Apparently slut shaming is contagious.
With PrEP now available in Britain, FS Magazine, a publication by the Gay Men’s Health Project, has just released a report that roughly 33% of men on the drug have experienced negative stigma. The discovery follows similar trends in the US, where men on PrEP have also reported ridicule over the drug regimen.
PrEP involves a daily dose of the anti-HIV drug Truvada, along with regular STI testing every three months. Doctors typically monitor liver and kidney function for patients taking Truvada, and test for a full battery of possible infections. Truvada does not protect against bacterial infections like chlamydia or syphilis, though the regular STI testing and access to medical care involved with PrEP means patients have a greater likelihood of getting more immediate treatment for an infection.
Still, in the UK, people seem to have the impression that men on PrEP somehow don’t care about their health.
How about we take this to the next level?
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10% of men surveyed in the FS Magazine study said they’ve been confronted because “taking PrEP means you don’t care about your health.” 48% of PrEP users have had people say “people should just use condoms,” while a whopping 43% were told taking the medication “means you’re a slut.” More than three quarters also reported someone saying PrEP doesn’t protect against other STIs.
“We really need to stop slut shaming each other”, said Ian Howley, Chief Executive of the Health Equality and Rights Organisation. “Calling each other lazy, irresponsible or promiscuous does nothing to stop the spread of HIV. It only takes one sexual encounter for HIV and STIs to be passed on.”
He adds: “people don’t stop having sex because of being slut shamed. They are just more likely to hide their sex lives from their friends or potential partners and think twice about how they interact with health advisers. Slut shaming does not prevent HIV”.
Despite three reported cases of PrEP failing to prevent HIV, the drug regimen has proven itself more than 99% effective in protecting patients from acquiring the disease–far more effective than condoms, in fact. Still, the notion that men on PrEP never use condoms, or that PrEP is a license for promiscuous behavior lives on.
Geeker
There are too many now antibiotic resistant strains of once easily treatable STIs for me to rely on a single pill for my health and safety so I’ll continue to use condoms.
Kieru
PrEP does not offer protection against any STI other than HIV-1, and only then if the HIV-1 is not resistant to one or both drugs that make up Truvada. No one encouraging PrEP adoption has ever suggested it could be used to protect against any other STI so I’m not sure I follow your logic here…
Certainly if you’re concerned your partner might have any other STI you should use a condom. But if you know your partners HIV status and are confident they have no other STIs you can, if you are taking PrEP, make the informed choice to have sex without a condom at statistically no risk.
If you’re not confident about any of the above you should continue to use a condom, regardless of whether you’re taking PrEP.
Paco
Most won’t care until genitals start shriveling up and falling off.
AndThenTheresMax
RIGHT?!
Bromancer7
You do realize they are not mutually-exclusive, right? You can use both. Considering PrEP is far superior to condoms at preventing HIV, why wouldn’t you use it?
frankcar1965
Tell that to the people who get MRSA who got it from the hospital, antibiotic resistant bacteria are a problem everywhere not just on your dick. So give your self-hating gay self a rest.
Polaro
Prep is a good idea because it also requires quarterly testing for all sexually transmitted diseases. If you’re paranoid, Prep + condoms are the way to go. If you’re really paranoid, stay home with Chaterbate. A condom won’t save you from a blowie. Prep might. And no, no one really uses a condom for oral, so don’t even go there (waiting for some prick to go there.)
Kieru
This is not accurate. The only testing required to remain on PrEP is your regular HIV screening as well as testing to ensure your kidney and liver functions are normal. Those tests are typically administered every 3 months though the kidney / liver testing can be reduced to every 6 months once your doctor is confident that you are tolerating the medication.
If your physician is encouraging you to have additional STI screenings with each visit that is based on their assessment of your sexual activity (number of partners, condom usage, etc) and not simply on your being prescribed PrEP.
Polaro
Wrong. When they take blood to test for HIV they automatically test for other STDs as part of the procedure. They do not ask nor trust anyone’s statement about sexual behavior. At least they do that at Kaiser. Not sure where you got your story from, because that seems pretty dumb to me – why would’t you test for the full range? The liver enzyme testing might be true.
