Hey there Guys (and Gals). Today I was witness to a thread on Facebook where a “warm” discussion (I don’t think it was quite heated) discussion evolved around HIV disclosure as well as responsibilities around disclosure when it comes to sex and a person’s HIV status.
The following video is a distillation of my thoughts on this thread and matter.
You are in control for your HIV status.
I suppose my main points are:
- In almost all cases you have 100% control of your ability to not become infected with HIV.
- One third of people living with HIV don’t actually know they have been infected.
- Whether a person tells you their HIV status, negative or positive, this information should not sway your decision on how *you* plan on controlling your HIV risk.
- Sero-sorting, the choosing of sexual partners based on their status, does not work as noted above: 1/3 of people infected with HIV are unaware of their status.
Guys we are all able to control our HIV risk profile whether that be via choosing low risk sexual acts, use of barrier methods like condoms or medical methods of HIV prevention like PrEP.
Sex is great, sex is wonderful, sex can be free of worry about HIV no matter the status of our sexual partners.
Please, I urge you, don’t discriminate. Instead, get educated with a good understanding of how you can control your own sexual health.
Dr George Forgan-Smith