Category: sex (oh yeah)

octopus: a MUST see

Yesterday, James and I went to a matinée showing of Steve Yockey’s amazing play, Octopus. I have been very eager to see the show, especially since Steve had sent me the script last year, and when I read it, I was completely moved by it. When he told me it was going to be put on at Actor’s Express, I was delighted for him, and anxious to see it brought to life.

The play deals with issues and consequences that can come from “having a little fun”, and not paying attention to the great monster that is waiting at the bottom of the sea. Octopus expertly uses an interestingly playful, as well as frightful, metaphor in order to tackle intense issues surrounding relationships, and what happens when things suddenly change; even when you promised each other that they wouldn’t.

The show was moving, poignant, gripping, and at times, even laugh out loud funny. I could really feel what the actors were saying, and really identified with many of the main characters. Being gay, and in a relationship myself, it is hard to think about what would happen if something unexpected, and horrible, were to suddenly thrust itself between us. Would we react in the way that those characters did? Hopefully, I will never have to answer that question myself.

Now, I know that I am being cryptic, but honestly, I don’t want to give away the very thing that the play seeks to show you; the message is strong, and really does hit close to home.

It succeeds on every level; it is entertaining, and it really engages you and forces you to think about the consequences of your actions. Just because you get lost in the moment during a random sexual encounter, doesn’t mean that there won’t be massive ramifications to both you and your partner. Steve uses the unseen “monster” to truly hammer home the point that a lack of attention to the truth of consequence is really missing for many young (and old) gay men in today’s dangerous world. He makes a strong statement about how denial and ignorance only make you defenseless in preventing the beast from devouring you, or someone that you love. He goes further to challenge you into seeing that consequences are often not very easy to deal with for either partner, and sometimes, those reactions are devastating in and of themselves. It was masterfully written, and the stage direction and effects are phenomenal.

You must see Octopus. It will move you, and it may even make you want to cry, but it reminds us to be mindful of our actions, and know that there are consequences to everything that we do and say; especially within the concept of a relationship. Being mindful is the key to preventing that monster from devouring us all.

Octopus is playing NOW at Actor’s Express, and on through February 23. Don’t miss it!!!

torchwood season premiere tonight!

In case you may be like me, and are saddened by the fact that there is practically NOTHING to watch on TV these days (thanks to the writer’s strike), I have good news; I am here to rescue you from TV boredom!! Tonight is the season 2 premiere of Torchwood, the most fantastical show, fresh from BBC America! For those of you that have no idea what Torchwood is, here’s a brief “synopsis”, from wikipedia:

Torchwood is a science fiction drama television programme, created by Russell T Davies and starring John Barrowman and Eve Myles. It deals with the machinations and activities of the Cardiff branch of the fictional Torchwood Institute, who deal with supernatural occurrences.

Basically, it is technically a spin off of the recent revival of the Dr Who series, but in my opinion, it is much more serious (no camp here folks), and more adult; not to mention, better in my opinion. It is great television, and has a serious edge to it, which is both refreshing, and fun to watch.

If you need any further reason to get on board with Torchwood, check this clip out from one of my favorite episodes in season one:


In my opinion, this is seriously the most romantic and beautiful kiss I have ever seen on a TV show. Wow. If you liked that, and are looking for a new sci-fi based drama, check out Torchwood! I know that I am glad that I did, and I seriously cannot wait for the season premiere; which comes on tonight on BBC America!

contraception to be offered to middle school students; and?

So apparently, there is a slight hub-bub about kids being offered contraceptives after an “outbreak” of pregnancies among middle school kids. AND?

Now, regardless of any objection about providing contraceptives for any reason, I want to know why we are not providing them with sex education that is the most effective? Wouldn’t that eliminate the need for this “controversial” take on preventing teenage pregnancy? How come our government still clings to the utter nonsense that is abstinence only education?

If people still think that kids are not having sex, and want to continue with the utter and complete BULLSHIT that is abstinence only education, I seriously think they need to be beaten about the head and shoulders; in hopes that it would knock some fucking sense into them. The time to reform sex education is BEFORE a string of pregnancies; which I might need to remind people that focus on abstinence only education, is caused by having sex. That’s right! Kids are totally doing it, no matter how far you want to go in convincing yourself that they are not.

