What Are the Actual Dangers When It Involves HIV and Having Intercourse With Different Males?
Str8Curious is a month-to-month AskMen column the place out and proud way of life professional Joey Skladany solutions burning questions from heterosexual males about intercourse, relationship, and the LGBTQ+ neighborhood. No subject is off limits as he candidly lends recommendation, debunks stereotypes, and offers it to you straight — err — homosexual. Do you have to be considering submitting a query for editorial consideration (and we’ll respect anonymity), be at liberty to ping Joey instantly on Instagram or e-mail him at [email protected]).
The Query
“I’ve just lately explored my attraction for males and have been collaborating in anal intercourse, each giving and receiving. With out sounding too ignorant, I’m curious to know the way straightforward it might be for somebody like me to contract HIV?” – Lamar, Memphis, TN
The Reply
Editor’s Word: As a result of HIV an infection can result in AIDS, this topic is probably a matter of life and loss of life. Although medical advances in latest many years have lowered transmission charges and considerably lessened the probability of worst-case HIV outcomes, should you’re unsure about greatest practices for safer intercourse or coping with HIV danger, please seek the advice of a medical physician.
Nothing is sexier than being proactive about your well being. And fortuitously, a lot of the queer community takes HIV prevention critically, as it will be an enormous disservice to those that not solely handed through the AIDS disaster, but in addition the generations that fought for correct authorities funding to deal with and analysis the epidemic that confronted its peak within the early ‘90s.
RELATED: What Gay Men Could Teach Straight Men About Sexual Health
Whereas medicines PrEP (pre-exposure prophylaxis) and emergency PEP (post-exposure prophylaxis) will work to stop, suppress, or stave off HIV, popping these tablets like Skittles and hoping for the perfect isn’t going to guard you from an extended checklist of different sexually transmitted infections, akin to chlamydia or gonorrhea.
Listed below are 5 issues it’s best to find out about HIV and common sexual well being earlier than going into any behind-closed-door encounters:
1. Use Condoms
Condoms, except for abstinence, are nonetheless the most effective tool in defending in opposition to sexually transmitted infections. Whereas the success price isn’t 100% attributable to skin-to-skin infections akin to herpes and syphilis, it creates a skinny barrier to dam the alternate of bodily fluids. Think about using the latex hood if you wish to really feel probably the most assured about proactively stopping HIV.
2. Take into account Oral Transmission
The chance of HIV transmission through oral intercourse is extremely low however not inconceivable. It is very important stress that HIV isn’t handed by means of saliva. There should be HIV current in semen, blood, or vaginal fluid that’s handed by means of cuts, sores, or irritation current within the mouth and/or throat of an HIV-negative individual to be in danger. Although minimal, there’s nonetheless an opportunity that an infection can unfold and it’s utterly as much as you and your accomplice’s consolation and belief ranges earlier than collaborating in condom-free blowjobs. There have been no circumstances reported of HIV transmission through oral-anal sex.
3. ART Is not Every thing
Undetectable means untransmittable, however that doesn’t imply you shouldn’t follow safer intercourse. In case your sexual accomplice is HIV-positive, then they could be on antiretroviral remedy (ART) to lower or remove their viral load (the quantity of HIV detected of their blood). Due to breakthroughs in medical analysis and know-how, these medicines can suppress the quantity of HIV to be extraordinarily low or nearly absent in blood assessments. However as a result of these ranges can fluctuate at any given second, particularly if an HIV-positive individual forgets to take their day by day dosage of medicine, it’s nonetheless extraordinarily vital to train safer sex practices to maintain danger at a minimal.
4. PrEP & PEP
PrEP is efficient at stopping HIV, whereas PEP is important for emergency publicity. Do you have to select to partake in frequent sexual encounters, chances are you’ll wish to take into account PrEP, a day by day tablet that may reduce the risk of HIV infection by 99%. PEP, then again, is for many who could have been uncovered to HIV (particularly after unprotected intercourse). It’s sometimes solely efficient if taken inside 72 hours of publicity after which taken for one more month thereafter. Understand that the success price isn’t 100% and that the earlier you might be handled, the higher. That is significantly vital for many who could discover themselves victims of sexual assault and should shrink back from in search of quick medical consideration.
5. Get Your self Examined
Proceed to get tested frequently. Many STIs, HIV included, don’t reveal signs till weeks and even months after publicity. You can be infecting sexual companions with out realizing it and vice versa. It is very important get continuously examined so that you’re totally conscious of your standing. Most physician’s places of work and native LGBTQ+ clinics will supply these assessments freed from cost.
Whereas HIV and STIs are licensed boner killers, they’re very actual dangers and should be thought-about earlier than participating in foreplay and fucking. However with the correct quantity of preparation, information, and mutual belief, you’ll be capable of drop trou and get off with out worrying in regards to the repercussions.
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