Dear Gay Men.......

I have an announcement.

Please sit down when you read this.  I don't want to be responsible for you falling down and injuring yourself.









HIV is not gone.






Repeat.




HIV is not gone.







Truvada.  Better treatment options.  Viral load reduction.  These are examples of PROGRESS.  These are not cures.

These can ASSIST people with HIV living longer and healthier lives.

These can ASSIST the prevention of negative men from contracting HIV.

But HIV has not gone.

So let us stop playing the game called "IGNORANCE IS BLISS" because it isn't working.

People are still being infected.

People are still dying.

Breakthrough In HIV Vaccine...

Breakthrough in hunt for HIV vaccine as scientists capture Env protein

• November 02, 2013

This file picture taken under a microscope shows the HIV virus burgeoning on a lymphocyte. Source: AFP

 

US SCIENTISTS seeking to unravel the mysteries of HIV have made an important breakthrough after capturing the clearest image yet of a protein which allows the deadly virus to attack human immune cells, new research shows. 

Scientists at The Scripps Research Institute (TSRI) and Weill Cornell Medical College have managed to obtain a detailed view of the atomic structure of the protein which envelops HIV, the virus which causes AIDS.
The development could potentially pave the way for a vaccine, according to the findings published in the US journal Science.

"In order to develop a vaccine, you have to understand what bits on that very important trimeric protein can be recognised by broadly neutralsing antibodies," said Scripps Institute cell biologist Bridget Carragher. "And in order to understand that, you need to understand what the structure of the thing looks like.

"Then once you do, you can start designing a vaccine that will mimic that thing and elicit an antibody response and get the human being to fight the real virus when it comes along."

Although sophisticated antiviral drugs have been used to manage HIV infections in many developed countries, a vaccine against infection has proved elusive.  The failure to find a vaccine is often attributed to the complex nature of HIV's envelope protein, known as Env.  The delicate structure of Env has hampered efforts to obtain the protein in a form that allows for the atomic-resolution imaging necessary to fully understand it.

"It tends to fall apart, for example, even when it's on the surface of the virus, so to study it we have to engineer it to be more stable," said TSRI biologist Andrew Ward.

However the researchers were able to engineer a version of the Env trimer, or three-component structure, that has the stability required for atomic-resolution imaging.  The scientists were then able to study the Env trimer using cutting-edge imaging and electron microscopy.  The use of X-ray crystallography allowed researchers to examine the Env trimer in more detail than previous attempts.

The data also shed light on the process by which Env assembles and later shifts shape during infection, and also allowed researchers to make comparisons with protein envelopes from other deadly viruses such as flu and Ebola.

Why Do A Safe Sex Poll ? ....And a little msg at the bottom....

I like to do a safe sex / bareback poll every year.  The reason I do this is that I am fortunate in that as my blog is not targeted to a specific group or issue, I capture a broad cross section of blog visitors.  These people represent most of the areas of the gay community.

 There are those you use condoms 100% of the time.  Some of these ppl change their habits with a long term partner of the same sero status.  For those who like condoms 100% of the time - the two below are the ones that I have tried that couple passion and sensation with protection and reassurance.

There are those who bareback to various degrees but not 100%.

This is a valid choice.  And I would like to take moment just to point out some of the issues that this entails.

Obviously, aside from the other STI's Sexually Transmitted Infections - if you do choose to bareback - top or bottom - you will eventually catch the virus.  Yes it is easier for tops to dodge the virus due to the fact that MOST - but not all - Poz men on meds can achieve non detectable virul loads.  This basically means that there is less virus in the body.  BUT -there is STILL VIRUS THERE.  You can still catch it top or bottom even from someone undetectable.

Then there are those who bareback 100% of the time.

PEOPLE WHO CHOOSE TO BAREBACK SHOULD NOT BE TREATED WITH SCORN OR SHAMING OR INTERNAL HOMOPHOBIA.

What we should be doing is engaging in conversations about why they bareback.  How they negotiate safety or disclose their status - both neg and poz.  If neg, why have they conciously chosen to expose themself to a potentially lethal virus.

Now - some of the realities of the consequence of our little friend below..................................

THE HIV VIRUS

Not only does one now have the virus and the serostatus of Positive = POZ in our community (I really dont like that word but its none of my business I guess); but one also has the issue of managing a sometimes complex drug regime as seen below but also the side effects of these drugs.