What really got me worked up in reading this article, is that it mentions that condoms are available, but it doesn’t say to what capacity that they are recommended. Under federal guidelines for sex education, it is my knowledge that they would not be recommended at all, and in some cases, even discouraged, and represented as an ineffective means of preventing pregnancy and STDs. To piggyback on that thought, it really frustrates me that they are so willing to try and prevent pregnancy, without any thought or stance on preventing STD transmission. Sure, having a baby is a big deal, but so is getting HIV! Where’s the concern? (did someone say, love the fetus, hate the child? oh…)

For me, this totally relates to whether girls getting a vaccine for cervical cancer, and how it could be seen as “controversial”. If you can PREVENT a disease by practicing certain things, why wouldn’t you want to encourage those things among the greater population? In all seriousness, to continue to follow this “bury your head in the sand and it will go away” method of treating our nation’s children and their “non” behaviors, is about as backward thinking as it can get. The whole take our government has on childhood sexual education makes me want to fucking scream. Grrrr….

who really cares?

Everyone’s raving about another defecting Republican, who got caught giving in to his homosexual tendencies… but really, who cares? I mean, this guy goes up in an airport restroom to score some cock, and everyone is all abuzz about it. Please. I am so sick of the “news” covering stories like this one, or this and that about Britney Spears’ night out on the town; what is really going on in the world? Tell us that stuff!

Seriously. I mean if you really want to look at it, he didn’t even do anything but proposition the guy! No gay sex was involved!! What a freak, and what a non-news situation. Seriously, find something important to talk about, for crying out loud.

I do, however, think it is funny that so many of these anti-gay jerks find themselves in a restroom somewhere begging for a bit of man on man action… which really makes it clear that the more homophobic you are, the more you are covering up your own homosexuality; and honestly, that’s just sad.

I just wish people could be happy with themselves, and the world wouldn’t judge you because of what you do between the sheets. Perhaps people like this would be able to express themselves in a healthy (and more legal?) manner, and instead of being so against our “agenda”, they could just join us in place where you can be happy for who you are, you can enjoy personal acceptance, and people will understand and accept you for you. Man, wouldn’t that be a wonderful thing; and potentially, something actually worth reporting (for a change)?

Who knows… Now back to your regularly scheduled Michael Vick update… wait… I don’t give a shit about that either! HA!

In duane-related news… I have been really working hard at Statistics, which, if you are not a math wiz, is seriously another language. I just hope that I can pull out some magic knowledge or memory, and somehow score an A in this class. It is, after all, the only math class I have to take. At least I am getting it out of the way first!!

Finally, I don’t now if anyone is actually taking my music suggestions seriously, but here is another fantastic one: Kate Nash, Made of Bricks. Wow. She is a little bit Lily Allen, and I love her! The whole CD is a great listen, and I love her writing style. The song “Foundations”, is seriously infectious, and so well written. I have been listening to it on repeat for days. Do yourself a favor, and check it out! This CD is definitely one of my favorites of the year!

humor… or just hot?

It is no secret that the media loves to “push the envelope” by attempting to bring “humor” out of situations that, for whatever reason, they believe the “straight male” will find humorous; particularly, the depiction of gay kissing, groping, etc. Clearly evidenced by the recent movie “I Now Pronounce You Chuck and Larry”, it is clear that there is a fascination with man on man action, and whether it is used to attempt humor, or whether it is used to simply make fun of, one thing is certain; it definitely garners attention.

Many times, the attempt at “humor” will bring negative attention from the gay community, like with the Snickers ad that was played during the Superbowl; mostly because it crosses a line between being funny, and instead, seeks to make fun of someone/something. I think that regardless of where that line may lie, there is no denying that there is a constant obsession on man-on-man action; which is clearly evidenced by this ad campaign. The campaign is trying to get Londoners to come to Paris, and in this ad, they are showing how Paris is not only the city of love, but that it is also the city of humor. However, I have to ask; how is this ad humorous? Is it funny that men would kiss and grope one another in a clearly sexual position?

