to educate persons living with HIV about the importance of getting into care and staying in care with the goal of reducing the amount of the virus in the blood to an undetectable level. We hear how HIV is no longer a death sentence, and this is why: treatment prevents damage to our immune system; it reduces the amount of HIV in the body and reduces the chances of transmitting HIV to others. Treatment will help us live longer, healthier lives.
Access is a key concern being addressed by providers, prevention agencies, and health departments. They are establishing or extending programs that connect us with ancillary services we may need for the stability to stay focused on our health. There are programs that offer financial, co-pay, housing and food, and transportation assistance in addition to a number of other services.
We can recharge with these new tools and new information to live as happy and healthy sexual beings. Don’t get it twisted, I’m not a mechanic but I know what gets my motor humming.
Got Questions: [email protected]
HoustonTX.gov/prep
PrepToPreventHIV.org
HoustonHealth.org
As a hiv- guy, dating or hooking up can be hard when many guys have ‘undetectable’ and practice bb sex on their profile. now i’m not saying all guys that are poz practice irresponsible sex or don’t use condoms or take prep, but it sure seems that way according to their profiles.
I know poz guys might get offended with what I just said, but let’s face it, if they had a way to avoid that bad decision, accident, or whatever may be, they wouldn’t want to have the status they have now. The best they can do is actually educate people on safer sex practices, the use of condoms and prep. Of course they would also have to take medications.
But let’s be truly honest YOU TOO can have your thoughts on this matter but
YOU YOURSELF – YES YOU !! know it’s just as much your responsibility like any barebacking and / or positive guys as well
YOURE STILL HAVING SEX … or engaging in other intimate behaviors
Beware if possible and yet be aware and take care of you and others should as well
This can be spun anyway it wants but there are people who have preferences, myself I do not enjoy taking the risk with a rubber while still taking prep and the same i dont mess with people who dont bother to check or are positive. I am truly bi and i will never see myself in a relationship with another male, but i dont have a problem taking dick from a top. Call it what you will but I know what i like, telling people they are hurting someones feelings on the internet is actually laughable. Thats my opinion too 😉
Wondering how safe it is as a negative guy (top) to have sex w a positive guy who is on meds says he is undetectable ….?
My confusion lies in , is it actually safer to be with him than a guy that doesn’t know his status or a prep guy that has multiple sex partners who “breed” him.
I would never feel totally ‘safe’ with a prep user that has multiple sexual partners, have sex every day of the week giving or getting loads. That sounds like a recipe of disaster. Prep doesn’t cover all stds.
Let’s say this you might be negative and the Top
but there’s still body fluids being possibly exchanged like Thru kissing in open sores in the mouth or in gentials in that ever ongoing quest of sucking dick that so many men seek for “fun” or pleasure — it’s still a risk
you might think it’s just kissing or a blow job . You. Are ALL Still rolling the dice if you don’t know each other Esp in a hook up or one nighter.
Just be fucking honest about your status. With today’s advances, there is NO reason not to, and lying to your partner is near guaranteed to scar him or her to the point where a stigma is developed against those who are positive. Any excuses against this are just selfish and wrong.
I actually heard it’s against the law if you know you’re hiv positive, lied about your status and had unprotected sex with a hiv- person. Guys don’t do it, are you really that careless to ruin that other’s person life? I know I may get hate, but I’d considered that rape. What an asshole thing to do, just cause you wanted your quick fix. Although, especially with a stranger, you shouldn’t be having unprotected sex anyways. Sex should be something both parties can enjoy without any worries.
Well, I’m neg and was tested in April this year. However I do worry a lot about getting it and other diseases. The thing is, although there is Truvada which would be great to be on it for prevention, but who can possibly afford it. Insurance won’t pay for it, the government won’t, so unless one is rich, it’s almost impossible to get it. The biggest problem is that I’m almost sure they could find a cure, however drug companies don’t want to come up with a cure. It’s all about money, big profits for the drug companies selling all the expensive remedies for HIV and Truvada. The republicans are against gay everything and now that we have Trump in the white house, I don’t look for much research being done to find a cure. Just more big money for the drug companies ignoring us gay and bi guys.