Some of the side effects include :

HIV treatment can cause side effects for a brief period while it is controlling the virus in your body. Common short-term side effects include:

• Fatigue
• Anemia, a problem with red blood cells that may also cause fatigue
• Diarrhea, nausea, or vomiting
• Dizziness or headaches
• Insomnia
• Pain and nerve problems
• A skin rash
• Injection site reactions
• Dry mouth
• Weight loss
• Vivid dreams

These tips may help cope with short-term side effects:

• Fatigue. Try brief naps, cutting back your work schedule, eating balanced meals, and doing gentle exercise.
• Nausea and vomiting. Avoid foods that trigger these responses. Eat some crackers in the morning or try ginger (in ginger ale, ginger tea, or gingersnaps). Eating small meals and cold food may also help. Drink a lot of water to stay hydrated. Do not take antacids. 
• Diarrhea. Make sure to get plenty of fluids and stay hydrated. Talk to your doctor about over-the-counter anti-diarrhea products that are safe to take.
• Headaches. An over-the-counter pain reliever may help; stay rested, drink plenty of fluids, and stay away from loud noise and bright light.
• Insomnia. Limit caffeine, heavy meals close to bedtime, and daytime naps. Keep a regular sleeping schedule and try relaxing bedtime rituals such as warm baths, warm milk, soothing music, or massage.
• Rashes. Avoid long, hot showers or baths and skin products with alcohol or harsh chemicals. Try moisturizing lotions and sunscreen, and petroleum jelly on dry, itchy areas.
• Injection site reactions. Discuss injection technique with your doctor. Rotate injection sites, warm the medicine in your hands before injecting, and apply a cold pack after an injection.
• Pain or peripheral nerve problems. Wear loose-fitting shoes, soak your feet in ice water, massage them, and try ibuprofen or nonsteroidal anti-inflammatories.
• Dry mouth. Suck on sugarless candies or lozenges or chew sugarless gum. Drink plenty of liquids. Avoid sugary or sticky foods or caffeine.
• Weight loss. Talk to your doctor or a nutritionist about ways you can maintain a healthy weight. For example, high-protein shakes as well as other products high in protein and low in sugar may be recommended for some people.

Remember: All these symptoms can be signs of an underlying problem unrelated to the HIV treatments. If symptoms are severe, prolonged, or accompanied by other symptoms such as abdominal pain, fever, stiff neck, or difficulty breathing, then you need to seek medical attention.

Coping With Long-Term Side Effects of HIV Treatment

Some side effects may last indefinitely or cause serious problems. Even in these cases, there is often a way to manage them so that they are less troublesome. Your doctor can help you with this.

Some of the most common long-term side effects and coping strategies include:

• Fat redistribution. Known as lipodystrophy, this can occur when the body changes the way it produces, uses, and stores fat. You might lose fat in your face and legs and gain fat in your abdomen and back of your neck. Switching medications may keep symptoms from getting worse. But there are few other options for treating this long-term side effect.
• Increases in cholesterol or triglycerides. This can increase the risk for problems such as heart disease. Diet and other lifestyle changes are a first step. Medications such as statins and fibrates may also be recommended by your doctor.
• Elevated blood sugar levels. Exercise, weight management, and other lifestyle changes may help. Your doctor may also recommend other medications to control blood sugar levels.
• Decreases in bone density. This can increase the risk of bone fractures, especially as you get older. Try weight-bearing exercises like walking or weight lifting. Your doctor may recommend calcium and vitamin Dsupplements, or medications to treat or prevent osteoporosis.
• A buildup of a cellular waste product. Known as lactic acidosis, this uncommon issue can cause a wide range of problems, from muscle aches to liver failure. You may need to switch drugs.

 Then of course there is the very serious issue of becoming AIDS positive. What is below is not pleasant.

NOW THE MESSAGE.....

I do this poll every year for two reasons.

1.   I do not APPROVE or DISAPPROVE of barebacking.  I approve of INFORMED DECISION MAKING knowing the potential consequences of your acts.
2.   Having been active in the original outbreak of the epidemic and losing SO many people, I seek to educate and advise on the consequences of informed decision making and the risk it brings.

I will NEVER shame or guilt someone who barebacks.  I may have questions for them, but that is it.

I will never not interact with those who are HIV Positive.  It is just a virus.  As a Clinical Depressive, I am not easy to deal with.  My friends accept that and work with it.  I can work with someone's serostatus and more importantly - the person themself.

I will never allow a blogger who uses the words - CLEAN, NEG ONLY, Please no Poz - to remain a blog-acquaintance or friend.

YOUR WORDS AFFECT MORE THAN JUST THE MOMENT.

My love to you all.

Make informed decisions.  Know the risks.  Weigh it all up and THEN make your decision.

Thank you so much for your time and patronage and input into this issue.  It is a very personal one for me and you all honour me with your knowledge, passion and insight.

My love, blessings and prayers for you ALL.

Shalom

Damien
xoxoxoxoxox

Being HIV Negative Does NOT Make You Clean....

This will be a short one...............

There is a proclivity for people on gay apps/sites to describe themselves as CLEAN (Meaning HIV Negative).  I am just going to do this in bullet point because as much as I want my say - this one makes me tired.

