Over a third of gay men with recent HIV infection due to unprotected anal sex contracted the virus after employing a “risk reduction” strategy, according to an Australian study published in the October 1st edition of the Journal of Acquired Immune Deficiency Syndromes.
Some of the methods of perceived risk reduction mentioned by the men were serosorting, insertive unprotected anal sex, and receptive unprotected anal sex with an HIV-positive partner who reported an undetectable viral load. The investigators believe that their study shows that risk reduction is not a substitute for consistent condom use.
The number of gay men reporting unprotected anal sex with casual partners has increased in many countries since the mid-1990s. The extent to which this represents a true increase in the risk of HIV infection is uncertain because men often employ personal strategies to minimise their risk of becoming infected with HIV despite having unprotected anal sex.
Read the rest on aidsmap.
Risk reduction strategies do not mean you won't get infected. Do the studies tell us if they actually reduced their risk on average?
ReplyDeleteCompare these notions with simple strategy of getting tested TOGETHER BEFORE having sex for A VARIETY of sexually transmitted diseases.
They are taking somebody's word as opposed to actually getting test results BEFORE having sex. They would have more definitive conversations at that point. Conversations and negotiation would actually mean something as opposed to speculation. Until you see the other person's test results it's all speculation. We are all familiar with lying and deception in sex related matters.
ReplyDelete