While I will admit that I am not an expert with regards to rugby, I know one thing for certain; rugby is a really hot sport to watch, and the players are a real distraction (i.e., they are hot). The grittiness of this contact sport, practices like a “scrum”, and the other close cornered activity that goes on during a match make this a visual delight for men that are sexually attracted to men (regardless if that is the intention or not). Additionally, I would argue that seeing the activities of the sport acted out, undeniably provide a visual display that borderlines on porn (or as Mark Simpson brilliantly calls it: sporno). What I find interesting, is that the men that are viewing these games and images of this sport (and others), along with the advertisers and the sports promoters, continue to pretend that these images and portrayals of “sporno” are not interesting to them sexually; even though they go the extra mile to portray them in such a sexual manner. I have to wonder; is it really done for humor, or is there some part of them that really thinks that it is just hot? If not, then why the emphasis on the more attractive men, and more sexually charged advertising?

I will gladly admit that this image is a distraction for me. I could just stare at it for a long time. I don’t think many would deny that this image is very sexual, and to many, extremely hot. I also think that was at least, at a bare minimum, part of the point, and I find it interesting that the motivation to make it so hot is there. This is especially interesting, considering the fact that straight men are “supposed to” “lack” sexual interest in the situation. I mean, you’ve seen a Men’s Health magazine, haven’t you? You can’t tell me that the images that they use in that magazine are geared towards men who are “so-called” “disgusted with the thought of gay sex”! It is practically a skin mag!

I mean, if men want to continue to deny that they are not looking because at least a tiny part of them is interested, intrigued, or at least on a small level, attracted to the image of the male form, that is fine, I actually have no problem with that whatsoever. However, I do ask that they keep bringing the goods, without crossing that line I mentioned earlier. I don’t care if they created this image for their ad campaign under the potentially false guise that it was “humorous”; because it clearly shows that there is a continued fascination with man-on-man action. The best thing about this ad, is that it does it in a way that is both subtle, as well as fucking hot.

I will always be fascinated by the fact that there is so much obsession with the male body, and even man-on-man sex, from straight men, especially when you consider that so many men will wince at the thought of two men kissing. It’s like the line that Christina Ricci delivered in the movie the Opposite of Sex:

Can I just say to all the girls out there…if you’re with a guy who groaned or made some crack during that little kiss…you’re with what we call a closet case. That’s the number one tip-off. Number two is if they freak out about gays in the military. You know, if they can’t discuss it without giggling about showering with guys…and bending over for soap and stuff. That’s not good. Real straight guys don’t spend a whole lot of time thinking about wet naked men, if you ask me.

While I think that she really has a point, I don’t think that just because a man thinks about other men, it necessarily makes him a closet case, or even gay. I think that we all have a fascination with the physical body, and men are naturally visual creatures. Also, I think that it would be correct to assume that men can appreciate, and possibly even enjoy, the visual aspects of the male body (or the actions in which it partakes). Regardless of the potential for wincing and making lewd comments, all while (possibly) secretly thinking that, “yeah, well, that is kinda hot”; I am just glad that they didn’t cross the line, and instead, went the extra mile for those of us that actually do enjoy seeing images like this. I for one, am very, very happy.

You’ve heard my spiel, so I want to know: what do you guys think? Do you think that there can be an appreciation for the male body without having to believe that you are gay, and therefore, freak out about it? I mean, there is so much homo-erotic subtext in sports, fraternities, and other male bonding rituals, that it can’t just be coincidental that men think about other men in “that way”; even though they don’t necessarily want to act on it. I think that if more men would just be okay with the presence of a potential “gay” feeling every now and then, the world would be a lot better place, you know? I would love to hear your thoughts on this; being the eternal anthropologist, this sort of thing is my bread and butter.

pride, biology, orientation, and all things that make us gay

Since this weekend is the 37th annual Atlanta Gay Pride festival, I thought I would reflect a little on pride, and what better way to do that, that with an article a flickr pal of mine sent to me about the biology of homosexuality? The article talks about current studies that are being conducted, many of which are looking at various biological trends in humans that indicate a biological representation of homosexuality. It builds on the studies from the past that looked at things like the differences in the hypothalamus (which was seen to be noticably different in homosexual men), and also looks at other interesting things potentially linked to your propensity to be gay, like being the youngest boy in your family, the length of your fingers, the direction of the whorl in your hair, and many other biological traits. What it goes on to show, is that the representation of these traits are sometimes significantly different for gay men, and even lesbian women, and as such, may prove to be biological markers that can be used to truly say that homosexuality is biologically determined.

