I'm at my wit's end with gay culture. Promiscuity and unsafe sex are rampant and fueling the spread of HIV. Gay culture has returned to the culture of death that it was in the 80s.
There is a fatalism about it. Many of the gay men I meet nowadays believe that they are going to get the disease if they haven't already and have no desire to know whether they have the disease and are spreading it. As my gay roommate puts it, "I don't intend to live to old age." Even on Craigslist there are literally thousands of men seeking men for unsafe sex only.
What can you do about a culture that has become completely ambivalent to the disease it is helping carry and spread?
The antiviral medications that were hailed as the greatest innovation against the disease have aided in its spread by focusing efforts towards treatment rather than prevention. The medications do not last forever and eventually people do succumb to the virus at a younger age than they would had they not become infected.
The only solutions I can perceive at this point are monogamy or celibacy. Either you don't have sex or you only have sex within a committed relationship. At this point to be truly safe within a relationship gay men have to forgo unsafe sex with each other until both partners have been tested 6 months after their last sexual contact with someone outside the relationship. It can take up to 6 months for antibodies to show up on an HIV test.
I used to think condoms were an answer, but if you don't have one available or you unwisely choose to trust the person you are with then you still fall into trouble. The lack of spontaneity and the interruption of sexual activities also make condoms unattractive options. And then there is the difference of sensation.
What can be done?
CDC: Gay, bisexual men account for more than 50% of HIV cases
foodconsumer.org - CDC: Gay, bisexual men account for more than 50% of HIV cases
Alberta expert fears HIV ambivalence
Alberta expert fears HIV ambivalence | Mindelle Jacobs | Columnists | Comment | Edmonton Sun
Young gay men fueling HIV epidemic, study warns
Young gay men fuelling HIV epidemic, study warns | Society | The Guardian