[UK Sauna Slut] Safer Unsafe Sex?

[JoshLandaleXXX]

Click here to see Sauna Slut's original blog post...

I get a heck of a lot of emails from readers and followers from the blog, and I try my hardest to reply to them all.* Most of them are from guys in the bareback community thanking me for the blog, and suggesting things for me to post about in the future.* All these emails are greatly appreciated, and keep me motivated to write more and more items for the blog.* I’ve got loads of ideas for posts, just not the time to write them all up.* I’ll get there eventually!

Often*a reader will ask me for some advice.* From things like douching, to sauna etiquette etc.* Sometimes I get emails from people who aren’t in the community, people who are on the edge if you like.* The people who are wanting to ditch the condoms and take the first step into barebacking.* Then every once in a while, I get an email which stops me dead in my tracks.* An email that makes me think long and hard about my reply.

“Now I know the risks and have researched this up to the hilt.* I’m terrified about getting HIV or anything nasty, but I really, really, really want to have a hot load (preferably several) fired up me.* The question is how do I go about it?…..

….. I’m not intending to take as many loads as I’m sure you get (lucky thing lol), but the odd party per year would be just what I’m looking for.

Whilst it’s obviously open to abuse, I’m sure the Bareback scene must be able to accomodate those of us who aren’t bug chasers but still want to enjoy the lifestyle?”

I received one such email just the other week, it’s a real*long one so I cant share it all here, but the excerpt above is about the long and short of it.* This guy is shit scared of HIV, yet wants to take loads up his arse.* I’m sure he’s not alone in his quest, and a quick look on BBRT will pull up lots of guys who have Neg seeking Neg statuses.* As some one who is so engrossed in the bareback scene, this has always horrified and concerned me.

Sure, there is sero-sorting.* The concept where by people are honest and open with each other about their statuses, and couple up accordingly. (Ie. Poz guys with other poz guys, neg guys with neg guys).* But there are a couple of fundamental flaws with this when it comes to sero-sorting neg on neg.

Firstly, the window period of HIV testing.* As with your MOT certificate proving that your car was road worthy on that given day, and not 9 months down the line when your tires are bald; so the HIV negative test result only shows you were clear of HIV at that time, not after the next unprotected shag you had.

Secondly, humans.* We’ve a nasty habit of lying to get what we want.* There are guys out there, that just to get into someones pants, will lie openly to them. Even about something as serious as HIV. Some call it stealhing, the law calls it illegal.* Whatever you want to call it, its wrong, but it happens.* How much can you really trust that guy you’re chatting to online? Are you prepared to bet your life on it? Cos that’s what is at stake ultimately.

So sensibly, sero sorting when you’re negative, is a no brainer.* It’s risky as hell, and in my honest opinion doesn’t work (except of course if you REALLY genuinely trust the person).* Where does that leave those who desire the lifestyle, but fear the risks?

One risk reduction strategy is to have a person shoot their load over your arse, then fuck the spunk into you after a set period of time.* Now, before those in the sexual health industry start ranting at my suggestion, consider this.* There have been NO studies done into the survivability of HIV outside of the body in semen. All studies into this subject relate to HIV present in blood.* However, those who have tried to culture the virus in this form (outside the body from semen), have been unable to do so.* Thus leading them to the conclusion that HIV doesn’t survive long at all in semen outside of the body.

Source: Aidsmap.com

It’s not a guaranteed way of avoiding HIV infection, and I certainly do not pass this off as proven medical science. I’m not liable for any infection arising from my suggestion, I’m merely stating this as a possible risk reduction strategy.* One which has been used in the porn industry for some years now.

And of course, this doesn’t prevent against any one of the multitude of other STI’s out there.

But lets look at another aspect of his question before we go any further.* The suggestion that the bareback community must be able to accommodate those that aren’t bug chasers, but want to enjoy the lifestyle.

What lifestyle exactly is this?* If you can find a person you really trust, and they’re negative (really negative!), then you can have sex with that person and enjoy him cumming inside you fearless of HIV (provided its monogamous of course!), but that’s not what this person is asking. He’s asking about being in a party environment, taking load after load from multiple guys. That’s risky as hell! And that’s the lifestyle.* It doesnt make everyone who engages in that lifestyle a bug chaser, it merely means that they are mature enough and wise enough to accept the risks of what they’re doing, and live with the consequences.

My message to this person, and anyone else out there who is of the “neg seeking neg” mindset who wishes to partake in the bareback party circuit is simple.

If you don’t accept the risks that come with that lifestyle, then the lifestyle is not something that you want to partake in. They are part and parcel of the same thing.* By its very nature, having unprotected sex, with guys you don’t know totally, exclusively and totally, is hugely risky. It will, eventually, lead to you getting HIV.* Take it from one who knows first hand.* It will!* It may not be your first party, nor your second.* It may take a few years… but you will eventually contract HIV. Or, you may just dip your toe in the water of the lifestyle, and take part in one…. but that could be the one that gives you HIV.* It’s that risky.