While there is a lot covered in the article, and there are a lot of different points made, I thought it was interesting that first of all, we need to prove that homosexuality is somehow biological. I see how this proof would end the discussion that homosexuality was a choice, but it does open up a whole new can of worms, which is best summed up with this statement from the article:

If sexual orientation is biological, and we are learning to identify how it happens inside the uterus, doesn’t it suggest a future in which gay people can be prevented?

It appears that there is also some research looking at the possibility of genetic markers that “cause” homosexuality, and while they aren’t confirmed, it does sound both intriguing, and scary at the same time. I for one can’t imagine what would happen if it turns out that homosexuality is inherently genetic, and they do, then, start searching for a cure. (Additionally, I should note that the conclusion that lesbians are somehow “less homosexual” or even “more fluid” with their sexuality, because they haven’t identified as many markers in women is NOT something I endorse or agree with. Jumping to conclusions without research to back it up is dangerous and stupid.)

The whole notion of “curing homosexuality” is a scary thing, because I for one, don’t think that homosexuality is a disease, and as such, it certainly doesn’t need a “cure”. I am extremely proud of who I am, and being gay is a large part of that. I think that if I were meant to be born straight, I would have been. Plain and simple. I know that everyone doesn’t share my sentiment, especially those that hate themselves because they were born gay, but think about this: being gay, if it is truly biological, is essentially the same as if you were born black, red-haired, blue-eyed, female, or any other non-harmful biologically identifiable trait. The point is, that if it was meant to be, it would be. That is the way nature works.

But what about diseases, and genetically defective biological traits that can be identified and cured? Does this mean that I think that we should just let those diseases that can be prevented with genetic suppression go unchecked? No, I think that is a different argument, mainly because being gay has absolutely no provable detriment to a person’s life; other than, of course, the environmental and external influences that affect us. And we all know that just because you are gay doesn’t mean that you will be subjected to these influences, and just because you are straight, doesn’t mean you will be immune to them.

While being gay may be a “harder” life because of all that we face; discrimination, degradation, violence, hatred, etc, it is a life that we have lived, and because of what we go through, it shapes us into who we are. We are made up of both our biological selves that were given to us at birth, and we grow and are shaped by our experiences, and become who we are by combination of the two.

Now, I know for a fact that my experiences didn’t make me gay, but, they did happen to me because I am gay, and they helped me become who I am today. I am a proud, out, gay man, and I know what I know because of the journey I have been on to this point in my life. It is the journey, and what I have made from it, that I celebrate this weekend, and it is my hope that this important aspect of each gay person’s life is not lost if and when biological determinants are truly, and irrefutably identified.

Unfortunately, I am realistic about the world we live in, and I fear that the hateful, bigoted, religious extremists will force the issue of screening for these biological traits, in an effort to make gay people inferior. Even more, I fear that they will go further, and try to eliminate gay people from being born.

I hope that just because we identify that being gay isn’t because “you took dance instead of playing basketball”, and that it is because “you were born biologically homosexual”; people will NOT seek to eliminate the biological traits that make us special, unique, and wonderful.

Being gay is being different.
Being gay is being who we were born to be.
Being gay is who I am.
Being gay is who many others are as well.
Being gay is normal.

We are no less human, nor any less worthy of our lives as gay people, than anyone who is black, female, blonde haired, or left-handed is worthy of their life as who they were born. I hope that we can continue to live in a diverse world that begins to see these studies as a means of acceptance, and not as a means of elimination.

Given the tone this article has the potential to set, I for one, want to focus on the pride that I have for who I am, the community that I identify myself with, and what it means to sit here, typing this post as a proud gay man. It has been a long journey, but I know that I have a long way to go; and I couldn’t be happier that I get to take the journey myself. This weekend, I will celebrate this with my fellow gays in Atlanta, and it will be a beautiful thing. After the weekend, I will tell you all about it. Come out and see us if you can!

Happy Pride, y’all.

I want my pink shirt back!

And by pink shirt, I mean foreskin. (yikes!)

Most people know that I am not for circumcision, that is, unless you choose it for yourself. I believe that aesthetics, unsubstantiated HIV “prevention”, hygiene, and personal preference are not solid enough arguments (even when strung together) to justify genital mutilation. And I want mine back.

