"Is There Safe Sex in the 80s?" fascinating old Washington Post article

[HereIsNoWhy]

Check this out: [think before following links] https://www.washingtonpost.com/archive/lifestyle/1987/08/24/is-there-safe-sex-in-the-80s/720a660d-00b6-470c-b773-66eba883ba2d

It's an article from 1987 from when they didn't even know if kissing could spread HIV. It's great at giving a glimpse into what it was like back then, and I think it's a great read for those of us too young to really remember. Whether you're a chaser/gifter, on PrEP, or use condoms - this is a great way to get a sense of perspective.

[OzzieCumdumpster]

I remember the 80's well, I was being fucked through the 80's bareback, guess I was one of the lucky ones still neg to this day, lost some friends back then and some of them had bred me too.

[hungry_hole]

Before the AIDS crisis in the early 80's anal sex was always bareback. And I remember the first time at a bathhouse in Toronto when a guy pulled out a condom before fucking me. I said "What?" I didn't let him fuck me and then slowly most guys started to wear condoms to fuck.

[BootmanLA]

9 hours ago, hungry_hole said:

Before the AIDS crisis in the early 80's anal sex was always bareback. And I remember the first time at a bathhouse in Toronto when a guy pulled out a condom before fucking me. I said "What?" I didn't let him fuck me and then slowly most guys started to wear condoms to fuck.

This is true. However, it's also worth noting that prior to the 1970's, as has been well documented by historians interviewing gay men (both open and closeted) from the pre-"gay lib" period, anal sex itself was very much a rarity. In part that's because so much gay sex took place as furtive encounters in risky situations - a quick blowjob in a bathroom, frottage in an alley, mutual JO in a car. Anal sex in those pre-lib days often DID involve a condom just like having sex with a hooker involved a condom: you didn't want to risk getting an STI and passing it on to the wife (and there was often a wife involved, for at least one party). 

It's only after substantial numbers of men started living openly - and the early rudiments of contemporary gay party culture were laid - that fucking, and bareback sex in particular, became somewhat standard. Wider adoption of antibiotic treatments, too, made condoms seem less necessary.

[PozBearWI]

@BootmanLA As always, well said.  I imagine there were alliances, "brothers" or "cousins" living together who when alone with each other might very well have enjoyed anal quite a bit.  

Pre 1970 I am ignorant of bookstores.  So they might have always been when I started then.  Certainly video had to be simple so super8 might have been the first porn video booth place.  And I have no clue if they were women only, men only or mixed in the 50's, 60's and 70's. 

[FelchingPisser]

In one of the bios or journals of Tennessee Williams he states he used a condom with his boyfriend in the 1940's as he didn't want shit on his dick.  Cleaning out is a much more recent thing. 

[Versholefun]

I’m in my early 60’s, been bare backing my entire life, why would I change to safe sex when I reach my 80’s?

[BootmanLA]

1 hour ago, JimInWisc said:

@BootmanLA As always, well said.  I imagine there were alliances, "brothers" or "cousins" living together who when alone with each other might very well have enjoyed anal quite a bit.  

Pre 1970 I am ignorant of bookstores.  So they might have always been when I started then.  Certainly video had to be simple so super8 might have been the first porn video booth place.  And I have no clue if they were women only, men only or mixed in the 50's, 60's and 70's. 

oh, it happened, certainly; it's just that it wasn't a common practice, even among super-discreet partnered men living together, at least as evidenced by the interviews of various gay history projects. 

[Bimarried001]

On 2/8/2022 at 10:57 PM, 9e0ee0815c said:

Check this out: [think before following links] [think before following links] https://www.washingtonpost.com/archive/lifestyle/1987/08/24/is-there-safe-sex-in-the-80s/720a660d-00b6-470c-b773-66eba883ba2d

It's an article from 1987 from when they didn't even know if kissing could spread HIV. It's great at giving a glimpse into what it was like back then, and I think it's a great read for those of us too young to really remember. Whether you're a chaser/gifter, on PrEP, or use condoms - this is a great way to get a sense of perspective.

I lived those days. Tested poz early nineties but probably was already poz in 87.