Liken it if you must to a bungee jump.* You’re tied by the feet to a huge elastic band.* You’re leaping off a bridge several hundred feet above a ravine. It’s going to be a huge rush, so exciting… but there is also the risk that, god forbid, the bungee may snap.* It’s a small risk, but a risk none the less.* That’s why they get you to sign those bits of paper, saying that you won’t sue.* If you don’t accept that it’s a risk, or you’re not happy signing that paper, then you don’t jump. If the risks are too great for you, then you simply do not do that activity.* Be it rock climbing, driving too fast, smoking, doing drugs, or having unprotected sex – even just the once.

It took me many years of barebacking before I contracted HIV.* But I know people who have been infected by their first ever bareback fuck.* They’ve gone safe all their life, and then either through choice, or impaired judgement, they’ve gone raw, just that once.* And wound up with HIV.

Now i know this may sound a little like I’m preaching, and I guess to some degree I am.* I’m all for bareback, I’ve said it before, and i’ll say it again.* I love it.* I can’t stand condoms. Bareback to me is the ONLY way to fuck.* But before I set out on it, I knew that one day, I’d be referring to myself as being poz.* I knew it would happen.* And even those who try and sero-sort, who try and only have sex with other negative people; eventually, they wind up referring to themselves as poz too.

As I said in my recent video interview with Cristian Knox when he posed this very question to me, If you don’t accept the risks, don’t do it. By all means buy the bareback porn, jerk off to the fantasy, but when it comes to you having sex, rubber up.

Josh x

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[Inception]

Good post. So many people are so stupid, and not prepared for the consequences of their actions. I was one of those people. I was young and stupid, knew the risks, but went with the heat of the moment and then spent a lot of time miserable when I tested HIV positive. I like bareback but think bug chasing is stupid. If I could do it over again, I would have only ever bb'd with people I was 100% sure were neg. If neg guys want to stay neg and party, they have to do like porn studios where the performers all test days before doing a scene. Last week's test isn't good enough, you need yesterday's. With instant HIV testing now this might be a possibility. Though I don't know if it is available everywhere or how perfect it is.

[JoshLandaleXXX]

Good post. So many people are so stupid, and not prepared for the consequences of their actions. I was one of those people. I was young and stupid, knew the risks, but went with the heat of the moment and then spent a lot of time miserable when I tested HIV positive. I like bareback but think bug chasing is stupid. If I could do it over again, I would have only ever bb'd with people I was 100% sure were neg. If neg guys want to stay neg and party, they have to do like porn studios where the performers all test days before doing a scene. Last week's test isn't good enough, you need yesterday's. With instant HIV testing now this might be a possibility. Though I don't know if it is available everywhere or how perfect it is.

Erm, are you for real?

If you're neg and you want to remain neg, then you shouldn't be doing bareback. The hiv tests only show your status 3 months ago (usual antibody test), or 28 days ago (P24 antigen test)... there is no way of testing if someone has contracted HIV in the last 24 hours... its impossible.

[totalasspig]

BBSS is correct - The instant HIV test is no guarantee that a person could become Positive in the Next NanoSecond. For those of you that do not know, HIV attempts to reproduce/copy itself Millions of times per day - Yes, Medication can keep it under control. However, if you want to stay NEG all the time, you should NEVER bareback. If you do, you as I always say "Your Play Raw, You Pay later" I have even seen TOPS that swore they never took a load of cum in their hole turn poz from playing raw as well. I took those chances with guys that said they were neg, and soon enough, I wound up positive.

There is no test that tells you in 24 or 72 hours - plain and simple - that why if you go to an ER or Clinic they offer: POST-EXPOSURE PROPHYLAXSIS (PEP)

PEP is: 1 month of HIV medications and a potential tool against HIV infection if taken AS SOON AS POSSIBLE after exposure (within 36 hours is ideal). I know many health care providers because of needle sticks and patients biting them / and police officers / paramedics that had to through this because of their chosen profession.

If you don't ever want to get HIV, Don't bareback - plain and simple - and if you do bareback and get HIV, get prepared to get stuck with a needle every 90 days or sooner, depending on your HIV.

[Inception]

Erm, are you for real?

If you're neg and you want to remain neg, then you shouldn't be doing bareback. The hiv tests only show your status 3 months ago (usual antibody test), or 28 days ago (P24 antigen test)... there is no way of testing if someone has contracted HIV in the last 24 hours... its impossible.

Yes I am for real, and I guess really stupid. The baths here have Instant HIV testing nights. I've been poz nearly 10 years so haven't bothered, but i think there are lots of neg guys who figure that if they do this instant test at the baths they can then just hook up with the other guys who used this to test neg.

[JoshLandaleXXX]

The instant tests only mean that they give you a result within 20 mins or so... as opposed to the 2-3 weeks wait by sending blood off to the labs to be tested. Instead of looking for antibodies, they look for protein of the virus itself. But even that takes time to show up - thus the window period of these tests is about 28 days, as opposed to 3 months for the antibody tests.

The word "instant" only refers to the time taken to get a result, not your status that very "instant".

[HungLatinDom]

Not sure about the kind of test they use in England, but I got my diagnostic in New Orleans with an antibody based spit test. 20 min.