Kieru
Perhaps it is different at Kaiser. My own experience with PrEP users is that the HIV test is completed with a Rapid HIV lancet. That takes just a couple drops of blood and gives the doctor the results in a matter of minutes (Ideal if you need the patient to stop taking Truvada were they to test positive).
I would point out too that your physician cannot force you to undergo a full STI test every 3 months. They can advise you to do so based on your sexual history, but they cannot force you or make your PrEP prescription contingent on that. The only thing you need to do to stay on PrEP is get screened for HIV every 3 months and your liver/kidney functions tested every 3-6 months. Everything else is just extra stuff your physician thinks is in your best interest, but is not directly connected to your being or not being on PrEP.
HereIAm
Thank you Kieru for the accurate information about PrEP and STD tests. The PrEP supporters always claim that you can’t get refills unless you get tested for STDs, which is a big lie. Their intention has always been to sugarcoat this drug and its side effects and how insufficient condoms are in fighting against HIV. You have to wonder if these people are working for the big pharma to make the company super rich.
Kieru
@HereIAm – Just so you know, I AM a PrEP supporter. I think it’s a marvelous drug that can benefit a lot of people. If you enjoy casual sex or are in an open relationship I think you should be on PrEP, regardless of your adherence to condoms.
The people commenting about STI testing aren’t malicious with their misinformation. They simply fail to take into account that any physician treats your sexual health as a whole. For some PrEP users that is going to mean recommending regular STI screenings. Other users might not be considered as ‘at risk’ for random STIs, so the focus would be just on their HIV status.
A good example of the latter would be a serodiscordant monogamous couple. The HIV- partner would be on PrEP and need regular HIV screenings as part of the guidelines for usage. The STI panels wouldn’t be necessary if the partner is confident that their status as a monogamous couple is accurate. Any reasonable physician would forgo those tests unless some health issue cropped up to suggest they were necessary.
1898
i get shamed by prep users all the time because i’m NOT on prep. i can’t take it because of a preexisting liver condition. i tell people that and then i get lectured and they make assumptions (like assuming i’m an alcoholic which is not the case, or assuming i’m dying which is not the case either)
Dymension
You know, that is right. PrEP users shame others all the time. For me it comes down to what is important. I simply don’t want to take a pill. A condom is good if you have sex once in a while. Now, if you plan on having sex every night… ah, that’s where the slut shaming comes in…
Polaro
They are doing you a favor by proving they are dicks before you have sex with them. What’s the problem?
frankcar1965
Tell them it’s non of their business unless you are going to have sex.
PinkoOfTheGange
Reversal and ironic confirmation of the story…only on QUEERTY
Ajs33308
A slut is a Slut, now they are just sluts on Prep….I treat patients with all the other STDs so keep barebacking guys!
HereIAm
Why do these sluts have no self control and almost no impulse control? Are they all addicted to sex? Do they have no guiding light in their life, no integrity, and no morals? We can’t just mind our own business and pretend they don’t exist. When you see something so morally wrong, you have to speak up against these lost souls.
dwes09
The depth and breadth of your psychological issues are stunning.
You hate sex.
You seem totally suspicious of physical pleasure.
You hate any sexual expression outside of the most typical and constrained even more than you hate sex itself.
You believe you have the last word on what constitutes integrity and morals and yet constantly display a naivety that indicates few actual interactions with other people.
Seek help, and I say that sincerely.
And everybody here recognizes your past names, and the ones you use currently. You fool nobody.
Polaro
Wow – what compassion. You show a complete lack of understanding. Anyone you treat should find another witch doctor.
KevInSD
Whatever your views on this particular issue, surveys in “FS Magazine” are not a reliable source of data. The surveys are not published in peer reviewed publications. There is little to no disclosure of the methodology or sample demographics. They don’t release the fully survey. These are the most basic disclosures that one would expect from any legitimate survey. I actually contacted FS to get this information on one of their prior surveys and they ignored the request. Two other “FS Magazine” surveys, featured on Queerty, both had results that differed wildly from results in scientific, peer-reviewed journals. These are all major red flags. I wouldn’t give any credence to his or anything else that “FS Magazine” has to say.
PinkoOfTheGange
Feel free to share the other side.
But specifics would be nice.
Paco
“More than three quarters also reported someone saying PrEP doesn’t protect against other STIs.”