• Having HIV does not make you DIRTY it means you have a virus.  Just a virus.
• Being Negative does not make you CLEAN.  It must means you do not have the virus.
• Inferring that Positive People are DIRTY is like the old whiteys in the South referring to the Blackies as DIRTY because their skin colour was different.
• Take care casting the CLEAN stone - Have you ever had crabs?  Scabies? Gonorrhoea? Chlamydia? A urinal tract infection?  Cold Sore on the lip? - you did?  YOU DIRTY FUCKING PERVERT!!
• Did you ever think that maybe JUST maybe, your demand for CLEAN ONLY could be that ONE straw that breaks the camels back for a positive individual who may also be clinically or manically depressed and decides "That's it" ?  You would be surprised.
• Whilst it is your choice to request someone that is HIV negative, unless you want to bareback it shouldn't matter.  If you are practising safe sex, THEIR status won't matter because you won't be at risk. And if you want to bareback, then you should realise that there is a group of barebackers who will say and swear to ANYTHING to get their load in you or yours in them.  Just sayin.
• Also - if you are a neg guy with his system FULL of Tina, X, Crystal et al.... Really Rose?! Really?!
• Oh, and if you STILL feel the need to include CLEAN, then you clearly are just a fucktard bigot who doesn't realise it.  But then again, maybe you do.

Excuse me - I need to go vomit now.

D
xox

Louganis Is Back To Make Splash..

April 28, 2013

Christine Sams

Entertainment writer - Brisbane Times

Poolside: Greg Louganis will be judging, not diving. Photo: Mick Tsikas

He is a three-time Olympic diver who won gold just months after being diagnosed HIV positive.
A quarter of a century on from what he believed was a ''death sentence'' diagnosis, Greg Louganis is in Australia to be a judge on the reality television show Celebrity Splash.
Louganis, 53, is a passionate advocate for people living with HIV. He has also shared his thoughts on the gay marriage debate in Australia.

''It just seems like it should be a non-issue,'' he said, then jokes: ''All my married friends say, 'yeah they should have the misery of marriage and divorce [as well]'.

''You know what, give it to us.''
Legalising gay marriage would also boost the economy, he said. ''Do you know how much the wedding planners would be making on a gay wedding? Oh my god!''

Louganis won gold at two Olympics - 1984 and 1988 - but the truest test of his courage was dealing with the fallout from his revelation in 1995, in an interview with Oprah Winfrey, that he was gay and HIV positive.
''I thought I'd be six feet under by now,'' he said.
''Back in '88 we thought of HIV as a death sentence. To be here 25 years later, I'm doing quite well. To be doing a show about diving, it's amazing.''
It is also 25 years since Louganis was last in Australia, this time for Seven's new reality series, which launches on Monday.

He acknowledges Celebrity Splash will have its risks for the 14 contestants, ranging from Test cricketer Andrew Symonds and comedian Josh Thomas to Denise Drysdale and Brynne Edelsten. There have been injuries on the American version and a death linked to the Chinese show. Louganis would comment only on the US version of the show, in which he was involved as a ''dive master''.

''There's been a lot of focus on injuries … but any sport you do there are certain risks - and diving poses so many different skill sets that you need to be proficient in. It's a lot more challenging than people think.''

On the Australian version of Celebrity Splash, he will be a judge for the first time - alongside Australian Olympians Matthew Mitcham and Alisa Camplin. Louganis admits he is a little hesitant about being critical.
''You know what, I don't like judging,'' he said, with a laugh. ''Hopefully I'll be able to present potential solutions for our celebrities, I'm not into tearing them down and critiquing.''

Louganis struggled with asthma and allergies as a child but was encouraged by his doctor to continue with sport, to improve his health. He is concerned a different approach is being taken today.
''I spent some time in the hospital with pretty severe asthma attacks but my doctor encouraged my mum to keep me active to increase my lung capacity,'' he said.
''Now, doctors say 'you can't do this, you can't do that' … I subscribe to a more holistic approach of support rather than prevention,'' he said.

Louganis described Celebrity Splash as a transformative experience but said viewers needed to keep realistic expectations. ''We are not training Olympians,'' he said.

I have to say I have always been a huge fan of Mr Louganis and he has aged beautifully and is an inspiration to those living with HIV.  

Read more: http://www.brisbanetimes.com.au/entertainment/tv-and-radio/louganis-is-back-to-make-splash-20130427-2ilb6.html#ixzz2Rl7xORgz

Dear Mr Mercury - How You Are Missed Sir....

