The Little Black Book For Guys: Guys Talk About Sex

Chapter 4 - THE THIN RED LINE

HIV/AIDS and Other Sexually Transmitted Infections

No Lies, No Fear, Just Facts

First off, when we talk about HIV/AIDS and other STIs, we’re not trying to scare the hell out of you. We’re not here to tell you not to have sex or to make you think of sex as a terrible thing.

But we are here to help you protect yourself. You gotta know that there are risks with all kinds of sexual activity. Like, did you know that you can catch an STI from oral sex? Or that you don’t have to be a player to catch an STI? You can get one the very first time you share a sexual act with another person. So read on and learn how to protect yourself and reduce the risks.

Understanding the basic facts about STIs is the first step in getting protected.

There are many STIs to watch out for, and this chapter will look at a bunch of them, but the one you’ve probably heard the most about is HIV/AIDS. AIDS is a huge issue around the world ’cause it spreads so easily if people don’t use protection, ’cause it kills millions of people every year, and ‘cause there is no cure, yo. And no matter what you might have heard, you need to protect yourself from it whether you are straight, gay, bi, or anything else. If you’re human and you’re sharing sex acts with another human, you’re at risk of catching HIV and that leads to AIDS.

Yeah, STIs are some scary shit, but in this chapter we’re gonna try to cut through the fears and the lies to give you the facts you need to protect yourself and your partner. And we’re gonna look at the realities you might face when engaging with your partner. So many guys think that going “bare back” makes it feel better or shows that you trust and love the person.

You can still love and trust someone but protect yourself, because no one is invincible. Even Superman had a weakness! 

So have fun, be safe, and yes guys, here’s that word, again communicate!