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- Jun 11, 2009
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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
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
September 27, 2010 is National Gay Men’s HIV/AIDS Awareness Day (NGMHAAD)—a day to not only bring attention to and promote understanding of the disproportionate burden of HIV among gay and bisexual men, but also to recommit ourselves to the fight to end this devastating epidemic.
The rate of new HIV infection in the U.S. is increasing among only one risk group: gay, bisexual, and other men who have sex with men (MSM). More than half (57%) of those with new HIV infections in the U.S. each year and more than half (53%) of people living with HIV in the U.S. are gay or bisexual men or MSM who inject drugs. Vast disparities in infection rates exist across racial, ethnic, geographic, and age groups, and barriers to HIV testing result in a high proportion of infected men who are not aware of their infection.
Alberta expert fears HIV ambivalence
Alberta expert fears HIV ambivalence | Mindelle Jacobs | Columnists | Comment | Edmonton Sun
A study that found almost 20% of gay men in major U.S. cities are HIV-positive may be troubling but it's not surprising in light of unsafe sexual practices, say Canadian experts.
Not only that, there's no reason to believe the situation is less alarming in Canada, they warn.
It's unclear what percentage of the male homosexual population in Alberta is infected with HIV, says Dr. Stan Houston, director of the northern Alberta HIV program.
Young gay men fueling HIV epidemic, study warns
Young gay men fuelling HIV epidemic, study warns | Society | The Guardian
The HIV epidemic in Europe, including the UK, is being fueled by the risky behaviour of young gay men, according to research published today.
Public messages and campaigns about the dangers of unsafe sex do not appear to be getting through to men who have sex with men, the researchers say – particularly the young ones.
By investigating the genetic profile of the virus in more than 500 newly screened patients over nine years, scientists in Belgium have identified clusters of people with type B virus – not the one that is most prevalent in Africa.
Those infected are almost all white, male, gay and young, they say. These men also tend to have other sexual diseases, such as syphillis, which suggests that they are involved in unsafe sexual behaviour and are not using condoms.