Sex 20 Times A Day: HIV-positive Gigolo Fronts Court

A HIV-positive male prostitute accused of deliberately infecting clients had discussed with his doctor the risks of transmitting the disease, a court heard today.
Adam Randall, 36, who allegedly offered sexual services including unprotected sex at his home in Reservoir, appeared briefly in the Melbourne Magistrates Court this morning.
Randall has been charged with attempting to intentionally infect another person with a serious disease, conduct endangering life and working as a sex worker while infected with a disease between January 2011 and May 23 this year.

He was released on bail today to appear for a committal hearing of the charges on October 8 to decide if he should stand trial.

Defence lawyer Amelia Beech told the court she hoped one of the witnesses at the hearing would be Randall's treating GP who had had many conversations with Randall and another man about how HIV was transmitted and the risks involved.  Ms Beech said one of the relevant issues in the case was informed consent.

Police had told the court at an earlier hearing that officers contacted Randall after receiving an anonymous tip-off that he was advertising sexual services in the Melbourne Community Voice.
Police arranged to meet Randall at his home on May 23 where he allegedly agreed to have unprotected sex after claiming he was disease-free.

He was arrested and police seized a diary which had a list of his clients' names, dates and the dollar amounts that they had paid.  When questioned at Epping police station, Randall denied having unprotected sex with clients.  Police said Randall claimed he had a high sex drive and usually went to a sauna in Collingwood where he would have sex with up to 20 strangers a day but always wore a condom.

Randall allegedly knew he should not be working as an escort because he was HIV-positive.
His strict bail conditions include that he live with his mother in Warburton and accept a Department of Health order that he not engage in any form of sex work, advise all his sex partners of his HIV status before having sex, and have safe sex.

Read more: http://www.theage.com.au/victoria/sex-20-times-a-day-hivpositive-gigolo-fronts-court-20120816-24a2w.html#ixzz23ksCBEK4

...........The Australian Christian Lobby is going to have a field day with this......***sigh***.....

Idiot.......

Cancer Drug May Help HIV.....

Cancer drug flushes out lurking AIDS virus

This file picture taken under a microscope shows the HIV 1 virus burgeoning on a lymphocyte. 

SCIENTISTS in the United States says they have used a cancer drug to flush out the AIDS virus lurking dormant in trial patients' white blood cells - a tentative step towards a cure.

The ability of the HIV genome, or reproductive code, to hide out in cells and be revived after decades poses a major obstacle in the quest for a cure.
Being able to expose the virus in its hiding place would allow scientists to target the host white blood cells in a killing blitz.
"It is the beginning of work toward a cure for AIDS," David Margolis, co-author of the study published in the journal Nature, told AFP as the International AIDS Conference was under way in Washington.
HIV is a retrovirus, inserting its DNA into the genome of host white blood cells, CD4+T cells in this case, and turning them into virus factories. Sometimes it goes into hiding in some cells even as others keep on producing.
Some 34 million people around the world are living with HIV, which destroys the immune system and has caused about 30 million AIDS-related deaths since the disease first emerged in the early 1980s.
In the latest study, researchers in the United States used the chemotherapy drug vorinostat to revive and so unmask latent HIV in the CD4+T cells of eight trial patients.
The patients were also on antiretroviral drugs, which stops HIV from multiplying but have to be taken for life because they do not kill the virus hidden away in reservoirs.
"After a single dose of the drug, at least for a moment in time, (vorinostat) is flushing the virus out of hiding," Margolis said of the trial results - the first drug ever shown to do so.
"This is proof of the concept, of the idea that the virus can be specifically targeted in a patient by a drug, and essentially opens up the way for this class of drugs to be studied for use in this way."
The drug targets an enzyme that allows the virus to lie latent.
The researchers cautioned that vorinostat may have some toxic effects and stressed this was merely an early indication of feasibility that had to be explored further.

Read more: http://www.news.com.au/technology/sci-tech/cancer-drug-flushes-out-lurking-aids-virus/story-fn5fsgyc-1226435451932#ixzz21iFs2RNp

.......2 Test.......... Knowledge Is Power.............

..............When was the last time you were tested?........

.........Did you just get an HIV test?..........Yes? - Why didn't you get a full sexual health screening done?..........

..........Did you know Chlamydia, Gonorrhea & Herpes are on the rise amongst Homosexually Active Men? ...... Particularly in the 20-30 and 40+ age groups.......

....Do you know that having a pre-existing STI (Sexually Transmitted Infection) can increase your suceptebility of acquiring HIV by up to 10 times due to the fact that it depresses your immune response??.......

• Does it burn when you pee?
• Is there blood in your poop?
• Do you have a rash?
• Do you have a sore in your mouth that won't heal?
• Do you have a weird taste in your mouth?
• Do you have ulcers in your mouth that won't heal?
• Have you had your HEP A&B vaccinations?
• Do you have a white lump on your cock, butthole or inside your mouth?
• Do you have a discharge from your cock? Is it yellow? Green? Clear?
• Do you have an unusual odour from your pee?
• Do you have an unusual smell coming from your cock?
• Has your cum changed colour and/or consistency?
• Do you have flu like symptoms?

