Amphetazine 19.qxp - Project Neon

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Have you seen the new poster campaign with those hot guys showing off their ‘A+B’ tattoos on their bulging biceps? Surely, you have. They are the only ads on Metro buses that are obviously for gay and bi men. And manoh-man are these ads hot! Guys touching, holding hands, and looking dreamily at…YOU! The message these studs deliver is short and sweet. “Hepatitis Hurts. Get the Shots.” Getting vaccinated for both Hepatitis A & B is as important as remembering to bring condoms & lube to the baths on a Saturday night! Naturally, the stud muffins on the posters sparked my interest. But what I found most interesting is how many gay and bisexual men get Hepatitis. Safe vaccines that keep you from getting Hep A & B have been around for years. But despite this fact, most gay and bisexual guys still haven’t gotten their shots. Are Hepatitis A and B common among gay and bisexual men? They sure are. In 1997-98, 2 out of every 5 cases of Hepatitis A in King County were among gay or bi men. And estimates show that gay and bisexual men are 7 times more likely to get Hep B than the general population. Most people don’t realize they have Hep A or B at first because it can take 2 to 4 weeks for symptoms to show up. If symptoms even show up! In fact, many people get Hepatitis A and B without developing symptoms. This and the fact that it is so easy to pass the viruses on are the biggest reasons why so many people get infected. What about the vaccines? They’ve been proven to work. So, why haven’t more gay and bi men rolled up their sleeves to get the shots? I decided to call the boys on the poster — the Hep Squad Hotties — to get the poop behind their vaccine campaign. I talked with Drew Emery, Seattle’s very own “Hexpert” (Hepatitis Expert). He’s the man behind this ad campaign. 20
Drew said the campaign’s goals are simple: ★ To raise awareness of Hepatitis A & B infection among gay and bisexual men ★ To encourage men to get the vaccines ★ To let gay and bi guys know where to get the vaccines ★ To provide free Hepatitis vaccine to guys who can’t afford to pay. Drew told me about basic Hepatitis stuff. Hepatitis A and B are viruses. They cause the liver to swell and become inflamed. An inflamed liver makes it difficult for it to work like it should. You see, the liver’s job is to filter toxins out of the blood stream. Toxins include alcohol, drugs like crystal, LSD, pot, and prescription and “over the counter” medications. If you have a Hepatitis infection, your liver can’t do its job right. Toxins quickly build up in your blood stream. If enough toxins build-up, you will get very sick. Getting sick with Hepatitis A sucks! The sickness can keep you in bed for several weeks. You can even end up in the hospital. Eventually, the sickness will pass — but there will be those weeks you’re lying curled up wishing you’d gotten vaccinated instead. The symptoms of Hepatitis B are similar. But unlike Hepatitis A, an unlucky 5-10% of people that are infected will never get rid of the virus. Instead, they develop a life-long infection. Over a period of years, their Hep B infection can permanently damage their liver. Liver damage occurs when scar tissue builds up. This is called cirrhosis. Scarring can cause your liver to stop working altogether. It can also lead to liver cancer. And we all know that you can’t live without a liver. So, how do you get Hepatitis? First, let’s talk about Hepatitis A. And to do that, let’s talk shit! Hepatitis A virus is found in the shit (feces) of someone who has a Hep A infection. There are two common ways to get Hep A: 1 You eat food that has been prepared by someone who has Hepatitis A and hasn’t carefully cleaned his/her hands after using the bathroom. 2 You have sexual contact with someone who has it and you put “something” contaminated into your mouth. Bath House Betty says, “When dining out at sex clubs or the baths, it is proper etiquette to wash your hands, dick, and butt with soap and hot water after each boy and/or sexual escapade — a little mouth wash can also help kill germs and keep your breath minty fresh.” Okay — enough of the shit talk! How do you get Hepatitis B? Most people get Hepatitis B from having unprotected anal or vaginal sex or sharing needles or works with someone who has Hep B. Hep B is found in an infected person’s blood, semen, and/or vaginal secretions. Other ways to get it include getting a tattoo or body piercing from someone who doesn’t properly sterilize their equipment. Hepatitis B is an extremely “hearty” virus. It can live outside the body for a long time in tiny quantities of dried up blood. So, don’t share personal items like toothbrushes, razors, cottons, cookers, mixing and rinse water, or syringes. And remember…Hep B is 100 times easier to catch or pass on than HIV. The big difference is — there’s a vaccine for Hepatitis B! 21
Page 1 and 2: E inthisissue: May 2000 Ruby Slippe
Page 3 and 4: CONTENTS ★★★★★ ★★★
Page 5 and 6: NEON is deeply saddened to announce
Page 7 and 8: Dear Abnormally Abstinent, Thanks f
Page 9 and 10: Year 2000 has finally arrived in Se
Page 11 and 12: You are getting very sleepy... Scot
Page 13 and 14: that there are three essential elem
Page 15 and 16: Any violation of these rules is a b
Page 18 and 19: 18 Water! You should plan to drink
Page 22 and 23: So are the vaccines effective? Yes.
Page 24 and 25: What’s love got to do with it? 24
Page 26 and 27: 16th and Union from 1956 to 1970. I
Page 28 and 29: 28 Schlongs In The Wind presents Ba
Page 30 and 31: While browsing one of the city’s
Page 32: RESOURCES ★AIDS / HIV / STD's ★

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