I have looked into it, and there are TONS of different methods and things available to restore one’s foreskin. There is even a society, dedicated to the cause! While I am not willing to undergo surgery, I really think it would be great to regain a part of my body that was taken from me without my permission. Do I think that I can’t live without it? No. But, I do think that if there is a pain-free way of getting it restored, why not give it a shot, right? I mean, it is MINE after all! (well, it WILL be mine)

James didn’t seem to happy about the idea, and insisted that I go and talk to our doctor. Since he wants that, I will make an appointment, but I don’t think that this is really a medical thing. The procedures are practically the same thing a body piercer would do in conjunction with you to stretch your ears, or any other piercing site. People have stretched ears, and it was not done by a doctor; it is a body modification. In the case of the foreskin, it is restoring the body to its original state. It is stretching the skin so that it will be like it was, or like it should have been, that is, if it wasn’t hacked off when I was a wee little thing. This is something private, that I kind of want for myself; that poses no real harm if I do it (I know how to keep my body clean; trust me).

I am still contemplating it, mainly because of the time commitment, but I seriously think that this would be a pretty cool thing to have foreskin. Just based on the fact that it would make things more sensitive, as well as the fact that it would give me back what was taken from me without my permission, I think that this idea is a good one. I don’t necessarily have a time line in mind of when said “restoration” would begin and end, but it is definitely a thought mulling around in my brain.

Now, if you are wondering what got me thinking about this in particular, it was two things. First of all, fellow blogger Joel sent me this article, in which the author likens the removal of the foreskin to the removal of cataracts. I wholeheartedly disagree, mainly because the foreskin is something that every boy is born with, and it is not a disease that causes harm to the body. And second, to build on that, a colleague of mine got into a discussion about it yesterday (good timing, huh?), who insisted that it was a good idea because of hygienic reasons, to which I promptly reminded him that you can just keep it clean instead of hacking it off. Can you imaging sewing up your asshole because shit comes out? Exactly! You learn to wipe your ass! So, that is where this whole thing it came from.

But don’t think that I made this decision (I haven’t ordered anything yet) without giving this a lot of thought; I have. I would say that I have actually given this a fair amount of thought for over a year, and this instance of discussing it just pushed it to the front of my brain.

I am interested to see what ya’ll think… I mean, not so much about me restoring my foreskin, because, well, I don’t want everyone actively thinking so much about my penis; but just the idea of the restoration itself? I personally see it as a way to do something for yourself that is totally attainable, if you should want to do it. Body modification/restoration. Nothing invasive, and nothing that would cause any harm. In fact, it wouldn’t even be a big deal if you didn’t know I did it. Right?

the opinion post follow-up… uh, post.

So here it is, the follow up post to the post I wrote a few days ago requesting the answer to this question:

If you could describe the state of HIV and AIDS today, how would you describe it?

Alright, first of all, I didn’t realize something until sometime yesterday, which I honestly don’t know why I didn’t realize it sooner, but I think that I unintentionally intimidated people by posting this question, because of where I work. I have been pretty frank with my feelings about public health because of where I work, my educational background, and what I believe, and I know that did prevent some folks from responding and thinking that their perspective mattered. For that, I wish I would have realized it, and accommodated accordingly, but alas, I did not, and there it is. Regardless, I got some great perspectives, and I will focus on those, rather than the intimidation.

First of all, I got a strong sense of complacency that people recognize with respect to HIV/AIDS today. People definitely feel that HIV isn’t as focused on today, mainly because of the availability of treatments, and the diminished face of AIDS in the news and in the media. Basically, we try to cover up the real need for help with campaigns for ipods, and that just reinforces that sense of complacency. In addition to this complacency, we have become disillusioned to believe that the treatments available for HIV have actually made this a manageable disease that isn’t so difficult to live with; as, again, is illustrated by the lack of the true face of AIDS in the media and on the news. In addition to the complacency, many see that HIV/AIDS is hidden, and this is illustrated by the belief that HIV isn’t as bad in industrialized nations, and that the people that tend to become infected in the US are junkies, and really high risk individuals; not just anyone who happens to put themselves at risk by simply having sex.