......... Did you know you can have an STI and even HIV without showing ANY symptoms?....

...Get tested...

KNOWLEDGE IS POWER

Shabbat Shalom

D
.

.......2 Know........."Wow - You're Obsessed With Barebacking"............

........... This was one line from a conversation I was having with someone about my most recent poll.....

Am I obsessed with barebacking? Yes. Because I want to understand it. I also reaffirm that here on 2 Cents Worth Down Under, I will never write for or against barebacking. It is not my place to approve or disapprove of peoples' individual choices.

Before I get into it - the simple plain truth is that sex without a condom feels good. End of story. For tops it has enhanced sensation with no need to pause the passion to put a dom on. For the bottom, it is easier to take a cock due to lack of the issue of friction that even a well lubed rubber can produce. Not to mention those latext sensitivity/allergy. For those in relationships, it is described as the ultimate way to truly physically bond with a partner during sex.

.Now....Once upon a time in the 90's the resurgence of barebacking was a "push back" against a hardline culture of safe sex that was built on a foundation of shaming people who fucked sans condom. It was also somewhat rebellious in the fact that HIV took the "choice" out of whether to use protection or not and now imposed a measure of restriction that some people pushed back against. After the mass deaths of the 80's there was a quick and sharp response to the epidemic in Australia. Whilst the promotion of healthy and safer sex was comprehensive and very target group friendly, the response to those who admitted they barebacked was often harsh and disdainful. This was an approach, I believe, due in part to many educators and HIV health workers at the time who had suffered many losses. However, it was a tactic that ultimately failed.

In the early 2000's the psychology of barebacking shifted to a culture of the "gift givers" and "bug chasers". For me this was an alarming change of paradigm that I am still to fully understand. Whilst HIV treatments had certainly advanced by this time, they were still largely unsuccessful and the death rate was still significant.

Now in the 2010's barebacking has taken on an almost "extreme sport" culture. Just as in extreme sports where there is a significant risk of injury and death, it seems many view barebacking with a similar but morphed type of view. Given the permeation of the community with regards to HIV and STI information via the net, advertising campaigns and word of mouth/peer education, there are very few people who are truly ignorant of the risks. There is also a somewhat false view of the efficacy of treatments. Yes, treatments have advanced beyond what we initially ever hoped for back when I worked in sexual health between 91 & 95, but people are still dying. Non-compliance with treatment regimes. Uneven compliance. Genetic factors. Aggressive strains. These are all still killing people.

In 2009 (as supplied by the Mundi Index / Avert.org) there were 17,000 deaths in the USA, 1000 in Canada, 700 in Britain, and 100 in Australia. I reference these countries as they are countries with sophisticated and long term HIV health education programmes that have significant knowledge penetration into the community consciousness..... These are also countries where barebacking is now - depending on which source you speak to - the RULE not the EXCEPTION... Indeed, in my experience with sexual encounters, more often than not the bottom said I didn't 'have' to use protection if I didn't want to. I did, but was surprised at how few requested a condom. These were people from varied backgrounds, ages, professional and blue collar. Anecdotally, what does this tell us?

It says that at a fundamental, almost primal level, the safe sex message has failed. Why?, given that there are life threatening issues involved, how has this happened? What is it that has resulted in this behaviour becoming so wide-spread? Why have so many men, aware of the risks and consequences of HIV, chosen to engage in this behaviour?

The plain and simple truth is that there is no one answer... the answers - much like the virus itself - mutate and change faster than health education can keep up.

Shalom and Blessings to you all.

D
.

....2 Ponder.......... Should Poz Men Reveal Their Status....

.........I saw a profile on a dating site that stated "If you are positive, please tell me. It won't make a difference but I want to know."

....Hmmmmm................... my initial thought was "Of course you would want to know because this brings a risk to the sex life."

......But then I thought - "Hang on - HIV is only a risk if you have unsafe sex. If you are using condoms and latex compatible lube......... why would you care?"

..... So I'm curious as to what you people think..... Should Poz men identify as Poz if you are going to date / fuck them?

Now - I'm going to play devils advocate here.................... I'll give my personal opinion at the end of the post.

Some YES you should points...

• Full disclosure - honesty from the word go breeds trust.
• If you have an accident and there is a blood spill at home it can be managed without any risk to the neg partner eg. Cooking in the kitchen and a knife cut happens.
• Sexual Risk - even with safe sex aside, some people are into fetishes and these can be better managed so that BOTH partners are kept safe.
• The neg partner can manager their own health as to not pass on anything to the poz partner that could seriously impact their viral health - cold / flu / any bacterial infections etc.
• Deal breaker - for right or wrong there are people who will not date poz people.
• Prior experience - some people will not date / fuck poz ppl due to previous bad experiences eg. loss of a friend / partner to the virus.
• The emotional stress of having a partner with a potentially terminal illness could be too much them.

