Pensant

I was living a heterosexual lifestyle at the time. The prospect of AIDS terrified me, so I suppressed my emerging gay urges. I also worked for a company that pioneered in-home IV therapies, so I spent a lot of time around infectious disease docs, so I was well informed about the crisis. One of my clients succumbed to it in his early 30s. Even today, I generally prefer role play scenarios without penetration. I’m an odd duck with an apparently amazing immune system, for which I’m deeply grateful. For example, I’ve never had Covid, or at least a symptomatic case.

At the time that AIDS appeared in the public consciousness, I was already in my 40s and had been in a partnered relationship for 20 years. We were not exclusive, but we were also long past the slutty promiscuity of youth. I had also never been into being an anal bottom, which reduced one possible source of infection. My doctor was also a gay personal friend, so I was alerted early to what was going around in the medical area. I belonged to various gay organizations, which were a source of reliable information, and for a few years in the late 1980's I actually ran the AIDS Information Hotline for a major city. In spite of all that, I think that I was also probably just lucky. I had many friends who got AIDS at that time and most of them died from it, though a few hung on long enough to get effective treatment. One of them hung on until 1996 and died officially of something else, but his sister (a medical technologist) still says, "He died of AIDS."

A timely and sobering recollection, @nycman!

For me, one word - luck. Truthfully, given my activity and proclivities, I am at a loss to explain how I am still here and how I survived relatively unscathed. (For context, I “came of age” to mansex in the early 80’s when I turned 17. And to be honest, I was probably too stupid to understand the incredible risks that I was taking. Alcohol, I am certain, clouded my judgment.) Condom use was hit or miss, yet somehow I remained HIV negative. Abstention from sex left a great deal to be desired. The clap? Yes, a couple of times, but I usually knew a doctor who could get me the antibiotics so I was spared a visit to the “free clinic”. I started taking Prep when it was suggested to me by a provider whose opinion I highly respected and when I learned it was available to me for zero co-pay. At 62 and overweight my pool of suitors these days is greatly reduced, but those who favor me with their attention are on Prep and I tend to avoid those who are not. I do not take it for granted that I was spared when so many were taken from us. 

My story (and age) are similar to yours.  Suppression of interest, pursuit of my wife, and all was well for decades.
i still think that younger guys today feel invincible and don’t factor in many risks that exist.  I actually had one escort that wasn’t on prep until I pointed out that the risk is high and the cost of mitigation is low…meaning it’s stupid to not get on prep…he did within the week.
But unbridled promiscuity still brings risk of HPV, HSV, and even drug resistant infections.  

Gentlemen, a reminder not to post links, or the handles people use for their social media profiles, if they have not published them in any of their public-facing professional documentation or advertising.

My abs don’t meet their standards 😁

Even those who proclaim “safe only” have been known to go bare with little prompting, a little birdie told me.

Even those who proclaim “safe only” have been known to go bare with little prompting, a little birdie told me.

Even those who proclaim “safe only” have been known to go bare with little prompting, a little birdie told me.

Sound choice, once a steady regular.

Even those who proclaim “safe only” have been known to go bare with little prompting, a little birdie told me.