This is the new, current face of HIV. There is a lack of reality, and it has caused us to see the disease as it isn’t. We don’t see it as a problem that we still face day to day, because we have it “under control”, and because we have “treatments” that will “let us live happy healthy lives” if we should somehow become infected. Sadly, this complacency for the disease is exactly what is wrong with the stance we have taken in fighting the epidemic. Many correctly pointed out the sheer willful ignorance in the lack of proper education for our nation’s youth, and the improper use of “values” that impose horribly useless abstinence only tactics to try and convince teens to not having sex. Regardless of this “head in the sand” take on preventing teen pregnancy and HIV transmission among youth, many of you again correctly surmised that these tactics are not only NOT working, but they are doing way more harm in the process. And that level of complacency is unacceptable.

The reason I initially posted this question, was because I was going over the data from the study that I work on, and a continual theme among the respondents was that HIV was not only manageable, but it wasn’t really that big of a deal anymore. People didn’t see the disease as a problem, and I wanted to see if that was reflective of the general population as well; well, at least the general population of people that read my blog. What I found was a similar belief, only with a definitive higher level of concern and awareness of that complacency; which was to be expected from those that are smart enough to be pretty internet savvy.

I also wanted to write this, because I honestly feel like the problem that is causing this increased complacency with the disease, and with the active participation of people in this country in preventing the spread of it, rests on only a few specific things. First, there is a major problem with people thinking that HIV is readily treatable, and is actually a manageable disease. HIV is still a terminal illness, and the drugs that you take for it are not like taking an aspirin for a headache. There are horrible side effects. Those drugs cost thousands of dollars, and without them, people still die quickly. This does even take into account the drug resistant strains of HIV, which are certainly a faster death sentence. The point I am trying to make, is that when the pharmaceutical companies portray a happy healthy HIV positive gay man in their ads, they are reinforcing a belief that having HIV isn’t really all that bad. That does so much harm, because it lulls us into a sense of complacency, and as we all saw, as represented by your comments, that is a large part of the problem. The pharmaceutical companies have got to change the way they portray the disease, as well as the media at large. Until we start to see the true face of AIDS again, much like we did in the early and late 80’s, we are only back peddling. Things have got to change. The face of AIDS must be seen, or the problem will continue to get worse. Part of the reason we don’t see this face of AIDS, is because that face has largely gone more and more brown over the years, and it is easy for the media to turn away from the disenfranchised. Again, this is bad, bad news for the epidemic. Hopefully, through our own awareness and education, we can all start to make changes.

The other problem that comes from this complacency, is the belief that we cannot be infected, which is largely a part of the media ignoring the disease, that is, except to sell a red ipod. Sure, it does some good, and we do help out a few of those suffering in Africa, but it isn’t enough. This is just putting a band-aid on a gaping wound, and it is clear that it is hurting more than helping. This lack of real action and realistic exemplification of the disease, displaces our belief that we are still at risk every time we have sex. Additionally, risk factors like drug use are rampant throughout the gay community, and this increases risk of HIV transmission so much so, that it makes me dizzy. Yet, people are still willing to take these risks. But why? Because they have displaced HIV to another part of the world, or to another community other than their own, and that, coupled with the idea that it is treatable, creates and implements a fatal combination of complacency and ignorance. It is used as an excuse for someone who was already looking for a way to say, “nope, not me, no need to worry”.

I am sorry this post is as long as it is, but this is something that is truly passionate to me, and something I hope to do good with in my life. I want my mark on this world to be a positive benefit towards public health, and if that means helping one person, or many people, understand the real causes that force the epidemic to go on, then I am doing good. We must make pharmaceutical companies change their advertising methods. AIDS is not a pretty disease. You will not get infected, and then live a normal life. HIV should not be something we are complacent about, and we must really protect our youth. We must be more vocal about HIV, and make it way more visible. We must inform ourselves, and we must be realistic about this; because if we aren’t, it will just continue down this same old road. AIDS isn’t going anywhere, and it is just as bad as it was before; sure, more people are living longer lives, and there are less instances of HIV becoming AIDS, but HIV infection is still VERY high, even here in the US. Yet, still, we pretend that it isn’t a major concern. And that, is what’s wrong. We focus on getting people tested, without worrying about preventing them from getting the disease. We worry about knowing your status, but only for the few that believe they are at risk. This needs to extend to everyone, and HIV needs to become something that is talked about again. HIV needs to be made real again.