Some of the NO they shouldn't points...

• Everyone has a right to privacy.
• Someone's sero-status should be something that THEY choose to share. There is significant discrimination already in the world. People don't want to be MY friend because I'm a clinical depressive. Can't imagine being someone who had to share being HIV +.
  
• If someone is having safe / safer sex, the risk is non-existent. There is NO documented case of someone contracting HIV through safe sex.
• When you first start dating someone you have ZERO assurance of it going anywhere.
• When you fuck - you should be having safe sex.
• If you bareback - and have made an informed decision to do so - then you accept the risks and their status should not be an issue.

OK - here is my personal opinion about this one....

For **ME** it would be very hard to date someone positive as I have lost people to the virus and the potential for losing them would very hard to live with. This isn't to say that I would find it impossible - but it would give me pause.

Would I fuck with someone who is positive? Yes. I have done so before. And EVERYONE should assume the person they are fucking / being fucked by *IS* positive. Unless you are barebacking and choose to do so in an informed manner (I know I know.... but this isn't the topic of THIS post - it'll come though) then condoms and lube used appropriately should not make sero-status an issue.

Furthermore - the oral risk of contracting HIV is so small that there has to be a whole HOST of risk factors to be present for this to be an issue - even with ingestion of semen. They have to have a high viral load, you have to dry mouth, open gums. ulcers etc. I have only ever read of ONE documented case of HIV oral transmission - and the idiot who caught it had only just had a wisdom tooth removed a week prior and the hole had not closed yet.

So.................... what is YOUR 2 Cents Worth.

This is a difficult issue. But I think it is one that deserves discussion - but I do ask that the discussion be kept civil and respectful.

I have tried very hard to do this post with sensitivity and respect and hopefully that comes through.

I look forward to hearing your own insights.

Shalom

Damien
.

......I'm Going To Sound Like A C*nt For Saying This About This Porn Actor But.......

Firstly, here's a snippet of his story............

LOS ANGELES: An adult film performer who tested HIV-positive has called for mandatory condom use in pornography productions, improved testing for sexually transmitted disease and follow-up care for performers.

Speaking publicly for the first time since his test sent a wave of fear over California's adult film industry, he warned of the risks of working in it.

Derrick Burts, 24, said that in the months before he tested positive for HIV, he had also contracted chlamydia, gonorrhea and herpes. ''It's very dangerous,'' he said of the work. ''It should be required that you wear a condom on the set.''

He also criticised an industry-affiliated clinic that conducts HIV tests on performers, saying it failed to refer him to follow-up care. The clinic released a statement last month saying Burts - then identified as ''Patient Zeta'' - had ''acquired the virus through private personal activity''.

''That's completely false,'' Burts said on Tuesday. ''There is no possible way. The only person I had sex with in my personal life was my girlfriend.''

Burts said he tested HIV-positive in October at the Adult Industry Medical Healthcare Foundation after working in both gay and straight porn films for a few months.

Regular tests are required by producers of straight porn who use a clinic database, known as AIM, to clear actors for work.

Burts said he was tested on October 8, then received a panicked call from clinic staff the next afternoon summoning him to the office. Once there, he said, clinic staff told him he had tested HIV-positive.

Ok.................................... I used to work and volunteer in HIV and Gay Men's Health and I was employed as a health educator and advocate for those who worked in the Sex Industry.

This guy sounds like a breed of young men that I call "Player Who Got Played". This guy said that condoms were not mandatory on sets. Ok...... how about GO WORK FOR ONE THAT DOES!!!????

I do not believe for ONE moment that this guy did not make a CHOICE not to use them. I have interviewed people in the sex industry and those that work in Adult Entertainment and have their own web sites. Only one of those allow a CHOICE for their actors - and even then it has to be under the STRICTEST of conditions. Any doubt - and that studio will not use the actor.

This guy - I do not believe. This guy is a Player who got played by the Bug.

I am keen to hear your thoughts.

.....Read the full story HERE.....

Shalom

Damien
.

....I'm A Barebacking Hypocrite...........

..........apparently.

I just got lambasted by some anonymous douche coz I said a vid on a site I was surfing at the time was hot - and it was a barebacking vid.

So ........... Mr Anonymous...... here we go........ you might wanna strap yourself in.

(1) You picked the WRONG week to tackle me on this one.

&

(2) Here is my honest to G-d stance on barebacking.

Number One first...... You anonymous people just make me puke.... get some cojones and get a fucking profile ya small cocked whining bitch.

