Why use a rubber when you can just pop a pill? That’s what HIV-negative guys across the country are asking themselves -- and their doctors.
“Clearly, sex is more exciting without a condom: They’re not very convenient, they’re not sexy, they don’t feel natural,” says Rob Garofalo, deputy director of the Howard Brown Health Center in Chicago. “People are clamoring for a strategy that works.”
[Note from LifeLube: We need to support the research and development of safe, effective and acceptable new HIV prevention tools - like PrEP (pre-exposure prophylaxis), which is discussed in this article. Sadly, the Advocate article is more than a bit sensational and histrionic in tone and fails to convey the legitimacy of PrEP research - after all, thousands and thousand of people around the world are now in controlled clinical trials testing the efficacy of this prevention approach. This is hardly the domain of some PnP boys experimenting on their bodies in the absence of any guidance. While we encourage you to read the item - please consider reading further on the issue so that you are more informed. Condoms are excellent - the gold standard - in terms of protection from the sexual transmission of HIV - but we need more options for people! To learn more about the state of PrEP science, we encourage you to check out PrEP Watch. Another new prevention technology in the R&D phase is rectal microbicides - which could be formulated as a lube, a douche, or an enema with anti-HIV properties. Click on IRMA - International Rectal Microbicide Advocates - to find out more about the global research and advocacy activities going on to make rectal microbicides a reality for the millions of men and women who engage in anal intercourse.]
I guess the histrionics is part of the stigma. People can't be lead to believe that this is just another disease like cancer and diabetes that can be treated. Every civilization must have its lepers.
ReplyDelete