condoms

[+ José Soplanucas]

Are we in the post-condom age?

 

I am aware that many forum members are veterans who lived through and survived the AIDS nightmare, who lost very much loved friends, partners, and relatives in those terrible years. That experience always strongly conditions this conversation. I know that sex with no condoms is often a tabu. I did not research the forums for previous conversations on this topic, but the few ones I remember would never question the need for condoms, even when in some posts you could read otherwise in between lines.

 

So I want to put it out there, explicitly. I am barebacking with a few selected professionals I trust are on PreP. I am still using condoms with my hook ups and with escorts I do not fully trust.

 

Every single time I have the chance to do it, hell it feels so fucking good.

 

I am considering to ask my doctor for a PreP treatment for myself, so I can forget about condoms with everyone.

[+ pitman]

I strongly recommend talking to your doctor about PreP. You can start on it, see how you like it and if you have any side effects, and still keep using condoms until, if ever, you feel completely comfortable with giving them up. It doesn't have to be an all or nothing thing. PreP has been shown to be very effective in stopping transmission of HIV.

[+ oldNbusted]

Funny timing, after talking it over with my doc, I started PreP yesterday. In a refreshing turn from many experiences I've read on the web, when I described my situation, she offered it, I'm hoping the tide the turning from the old stories of primary care docs refusing to prescribe it, insisting on referring to infectious disease specialists.

 

Having said that, I don't see this as a binary choice, condoms have a role and PreP has a roll and while they overlap for HIV, there are other STIs for which condoms remain a major preventative tool.

 

Edited to say I concur with @pitman , talk to your doc.

[+ BenjaminNicholas]

I am barebacking with a few selected professionals I trust are on PreP. I am still using condoms with my hook ups and with escorts I do not fully trust

 

I know you know this, but deciding to bareback without first being on routine PrEP is incredibly risky.

 

While you have trust in these men, the only person you can truly trust 100% with your health is yourself. Get the bloodwork done and get onto PrEP now. And as other replies have posted, be aware of the wide variety of STDs that PrEP doesn't protect you against. Vaccinate against what you can.

[+ MostlyLurking]

Howard Brown, the LGBTQ health center in Chicago, is recommending faithful condom use even for people on PrEP. Are they alone?

[+ sniper]

There are reasons to still use condoms aside from HIV. But a lot of people are only "really" worried about HIV. Meanwhile due to the spread of HPV, head and neck cancers are increasing.

But to the OP, barebacking with multiple partners, especially people who you know themselves have an above average number of partners, makes you exactly the target market for PreP. Even responsible people who have no intention of doing so miss doses sometimes. It's just human nature. My 90-day supplies of cholesterol medication routinely last me 100-110 days because I randomly forget to take it, for example.

 

The case for PreP is statistically somewhat less compelling if you are an exclusive top and also circumcised(i.e. it's riskier bottoming with a condom than topping without one).

[nycguy]

As Tony Kushner said, "pretty soon you want the juice from the berry." For a lot of guys there is no point in fucking unless they get inseminated. Innate desires trump everything else.

[AdamSmith]

I got a new doctor start of this year, due to changing ACA insurer. He is youngish (later 40s), educated at Georgetown and U of Chicago Hospitals, only present in the practice for appointments two days a week due to otherwise being on numerous national and international medical boards and commissions to improve practice and delivery. In a word, up on all the latest.

 

He said, matter-of-factly, two things to me:

 

"We can eradicate HIV in a decade by stopping transmission right now, which we have the tools for."

 

"Anyone who is active should be on PrEP. It is a very light load on the liver and body, easily sustained by anyone with normal liver function. It should be the norm."

[+ MostlyLurking]

They'll have to come down on the price before it becomes "the norm." Adam Smith, does your ACA insurer cover it?

[+ oldNbusted]

Mine does, I was concerned there may have been some hoops to jump through but it went right through, my copay was $30 for 30 pills, a dollar a day and it may be possible to reduce that even further with the co-pay support program:

 

https://www.gileadadvancingaccess.com

 

Pricing is a serious issue for widespread usage particularly with the non-insured or insurance that refuses to cover it, if that's possible. I thought the pharmacy clerk said it would have been $117 if it hadn't been covered, which is a lot to pay monthly for a lot of people. It's less than what I spend on hiring so I just consider it the cost of doing bizness.

 

Off topic, @latbear4blk where is your avatar from?

[AdamSmith]

They'll have to come down on the price before it becomes "the norm." Adam Smith, does your ACA insurer cover it?

Yes, it does. I have Blue Cross Blue Shield here in N.C., and they pay 80%.