Number Two - if you have READ MY FUCKING BLOG YA ANON ASSWIPE you would know that I have a very simple stance on barebacking...

If you bareback - routinely - you will get HIV at some point - FACT. However, I am not the condom police and I am not here to tell others what to do. But if you are going to risk your life - and potentially the lives of others - you might want to to talk to a doctor - or a person living with HIV - to know what sort of consequences your actions could result in.

Me - I LOVE IT!!!

I do - I love the feel of an ass sliding down my dick au naturel. I love the feeling. I love the spontaneity. I love the ease of not having to put up with lubes or condoms that burn or leave a rash coz of the compounds used in them. I LOVE IT ALL !!

But that's me - in a monogamous relationship. It's a luxury - I'll grant that.

Now..................... so we are VERY CLEAR.......

MY CHOICE IS MY CHOICE - YOUR CHOICE IS YOUR CHOICE - 'OWN' YOUR CHOICE THOUGH...... Talk to people.... know the risks..... know what the AFTER is like ..... and think carefully about what a little HOT FUN may do to a FULL LIFE......

And yeah - I love bareback porn - why............ Coz I do............

Meanwhile Mr Anonymous - the vid title had NO reference or inference in it to barebacking - so you must have watched the whole thing too.

So who's the hypocrite now ya double-standard piece of bird turd!

Excuse me whilst I go take a lie down.

Damien
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***UPDATE***

...Yes I realise this is another "angry" post - and that ppl have been worried about the rising level of anger on my blog.

I am going through a whole pile of shit right now that would have turned Mother Theresa into a bitch who would Zsa-Zsa every second person on the street.

And I'm a Clinical Depressive to add to the pile of shit.

So if you want "happy feely group hug" Damien from not that long ago - send me a "happy feely group hug" kind of topic suggestion and I will GLADLY do a post on something happy - *I* would like to do a post on something happy.

But if you think that right now calling me out on something is a good idea - I remind you that I am both an intelligent bitch, and the keeper of an extensive vocabulary - the very WORST of combinations.

And if that means I lose a few visitors - than quite frankly those people can kiss my fat, hairy, sweaty, Jew arse.

That's MY 2 Cents Worth on MY blog on quite frankly the week of hell in MY life.

Back to my lie down.

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.......................Why 18 - 25 year olds are the new HIV spikers................

.........................Currently the fastest growing number of new HIV infections are occurring in the 18-25 year age group.

Many HIV and Gay Men's Health Organisations are wringing their hands and saying "How can this be?" I have a proposition - they are generation that have never known the fear of a community specific pandemic outbreak - AND - they are desensitised to fear.

Let's look at THEN AND NOW............

.......THEN.......

Have a look at this Aussie ad from the 80's about HIV in Australia......



The Grim Reaper bowling down children and their parents is TERRIFYING when you are a 9 year old. There was another one that had a straight couple about to do the nasty and it was about sharing needles and there was a bed made of syringes - and a sheet billowing over it and the lovers went to lie down on it. Every time I would sit there inwardly screaming at the television "Don't lie down there - it's a bed of NEEDLES !!!" - and found that EQUALLY as terrifying.

The terrifying part was being a young child at the beginning of a Pandemic that - worldwide - would kill MILLIONS of people.

The truly terrifying part was later being a young gay man trying to explore my sexuality in an age where a virus WOULD kill me if I caught - in the early 90's the HIV drugs were dreadful. People who survived were simply blessed with a strong constitution - or a biochemistry that was able to stave off the virus until the next generation of drugs could come along.

The print ads of the time all contained pictures of people riddled with Karposi's Sarcoma - or chronic lypo-atrophia resembling a refugee from Auschwitz - or young men hooked to respirators because their lungs had simply stopped working and their families could not bear turning the machines off.

.......NOW.......

Here is a recent Safe Sex ad from an Australian gay paper.




Hmmmmmmmmmmmmmmm - not really terrifying huh? Why? Coz pictures of a person suffering from Cocktail Syndrome are never used in safe sex ads anymore. We need to see.....

• a person forced to wear adult diapers from the chronic diarrhea
• someone in hospital hooked to an IV for dehydration from constant vomiting
• the person being buried in a cemetery because their liver gave out from drug toxicity and they were not allowed a transplant because of their virus.

Now, here's the real problem with getting younger people to seriously consider the consequences of barebacking. We have a generation of younger people who - gay or straight - have never known the fear like I did as a child.

Other things they have never had to do............

• They never had their ENTIRE social matrix of friends die within MONTHS of each other from a virus that the medical community did not understand.
• They have never had to wipe the arse of a friend who is no longer able to clean or bathe themselves.
• They have never had to see the footage of children in hospital wards dying as the camera panned over them because their infant bodies had nothing to draw upon.