Thanks for weighing in your opinions, and feel free to weigh in more if you would like. I think finding a holistic view of the state of HIV today is a great conversation to move us out of complacency, and into really talking about and dealing with the epidemic. Until then, there are only a few that are forced to do the heavy lifting, and I for one, would like to see us coming in to help them carry the burden. It is up to us, we are the generation that can affect this change, and we need to get on it now.

I would like to get your opinion on something…

Here’s what I want: I am going to ask you a question, and I want everyone to give me their answers in the form of a comment. Here’s the deal, there are NO wrong answers, but there are answers that will be examined to determine where their epistemological background stems from. No one will be attacked (by me) for their answers, and a follow up post will be posted with a reaction to the consensus.

Ready?

Here’s the question:

If you could describe the state of HIV and AIDS today, how would you describe it? Things to consider: the history of HIV/AIDS, the fact that we are 30 years into the epidemic, treatments available, people that are open about their status, social stigma, the face of AIDS, personal experience with the disease or with people with the disease, life with the disease: better, worse, ?, risk of infection, societal response to the disease, what HIV/AIDS means to you, etc.

Nothing is taboo with regards to what you should consider to answer that question, you can say whatever, and I really want you to be honest; I really want to know what people think about HIV/AIDS right now.

Alright. Give it some thought, but PLEASE give me your opinion. I look forward to your responses!

UPDATE: 3:00pm, perhaps the lack of any response is a testament of how unimportant HIV/AIDS is to people these days? Just a theory, but an interesting one… Still, I hope to get some opinions. No pressure…

another compelling reason to wear condoms

Remember how angry I have been over the misuse of information regarding circumcision as a viable option for prevention? Well, now I have an even more compelling reason why condoms always make more sense than misrepresented rhetoric; gonorrhea is now among the drug resistant superbugs, which are diseases that have no, or severely diminished options for treatment. Say what? I’ve known about the very real potential for antimicrobial resistance, but it is happening quicker than expected, as evidenced by this recent finding.

This is pretty scary, because gonorrhea, which is bad enough as it is, is now becoming steadily untreatable. For many, this is obviously not good news, especially because gonorrhea is actually kind of common among sexually active people (straight and gay), and worst of all, having it contributes to your chances of getting HIV. Not only that, it has permanent health problems associated with it, especially since it is becoming more likely to go untreated.

The point here is this; wear a fucking condom. Do it every time. If you don’t, you can end up with all kinds of nasty things, one more of which is becoming almost totally untreatable. Be sure that you know your partner’s status (STDs too!) if you want to go without a safety net, because it is getting serious here folks. Here’s the CDC’s description of complications related to gonorrhea:

Untreated gonorrhea can cause serious and permanent health problems in both women and men.

In women, gonorrhea is a common cause of pelvic inflammatory disease (PID). About one million women each year in the United States develop PID. Women with PID do not necessarily have symptoms. When symptoms are present, they can be very severe and can include abdominal pain and fever. PID can lead to internal abscesses (pus-filled “pockets” that are hard to cure) and long-lasting, chronic pelvic pain. PID can damage the fallopian tubes enough to cause infertility or increase the risk of ectopic pregnancy. Ectopic pregnancy is a life-threatening condition in which a fertilized egg grows outside the uterus, usually in a fallopian tube.

In men, gonorrhea can cause epididymitis, a painful condition of the testicles that can lead to infertility if left untreated.

Gonorrhea can spread to the blood or joints. This condition can be life threatening. In addition, people with gonorrhea can more easily contract HIV, the virus that causes AIDS. HIV-infected people with gonorrhea are more likely to transmit HIV to someone else.

We can argue semantics about “more protective” until the cows come home, but this is a solid, and compelling argument for my take on the whole thing; which is WEAR CONDOMS. Protect yourself. Now, if you are sexually active, you have one more thing to think about catching, and you have the ability to be responsible about it. If you are mature enough to have sex, you should be mature enough to protect yourself. Don’t let yourself get caught up in the “maybe it won’t happen to me because of xyz” crap. Just do the responsible thing already! Wear condoms, okay!?