Pozitively hot: being an HIV positive gay man

Pozitively hot: being an HIV positive gay man

Sex positive, HIV positive

When we talked to gay men about living with HIV and having sex, many of them said HIV brings a lot of responsibility. There is no cure for HIV. So many of us will take HIV medications for the rest of our lives. And there is a risk that we will pass on HIV during sex. But your life didn’t stop when you got your HIV diagnosis. Like many of us, you were probably shocked and stressed out for a while after you found out you had HIV. Maybe you even felt some shame or guilt. But you went on living. Your sex life can go on too.

What is “sexual health”?

Sexual health means having sex and sexual relationships that are as hot and satisfying as possible. Sexual health also means taking care of your health and the health of your sex partner(s). To be sexually healthy you will probably need to take care of your body, your mind and your emotions. It is important for gay men, including gay men living with HIV, to have the information we need to make informed decisions about our sexual health.

Living positively and gay

Homophobia, AIDS-phobia and sex-phobia can affect how we think, feel and behave. Sometimes people direct their phobias and negative attitudes at us. At other times these phobias and negative attitudes might bubble up from inside us. No matter how thick-skinned or “out” we are, these negative attitudes can make us feel ashamed or guilty. Or can cause us to suffer from low self-esteem. Those of us from minority ethnic and racial communities may feel guilt, shame and low self-esteem more intensely. We may have experienced racism and hostility towards our culture on top of homophobia, AIDS-phobia and sex-phobia. Society also judges what it means to be a “normal” man or a “normal” woman. So guys who are effeminate or transmen are judged harshly and may have a hard time feeling good about themselves and their sexuality. You may not always realize how these negative attitudes and feelings affect your health and the decisions you make. But it is important to recognize and deal with the negative effects of homophobia, AIDS-phobia and sex-phobia. This can help you live a proud life and have a fulfilling emotional and sexual life.

HIV positive people and HIV prevention

We can reduce the spread of HIV in the gay community if all of us – HIV negative, untested, and HIV positive – take responsibility for our sexual health. Most HIV prevention messages are aimed at people who don’t have HIV. But people living with HIV also play an important role in HIV prevention. Many of us know a lot about HIV. Many of us educate other people about HIV, including the guys we have sex with. You can take better care of your sexual health when you have useful information about sex, communicating with sex partners, and HIV and other sexually transmitted infections (STIs). We hope that the information in this guide will help you make decisions that are right for you. We hope that you can use the information to have a fulfilling emotional life and a hot and satisfying sex life. And to help reduce the spread of HIV and other STIs.