And here is why we can't scare them into compliance......

• The Saw Movies
• Hostel
• Extreme sports - if you risk your life by climbing the side of a cliff with no safety equipment - a small piece of latex does not play into your thinking
• Age of Terror - 3000 people died through the actions of a few - they think "If they can die like that I'm going to enjoy my life right NOW".
• Graphic advertisements for drink driving and tobacco that would NEVER have been shown on television 20 years ago - actually - they wouldn't have been shown in a cinema without an 'R' rating.

So how do we get these kids to use protection? I have no clue - but I **do** know that pictures of hot men do not increase the odds of safer sex practices. It's time to go back to realism. No matter how much it hurts us who were there at the beginning.

I lost the first man I ever loved to Non-Hodgkins Lymphnoma due to his depleted immune system. I moved to be in the same city as him because I did not know how much time he had. When I saw him he had gone from a stunningly handsome man of 78kgs (171lbs) - to a shell of 40kgs (88lbs). When he died back in his home town - I was unable to go to the funeral because I could not afford the air fare. This is a pain that the young gay men of today will not know.

THAT is why they do not use condoms. That - and they genuinely believe that HIV no longer kills people because we LERV to tell people how fantastic the modern meds are.

We must convince them otherwise.

Again - I neither disapprove or approve of barebacking - I **DO** however, approve of people knowing all the facts before they choose a course of action - and we are not giving the current generation of young gay men all the facts.

We are aiding their uninformed decision making.

We should be ashamed.

..................On World AIDS Day We Remember..........................................

................. Those we have lost.

................. The families who remain behind.

.................. The researchers who still seek the cure.

.................. Those who live with the virus today.

.................. For all of you, we ask HaShem to bless you, love you and give you the strength you need to continue.

On a personal note ........................ Pip my darling you are missed and loved always.

Shalom.

Damien.

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............A Special Broadway Cares Initiative ......................

............one of my favourite blogs - Pink Is The New Blog - has an interesting post about Daniel Radcliffe and a new Broadway Cares / Equity Fights AIDS.




A book has been published "The Day In The Life of Daniel Radcliffe" - seems like an interesting idea and you get to see a day in the life of a stage actor and you get to see little Danny the lad getting out of the shower.




Surf over - and support such a worthwhile initiative - orders are here.

Shalom

Damien

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.......................Circumcision fails to protect gays from HIV ...................

......................can we say "Told you so?"

Circumcision, which has helped prevent AIDS among heterosexual men in Africa, does not help protect gay men from the virus, according to the largest US study to look at the question.

The research, presented at a conference Tuesday, is expected to influence the government's first guidance on circumcision.

Circumcision "is not considered beneficial" in stopping the spread of HIV through gay sex, said Dr Peter Kilmarx, of the US Centres for Disease Control and Prevention.

However, the CDC is still considering recommending it for other groups, including baby boys and high-risk heterosexual men.

UNAIDS and other international health organisations promote circumcision as an important strategy for reducing the spread of the AIDS virus. There has not been the same kind of push for circumcision in the United States.

One reason for this is that nearly 80 per cent of American men are already circumcised - a far higher proportion than most other countries. Worldwide, the male circumcision rate is estimated at about 30 per cent.

Also, while HIV spreads mainly through heterosexual sex in Africa and some other parts of the world, in the US it has mainly infected gay men. Only about 4 per cent of US men are gay, according to preliminary CDC estimates released at the conference this week. But they account for more than half the new HIV infections each year.

Previous research has suggested circumcision does not make a difference when anal sex is involved. The latest study, by CDC researchers, looked at nearly 4900 men who had anal sex with an HIV-infected partner and found the infection rate, about 3.5 per cent, was approximately the same whether the men were circumcised or not.

US government recommendations on circumcision are still being written and may not be final until next year, following public comment. CDC doctors and many experts believe there is a good argument for recommending baby boys and heterosexual men at a higher risk for HIV be circumcised.

The definition of "high risk" is still being discussed, said Kilmarx, chief of the epidemiology branch in the CDC's HIV division.

Circumcision is a sensitive issue laden with cultural and religious meaning, particularly when babies are involved, Kilmarx acknowledged.

"It's seen by many as more than just as medical procedure," he said. It is possible the government will not make recommendations but instead will promote an education campaign for parents about the procedure's potential benefits and risks, he added.

The prospect of the government promoting circumcision of infants has already drawn fire from an advocacy group called Intact America. The organisation, based in Tarrytown, New York, parked a motorised billboard this week outside the hotel hosting the HIV conference, displaying the message: "Tell the CDC that circumcising babies doesn't prevent HIV."

"It's removing healthy, functioning, sexual and protective tissue from a person who cannot consent. You're mutilating a child," said Georganne (Georganne) Chapin, the group's executive director.