So according to the article, it is also “slut-shaming” to remind condomless PrEP users that they are still leaving themselves open to exposure to other STDs.
It makes me wonder how many condomless PrEP users pressure or shame others to go condomless.
I don’t consider PrEP use with being a slut. But I do have to wonder why the rates of the other STDs continue to rise. Perhaps too many aren’t being tested enough to keep up with their level of sexual activity and expose many others to their STD which may not show any obvious symptoms.
frankcar1965
It’s not your business to remind anyone of anything, if you don’t want to have sex with them then don’t. Stop being the morality police just like straight society does to gays.
surreal33
If you are a rationale adult engaged in sexual activities that do not endanger yourself or anyone else I fail to see how it is possible for you to feel/be “slut shamed”? On the other hand if you have doubts/guilt that very telling.
Wicked Dickie
I like my liver and kidneys, so I’ll avoid PRep and stick to condom use with my partner and not BB randoms.
Polaro
Good for you. Thanks for sharing.
frankcar1965
You are probably too ugly to fuuck anyway.
Billy Budd
I have nothing against sluts. I’ve been a slut in the past and had a lot of fun, with minimal consequences. I just prefer to wear condoms. I trust condoms. I know that they work. Also, I take Depakote, a medication that is potentially harmful to the liver, so I would never be a candidate for taking truvada. To all truvada whores in the world, I say: do whatever you wanna do, be a libertine and be a slut. But please wear condoms to prevent the other STIs and resistant strains of hiv.
Polaro
And dental dams when giving head? Seriously…. Condoms are most effective for HIV and not for other STIs that are also readily communicable orally – most of them. HIV is rarely communicated orally. Did anyone read the manual?
tham
How do people know they are on PrEP? Does it turn your tongue blue?
I don’t know, maybe stop talking about it with people who are not your friends.
Godabed
Slutshaming i an oximoronic term. You can’t shame a slut, because the very act of being a slut is shameless.
I think people just like coming up with pho outrage.
And to be completely fair majority of the people on Prep are in fact sluts. I know this to be personally true.
djmcgamester
Why are people being slut shamed? First, PrEP is a good idea no matter what. It’s not a true replacement for things like condoms but it’s at least some defense. But so what if guys are promiscuous? I know I was for a very long time. Now I’m not. I’m not ashamed of my past, and anyone who’s still doing it should also not be shamed for it. I didn’t go around telling my parents or anything but my sex life isn’t really their business.
HereIAm
If you are not ashamed of your promiscuous past, maybe you are just a lousy human being now. All those years living like a slut has taught you nothing? You may think this is just your own sordid business but It certainly is not. We have to speak up against the morally wrong when we see it. It’s our duty.
Roan
So how do you know that people taking PrEP have been on it long enough to make a difference? That they’ve been tested? Or they take it consistently? Or even take it all? Oh, that’s right. YOU DON’T. Damn. If only there were other ways of preventing the spread of HIV.
Kieru
Your comment kind of reads like you think a person on PrEP is HIV+ and takes the medication to prevent themselves from being able to transmit the disease during sex. To be clear, PrEP is for HIV- people. It prevents them from being able to contract HIV from an HIV+ person when used correctly.
And there are plenty of ways to prevent the spread of HIV that don’t involve condoms. Non-penetrative sex acts (significantly reduced risk). Having the HIV+ person be the receptive partner during anal sex (reduced risk). Ensuring the HIV+ person is consistent with their therapy and at an undetectable viral load (an HIV+ person with an undetectable viral load cannot transmit the disease).
The best way to prevent the spread of HIV is to educate people on how the disease is and is not spread, and offer them options for protecting themselves that best suit their lifestyle.
DK
So when do we get to talk about how some oral STIs are harder to treat than their anal and urinary versions (especially gonorrhea)? Many have lulled themselves into a false sense of security/superiority based on their preferred safety practices, but unless you’re using condoms for oral you prolly shouldn’t be judging others.
missedgle
Well I was in a Situation this past weekend at the Halloween block party and this hottie said he wanted to beep me. I was shock I guess cause I’m old, but my costume was The handmaid’s lol. I was like okay u have a condom he was like latex breaks me out but I’m on PrEP nonetheless. I run for my life. I don’t think it’s a good thing this PrEP…..thought’s???????????????????????????????????????
