In the wacky world of the woke condom hating and erasing gay ill health sector HIV prevention is an ever changing complex “combination” approach. Only by utilising all the “tools” we have can we end HIV by 2020, so they claim. All those stigmatising, fear mongering 80s tombstone and iceberg ads which have traumatised a generation of gay men into wearing condoms should be dismissed and you should relearn your HIV prevention strategy.
So how does the gay ill health sector want you to “relearn” HIV prevention?
U=U Undetectable= Untransmittable
U=U is safer sex, in fact its the safest sex, better than condoms. HIV positive gay men who are on effective treatment and are undetectable there is zero risk of transmitting HIV to partners, condoms are not required. HIV positive gay men would not lie about their status, lying is part of the stigma. Don’t question whether someone is taking their meds as that is stigmatising and triggering. This could result in a mental health crisis where a gay man would stop taking their meds and become detectable. Just trust and believe what you are told. Respect their choice not to wear a condom. The gay ill health experts state they will only win on HIV stigma when HIV negative gay men have condomless sex with HIV undetectable guys.
PrEP
PrEP prevents HIV if taken daily 100% guaranteed and will protect forever more the gay ill health experts claim. It’s far easier to take a pill a day, with your vitamins in the morning, just set your alarm on your phone, than remember to wear a condom “in the heat of the moment”. If you don’t want to take PrEP daily, or struggle to do so, there is event based PrEP. Just take 2 pills 2 hours (or 24 hours depending on which gay ill health professional you talk to) before you have a period of risk and then one pill daily. Ideal if you are having a sleazy non-stigmatising weekend in Berlin in the darkrooms or saunas where you are having multiple barebackers loading you up with their cum. We shouldn’t sanitise PrEP and should celebrate being a “cumwhore”. It’s not just about alleviating the anxiety of condomless sex for the vulnerable barebacker. It’s about being a fabulous cumdump slut, dirty, sleazy cum filled holes. It’s what we’ve all wanted to do over the past 20 years. Be honest and celebrate don’t stigmatise other gay mens choices is the message from the sector.
What about other STIs?
The gay ill health experts are fed up with this question. Condoms aren’t the answer and won’t be enough to drive down STIs. STIs can be transmitted through oral sex and we don’t wear condoms for that! Do we! Therefore the answer is test test test. Only by testing can we find STIs and treat them. In fact the epidemic of STIs is a good thing as we are finding more STIs to treat. It’s something to be celebrated. All STIs apart from HIV are treatable and should be destigmatised. Testing should be routinely done at 3, 6 or 12 months depending on your own individual risk assessment.
HIV testing
HIV testing is a prevention strategy, it can and will drive down HIV infections. For every gay man diagnosed with HIV another 3 are “saved” from infection they claim. How? When diagnosed with HIV you will be put on treatment and will become undetectable in a matter of months and unable to transmit HIV. It’s the herd immunity approach. Then carry on barebacking with confidence and demand condomless sex from negative guys.
Being sex positive
Gay bareback sex has been stigmatised as wrong, sick and disordered ever since since HIV came along. This needs to be relearned the gay ill health sector claim. Gay sex should be uninhibited with no anxiety. It should be about pleasure and intimacy, the sex you want to have honestly discussed with partners. Gay men are able to do “risk assessments” on the sex they have. HIV and STIs are just bad luck and nothing to worry about. Just enjoy yourself. Be sex positive.
Condoms
We are in a post condom world the gay ill health non expert claims. They are unnecessary, pleasure deniers, intimacy impeders. Condoms have never really been the answer to HIV prevention as gay men hate them and have never really had confidence in their effectiveness. The past 20 years with HIV infections rocketing shows how condoms, and their promotion have not ended HIV. Condom campaigns were necessary in the past, as it was all we had. But now with U=U and PrEP we have better options at HIV prevention and testing will drive down STI infections. Condoms fail between 6% and 35% of the time (depending on which gay ill health ambassador you speak to).
You have to do what’s right for you. Here at GMAP we think the only safer sex strategy is to consistently use condoms and test every 6 or 12 months for STIs. It’s worked for us and can work for you.