sex

Women and PrEP: Dissed By Her Doctor for Wanting HIV Protection

In 2010, Poppy Morgan wanted to stop using condoms so she could have a baby with her HIV-positive husband. She asked her doctor to prescribe Truvada, an HIV drug that can keep her from contracting the virus. But Morgan’s doctor didn’t just say no; she told her that she would no longer treat Morgan if she went ahead with her plan. 

Of the 2,319 Americans prescribed Truvada for PrEP in 2012 and 2013, almost half were women. And women are taking it for good reason. Outside of gay enclaves, another HIV epidemic is flourishing that overlaps with but isn’t the same as, the one in gay communities. The African American community has been devastated by HIV, especially in the South. African Americans make up only 12 percent of the population but comprise 44 percent of HIV cases. And it’s African American women who are among the most at risk.  Read More 

Need for Intimacy Plays Role in Condomless Sex, Study Finds

New study from Brown University finds gay, bi men, and trans women in relationships with other men forgo condoms to "preserve intimacy." Taking a swipe at PrEP naysayers, study authors note that the findings do not indicate MSM will stop using condoms once they get access to PrEP; rather the study finds the participating MSM were already forgoing condom use. Read More

Truvada: It's Time To Take the Fucking Pill

This month, Tim Murphy wrote in New York magazine, "This summer—on social media, on Fire Island, at the Christopher Street pier, and in certain cohorts around the ­country—what many gay men are talking about among themselves is Truvada [the once-a-day pill to help keep people from contracting H.I.V.]." Rich Juzwiak reconsiders the drug. Read More