Stay Safe
Advances in treatment and biomedical prevention options now mean there are different ways to stay safe. Condoms, PrEP, undetectable and PEP. Four ways to stay safe and prevent HIV. Why not take a chance to learn about safe sex now so you can have fun in the moment?
CONDOMS
Condoms remain one of the most effective ways to prevent HIV and many STIs. Using condoms prevents the transmission of fluids from one partner to another, you can use them all the time, they’re cheap and easy to find, available at the last minute or on the go!
PREP
PrEP (pre-exposure prophylaxis) is a HIV prevention option where HIV negative people take HIV medication at specific intervals to prevent infection. This can be taken daily (for all people at risk of HIV), ‘on-demand’ (for cisgender men only) or periodically (for all people at risk of HIV).
UNDETECTABLE (U=U)
An undetectable viral load (also known as ‘undetectable’ or ‘U=U’) means an HIV positive guy has taken treatment effectively and reduced the amount of HIV in his blood to a level undetectable by tests. Not only does an undetectable viral load improve his health, but it also means there is no risk of HIV transmission.
Learn more about undetectable.
PEP
If you think you have recently been exposed to HIV, you may need PEP (post-exposure prophylaxis). PEP is a 4-week treatment that can prevent HIV infection, but you need to act fast – within 72 hours.
WHAT’S YOUR RISK?
Fucking is a pretty simple act, but your level of risk changes depending on the position you take or the prevention options you and your sexual partners choose. To understand more about your risk, use our risk calculator.
MORE STRATEGIES YOU CAN USE
While condoms, PrEP, undetectable and PEP are the best ways to help you stay safe, there are some other methods you can use to reduce risk. These strategies have varying degrees of effectiveness, so you should consider them carefully before relying on them and watch for any conditions that must be met to ensure their effectiveness.
Same status or serosorting
This is just what it sounds like – you only fuck without condoms with guys who have the same HIV status as you. The thing is, you have to know your status and your partner’s to get it right.
Pulling out
This is when the top pulls his cock out of his partner’s arse before cumming. It reduces the risk somewhat over NOT pulling out, however not by much. It’s a high-risk strategy and isn’t as effective as using condoms, PrEP or being undetectable.
Neg Top / Poz Bottom
This is a relatively simple concept – the negative man tops and the positive man bottoms. While this strategy is certainly lower risk than when the poz guy does the topping, there is still a medium risk of HIV transmission. This strategy assumes the bottom may not be on treatment and has a detectable viral load. Almost all guys in NSW who have tested positive are on treatment, and many have an undetectable viral load. For those who are undetectable, there is no risk of HIV transmission.
Negotiated safety / relationship agreements
This is when two HIV negative men in a relationship have a deliberate discussion about how they agree to prevent HIV with each other and with people outside of their relationship. Traditionally, it might’ve been about when to use condoms or not, but with more options like PrEP and undetectable, this can now mean various factors. Negotiated safety requires that both parties continue to talk, test, and trust and maintain a relationship agreement that reflects the mutual commitment and incorporates any mutually agreed changes.
THE BOTTOM LINE IS: STAY SAFE
Wherever your sex life takes you, it’s important to stay safe! Having safe sex means not only are you in charge of your health, but you are looking after the health of your partners and contributing towards ending HIV for all in our communities.
Now, we have plenty of options to help us stay safe, so choose the option that works best for you and enjoy the sex you like!