CHECK Ost #1

COMMUNITY
Photo:Anna Shvets_pexels.com
Photo: Alin Popa_pexels.com
those who initially reject bareback sex are
all poorly informed and want to discriminate
aginst HIV-positive people. As with
body-shaming, it’s not what you say but how
you say it. Of course, you don’t have to sleep
with men you don’t find attractive. And you
don’t have to use a condom if you don’t want
to. But telling people that they are less valuable
or privileged because of their looks or their
attitude towards safer sex is not ok.
And if you use PrEP or U = U* as an argument
to replace your partner’s consent with your
own, you are not only shifting the context of
scientific authority. You are also exposing
condom-shaming as a one-sided negotiating
tactic that is used to take something that the
other is unwilling to give. And that’s exactly
what the young blogger means when he talks
about rape culture.
Perhaps it can be expressed more simply.
Instead of saying, “No fats” or “No condoms”,
state what you actually mean: “Prefer skinny” or
“Looking for bareback sex”. It signals to people
what your preferences are and avoids the
exclusionary prejudice inherent in negative comments.
And remember to say “please”. (ts, mb)
* undetectable = untransmissable
CHECK OST #1
11