Gay sex with prep available

[dfw2sfo]

I am 56.  In 1983 when The NY Times first reported clusters of HIV/AIDS I was 16 and not sexually active for another 4 or 5 years. So during the time when I was both horniest and hot safer sex was critical. By the time PREP hit the market in 2012 I was 45 and still loved sex but it’s different when you’re 45 versus when you’re 25. I heard lots about gay life in the 70s and how frisky it was.  I love that the young guys are so free and open. I’ve been to some sex parties here in LA. To tell you the truth I’m jealous of the young guys being hot and having fun. Anyway, anyone else here have thoughts?  I’m in West Hollywood so that’s a factor. But others let me know your thoughts. 

Edited October 3, 2024 by dfw2sfo

[soloyo215]

12 hours ago, dfw2sfo said:

I am 56.  In 1983 when The NY Times first reported clusters of HIV/AIDS I was 16 and not sexually active for another 4 or 5 years. So during the time when I was both horniest and hot safer sex was critical. By the time PREP hit the market in 2012 I was 45 and still loved sex but it’s different when you’re 45 versus when you’re 25. I heard lots about gay life in the 70s and how frisky it was.  I love that the young guys are so free and open. I’ve been to some sex parties here in LA. To tell you the truth I’m jealous of the young guys being hot and having fun. Anyway, anyone else here have thoughts?  I’m in West Hollywood so that’s a factor. But others let me know your thoughts. 

I'm around your age, but I'm not "jealous" of the younger guys who now can use PrEp. The community has changes, and the way the newer generation socialize is completely different. One of the most interesting thing that we had in the 70s and 80s was the in-person interaction. Devices with two-dimensional depictions of people, and poorly spelled words accompanied with emojis will never replace the fun that we had back in the day. It has its conveniences, but come at the expense of losing the interpersonal.

It's different today, so I personally don't feel any particular way about it.

[pubic_assistance]

14 hours ago, dfw2sfo said:

during the time when I was both horniest and hot safer sex was critical.

I'm about the same age as you.

Never had a problem with safe sex and I still don't.

I literally used to teach a workshop with a safe sex outreach program for gay men to learn to avoid HIV transmission.

Now it seems everyone is avoiding HIV with PreP but couldn't care less about the damage every other STI could and will inflict on their bodies.

So..no. I don't feel jealous. I feel sad for these kids who have blinders on.

[SoCalBaseball]

I’m on prep but I have always been lucky to feel the same pleasure even if the guy is wearing a condom or vice versa, but today they’re lucky there isn’t a big scare going on anymore. The casual dating situation today isn’t really that much better at all, but the escort-finding process has gotten better since the internet and prep, so I’m grateful for that lol 

[+ cougar]

6 hours ago, pubic_assistance said:

I'm about the same age as you.

Never had a problem with safe sex and I still don't.

I literally used to teach a workshop with a safe sex outreach program for gay men to learn to avoid HIV transmission.

Now it seems everyone is avoiding HIV with PreP but couldn't care less about the damage every other STI could and will inflict on their bodies.

So..no. I don't feel jealous. I feel sad for these kids who have blinders on.

I  am 66 and I agree with you about the other STI's that can happen. I am not on Prep, but even if I were, I can not do raw. I fear there might be a new STI lurking since raw has become so common and Prep is giving a false sense of security to too many guys.  

[MikeH10]

this is a really interesting topic, and one i've thought a good bit about.  i'm slightly younger (mid 30s) and i think guys my age (and certainly guys younger) really take for granted the existence of PrEP - myself include. since i started on PrEP several years ago i've exclusively barebacked both in personal life and hiring. i hookup regularly, go to sex parties and circuit parties, and in those crowds a condom is practically never in sight.  when talking to guys about hooking up, if you mention wanting to use a condom, chances are they'll lose interest (myself included, to be honest).

i started thinking about this generational mindset shift a month ago when i watched some of the old 2000 Queer as Folk series. while hookup culture is very present in the show, i was caught off guard by how prominent and reserved the attitude was about safe sex, condoms, and HIV... the sentiment was about as universal as PrEP and barebacking is ~20 years later.  i wasn't old enough to be having sex when the show came out, so getting 'immersed' in the gay experience during that time period was a little jarring.  it really made me reflect and appreciate how much things have changed since 2000.

[MaybeMaybeNot]

I am not ireally nto anal sex, which makes it all easier for me. But I do enjoy visiting public sex spaces to watch from time to time, and the multi-partner raw sex gives me pause when I think about all the other things that can be exchanged. I got an STI from just kissing someone, so in the years since, I have become too cautious. I don't want to play with my health, and if so many people are out there having unhibited fun, it seems easier for other things to pass around.  As cougar said, there could be something new going around too at some point.

My taste preference is for ongoing, meaningful connections with limited partners, but for me in LA, that is like buying a winning lottery ticket. So, part of me wishes I could let myself go,  go on PrEP and DoxyPep, and join the fray. 

[+ Vegas_Millennial]

15 hours ago, MikeH10 said:

i hookup regularly, go to sex parties and circuit parties, and in those crowds a condom is practically never in sight.

Today's younger generation uses a condom about as often as they use a capital letter to begin a sentence.

[+ Jamie21]

I’ve been on prep for about 4 years. It’s now just natural to not use a condom and most guys I know don’t use them. Most clients I see don’t use them. If I go to a sex party (not often, maybe a few times a year) no one uses a condom. Prep has changed attitudes, on the whole I think for the good. 

I’m aware of the risks of other sexually transmitted infections… because catching something can affect my business but more importantly my health, therefore I get tested every month. I think if you are having bareback sex then it’s imperative to get tested regularly.