Politically_incorrect
I am fully supportive of Prep being prescribed to people at high risk of HIV. The original aim of Prep as a HIV Prevention strategy was for it to become a method of protection for those who’s sex lives didn’t involve any other form of prevention, ie. Condoms or being in a Monogamous relationship with a partner who has a UVL of which the HIV Negative partner has been provided with independent proof not just trusting because someone says so). Prep was never recommended to be a conduit for people with a history of effective HIV prevention to consciously engage their bare-backing fantasies because Prep’s optimum effectiveness, relies on effective medical monitoring of adherence and engagement with ongoing sexual health testing, which if applied to a large number of people, would place unsustainable strain on health care costs for public health services (all Western Countries except the USA have low cost of free sexual health testing), in the USA, due to large disparities in health care cover, particularly the most vulnerable to be unable to afford the follow up testing and monitoring, assuming they can afford Prep in the first place.
This criteria is well known among Gay men and hence the aversion to Prep users by some sections of each community region. While I do agree that so called ‘Slut Shaming’ is not a behavior that I believe should be encouraged, conversely, their is little to no evidence that the alleged ‘Slut Shaming’ is encouraging sexual behaviors which are high risk and furthermore absolutely no evidence that so called ‘Slut Shaming’ discourages Prep use by definition because people who are already on Prep are clearly doing so by their own motivation.
Widespread use of Prep, is becoming increasingly obvious is a goal of Prep advocates, of which depending on the scale and extent, will lead to a reversal of it’s effectiveness, because monitoring and therefore adherence will lead to unsustainable burden on health budgets, particularly when taking into account the increase in STD/STI infections. Prep advocates recognised that if Prep use was more mainstream, it would lead to a peer/community related pressure for a sizable number of people to take the drug, therefore normalise it. That was never the purpose of the drug, but is widely perceived in the HIV Prevention industry as a necessary measure in order to attract funding levels that would fund providing Prep and it’s compulsory ancillary care. In other words, encourage people who don’t need Prep to take it, so as to attract more funding for the most vulnerable. Seems like an admirable goal, I agree, however not one without consequences. Their are other methods of reaching the most HIV infection vulnerable and to funding it, but lazy is easier it seems
Prep has been promoted in such a way as to glorify BB sex, effectively encouraging, or daring those who may have wanted to but were sexual health conscious and therefore without Prep. That is because, the most HIV Sero-conversion at risk population are not easy to engage and have very little engagement or exposure with Gay venues nor Gay media, yet the majority of campaigns were heavily targeted towards the mainstream Gay community of whom the majority were not engaging in high risk sexual activity in percentage terms as the non-scene engaged so called ‘MWHSWM’ who along with a small minority within the Gay scene are whom Prep is for.
The term slut shaming, has been used in a number of contexts, many of which are not appropriate. If gay men or MWHSWM decide to be on Prep, while it should be applauded, there should never be an implicit expectation that by taking Prep and choosing to disclose their Prep use to persons they barely know, are known to make this disclosure in order to communicate that they enjoy BB anal sex and are seeking confirmation that their sexual partner will approve of it. Yes some Prep users use condoms, however, those Prep users could and very likely would avoid the alleged Prep shaming by not disclosing. But lets not pretend that Prep has been taken up by the highest risk populations, it has been embraced by populations of whom the majority have done so with the desire to engage in Condomless BB sex with partners of unknown status without fear.
Do not blame the Prep users, blame the so called experts and HIV Prevention agencies for promoting Prep in ways such as Prep, the sex you want without fear. Sorry, if those people who you thing may be engaged by this message are on Prep, it’s because they wish to bareback but without Prep are reluctant. Those who prior to Prep were already engaging in high levels of condomless sex were never sufficiently concerned about HIV, or circumstances dictated that they had limited opportunity to avoid it, none-the less they are highly unlikely to find such a message as relavent. Time to wake up and realise that if some Gay men choose to resist the trend to encourage an anythng goes, impersonal connectionless sex culture, they have that right. Health Proffesionals are who this message is most appropriate, not lecturing people by accusing them of being judgemental when for most, so called slut shamiing is merely the healthy majority choosing partners who best match their desires and expectations.
If anyone wants to discuss further, I am happy too