[+ MostlyLurking]

Pricing is a serious issue for widespread usage particularly with the non-insured or insurance that refuses to cover it, if that's possible. I thought the pharmacy clerk said it would have been $117 if it hadn't been covered, which is a lot to pay monthly for a lot of people.

 

I don't think that's $117/month. I think that's $117 per pill.

[AlexThomas]

Its about 300 a bottle where im at, before insurance. My medical cuts it way down, and what I cant pay the gilead assistance covers. Bottle is a 30 day supply.

[Nvr2Thick]

Unfortunately we can't pick and choose our STDs.

[+ José Soplanucas]

Off topic, @latbear4blk where is your avatar from?

 

It is an old avatar, I do not remember what exactly were the key words I used for a google images search, but it is easy to guess.

 

You probably think it is new because you are one of our recent great additions. It was my avatar before Trump, and now it is back.

[Courage]

I don't know how realistic or farfetched it is, but I have this fear that as quickly as AIDS emerged and devastated, some unknown STI could emerge and wreak similar damage in the future.

[rvwnsd]

Howard Brown, the LGBTQ health center in Chicago, is recommending faithful condom use even for people on PrEP. Are they alone?

No, they are not alone. My physician in San Diego emphasized condom use while on PrEP and my current doc in Phoenix does, as well. The current doc required that I complete a PrEP agreement, which addressed the blood and urine testing requirements as well as condom use in addition to PrEP use.

[Cyd_StVincent]

Condoms, PrEP, serosorting, conversations, taking anonymous bareback loads - they all have their place and what risk you decide works for you in your life (because there is no such thing as no risk) is great.

 

However, as someone who worked in an STD clinic for a long time, I think the idea of HIV being the only STI that 'counts' is a short sighted one. This is not the 70's and the antibiotic arsenal is not what it once was. While gonnorhea is much less likely to kill you, having it for life or having to go to the hospital to get it cured - which is a very likely soon future - is something I don't take lightly and therefore act accordingly. I hate people who shame other for their well informed choices, I just wish I felt like more people were better informed.

[LADoug1]

Are we in the post-condom age?

 

I am aware that many forum members are veterans who lived through and survived the AIDS nightmare, who lost very much loved friends, partners, and relatives in those terrible years. That experience always strongly conditions this conversation. I know that sex with no condoms is often a tabu. I did not research the forums for previous conversations on this topic, but the few ones I remember would never question the need for condoms, even when in some posts you could read otherwise in between lines.

 

So I want to put it out there, explicitly. I am barebacking with a few selected professionals I trust are on PreP. I am still using condoms with my hook ups and with escorts I do not fully trust.

 

Every single time I have the chance to do it, hell it feels so fucking good.

 

I am considering to ask my doctor for a PreP treatment for myself, so I can forget about condoms with everyone.

 

If you are barebacking PreP is a MUST for you !

[LADoug1]

Due to kidney and osteoporosis Issues I'm not able to take PreP. Plus I'm still traumatized by the epidemic in the 80's. I use condoms faithfully.

[+ Chuck MaxxTop]

Yup - as a top condom use for me is mandatory for escorts and hookups. There are other things besides HIV that condoms should help protect against.

[+ oldNbusted]

Due to kidney and osteoporosis Issues I'm not able to take PreP. Plus I'm still traumatized by the epidemic in the 80's. I use condoms faithfully.

 

This bring up another possible motivation, if PrEP became widespread enough, I think people who can't use it might benefit indirectly, what's called herd immunity.

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Herd_immunity

 

For other STIs, I wonder if there is a lack of research into new treatments due to judgmental attitudes, but I suppose we can't get into that to far without the thread getting moved to the politics subforum.

[+ Axiom2001]

I use condoms faithfully[/b].

 

I don't bareback and have my sexual partners use condoms. When I was last in a free clinic in San Francisco for tests, the assistant and I discussed PreP. He mentioned the insurance component for payment; he also encouraged me to continue to use condoms even if I were on PreP, so for the top, if he were adverse to using a Magnum-- then it'll be a female condom or condoms if needed.

[+ José Soplanucas]

I am so happy. I go to my physician to ask if I am covered by my insurance to get into PrEP, as my current contract ends next Friday and I am going to be without health insurance for 5 weeks. Amazing news. I can get it for free. I did not make any research but my doc told me the pharmaceutical company that produces Truvada provides the medication for free, whether or not I have insurance, for certain special cases, like a teacher.

 

Maybe Pharma is not as evil as I thought.

 

http://68.media.tumblr.com/44107889d6806da58dccfc294dbed278/tumblr_onk38sNYnF1s9a9yjo1_400.gif

[JetBlack]

Condoms all the way. I can't see myself ever barebacking. I know prep is becoming more common, but I feel it should be used as a backup if the condom breaks.