Poppers May Aid AIDS Transmission
Just remember, kids: there’s more to life than poppers and blowjobs:
Reducing the use of poppers in serodiscordant sexual encounters should be an objective of gay men’s HIV prevention campaigns, according to UK investigators in an article published in the online edition of Sexually Transmitted Infections.Researchers found that gay men who inhaled poppers during unprotected anal intercourse had a significantly increased risk of being infected with HIV.
The article goes on to suggest that poppers “may increase biological susceptibility to infection”. Transmission can also occur because poppers make you all loosey-goosey and can help with “rough” sex.
If you’re having unprotected anal intercourse, sniffing some room deodorier is the least of your fuck-ups.
I heard this 20 years ago, but then they were saying they caused KS. Awfully hard to separate out the variables here — I mean people who use poppers on a regular basis are also pretty uninhibited.
Ain’t nobady gonna quit poppers. HKG: it’s not *really* room deodoeizer, the label just says that.
I find it unusual that Viagra boosts the nitrogen oxide in the blood stream just like Amyl/Butyl do. If you look at the warnings for Viagra you know that the two things do the same thing in similar ways. HOWEVER, Amyl/Butyl gets a bad rap because it is a GAY RECREATIONAL drug. How I wish it were a HETERO RECREATIONAL drug like Viagra.
I miss it. Everything else gives me a headache.
WWH: Um,, I think I meant to be funny. They advertise it that way. Having said that, let me ask you: Who the hell would want a room to smell like underarm pitjuice and wet socks? (Don’t answer that.)
Poppers no more cause AIDS or lead to it’s spread than anything else other than the HIV virus. It’s the UNPROTECTED receptive anal sex that is the culprit. Poppers don’t lead to unprotected sex.
Smart people wear a condom no matter if they’re using poppers, alcohol, Viagra, or anything else.
Guess what, folks? There really are gay men who don’t use condoms for anal sex AND use poppers. It’s a reality we should face and the “where a condom” message probably won’t work on them. This is all about risk reduction. Rather than shun these men, let’s work with them to reduce their risk — use less poppers, pull out before ejaculation, and limit your number of sex partners. And by the way Tracy…the headline says poppers “may aid” transmission not “cause” it. There’s a big difference.
Wow – if you’re really an “HIV prevention specialist” then it’s no wonder AIDS info is so screwed up. Firstly, it’s WEAR a condom. Not WHERE a condom.
And who is ‘shunning’ these men here? Exaggerate much?
Finally, if you actually read Tracy’s full sentence it continues, “or lead to it’s spread…” So your criticism of his/her comment is just wrong.
Oops…that would be “wear a condom”. I was so frustrated with the judgment in your comments, I typed to fast and hit the submit button before proofing my own comment.
Gregg…the universal message is “WEAR A CONDOM. EVERY TIME.” However, there are many men out there who don’t hear that message because they have low self esteem or because they have shame or because they are on drugs or because they choose not to wear condoms. When working with these men, we all should help them work out a plan to reduce their risk and not say they are “fuck-ups” or assume they are ALL “uninhibited” or implying they are not “smart.” Those words are judgmental and judgment makes people feel shunned.
I totally agree with chandler in Las Vegas. Viagra has side effect up the wall and doesn’t get a bad rap!!! The damn media.
There have been several studies to show Viagra (and similar drugs) is also linked to a greater risk of HIV infection. But the big drug companies, like Pfizer, probably pay top dollar to keep those studies out of the media. The small companies that make poppers just don’t stand a chance. Check out what one LA AIDS org tried to do: http://www.aidshealth.org/inde.....Itemid=347.