I don’t wear condoms when I fuck.
Instead, I take a daily pill called PrEP which protects me from HIV. Thanks to this I have a similarly low chance of contracting HIV as if I was using condoms. In the UK PrEP is available on the NHS in most areas, and for more information about PrEP you can read up on this page from the Terrence Higgins Trust.
PrEP only guards against HIV, so for filming condomless sex there is still a risk of catching other STIs. These are treatable or manageable, and don’t require ongoing medication in the way that HIV does. To manage the risk of catching (and spreading) other STIs I have a regular sexual health screening. If anything comes up,I contact all my sexual partners since my last negative test.
HIV, with effective treatment, is now a manageable long-term condition rather than a terminal illness. If an HIV positive person is on medication which is working, they will have what is known as an undetectable viral load. This means the level of the virus in the blood is so low that it is difficult to even detect on a regular HIV test. People with an undetectable viral load are not able to transmit the virus to an HIV negative person. (Read more here.)
Some people I film with are HIV positive and on medication, some are HIV negative and taking PrEP, and some I don’t know because it never came up in conversation. Because PrEP protects me from HIV, I rarely feel the need to ask a potential partner what their HIV status is.
Knowing and understanding the risk of STI transmission from condomless sex, not everyone chooses to do it. And of course that’s to be respected. For me, having sex without condoms is a decision I’ve made with a clear understanding of the risks and rewards.
How I have sex is my choice, and that of whoever I’m having sex with.
If you think you’re HIV negative and are interested in sex without condoms, I’d suggest looking into PrEP and testing regularly. (On an NHS prescription you’re required to get a full screening every 3 months.)
If you take PrEP, or even if you don’t, remember there’s no risk of catching HIV from an HIV-positive person with an undetectable viral load. If you don’t know your HIV status, find out!
Get more info about PrEP at Prepster.info or IwantPrEPnow.co.uk (UK sites).
Note : If you’re a sex worker and want to use/copy/adapt any of the above, please feel free! Or if you want to talk about HIV prevention/sexual health in sex work, drop me a DM — I’m no expert but happy to chat.
