Why a 'Just Use Condoms (and Now Shut Up)' strategy won't work (for everyone)

via Fridae, by Jan Wijngaarden

Fridae's Men’s Sexual Health columnist Jan Wijngaarden says simplistic slogans about condom usage and nothing else are not sufficient; gay men need to understand how HIV transmission works - in all its detail.

Frankly, I have been quite amused by the fierce reactions to my previous columns that dealt with sexual risk reduction for gay men. I learned there are a huge number of intolerant queens out there, who not only loudly oppose views that differ from their own - which is fine with me - but who do so by trying to undermine the credibility of the person airing these views - me, that is - using rather nasty (also quite funny sometimes) personal attacks. Many of these people tend to see sex as something harmful, dirty and risky. It should be stated here - there is no inherent harm in gay sex - but there is harm in HIV.

Many of the people responding to the columns seemed upset that I was discussing details of risk reduction strategies - making risk reduction more complex and varied, trying to make people think about different options for reducing risks for HIV in incremental steps, rather than promoting 'One Message / One Strategy Fits All'.

Instead, they want me to stick to their own view on HIV prevention, which is: JUST USE CONDOMS ALWAYS (AND NOW SHUT UP). I decided to honour these people, bestowing them the title of Condom Queens.

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