WHY EVERY GAY MAN SHOULD TEST PROUDLY TODAY

I almost went in disguise the first time I got tested. It felt like I was about to pull the trigger in a game of Russian Roulette. Was this the moment everything would come to a halt? Did I make a “mistake” along the way that I would regret forever? I could hear the voice of my youth pastor in my ear: “You have no one to blame but yourself, David.”

Where I’m from in the south, people don’t talk about HIV or sexually transmitted diseases unless you’re in health class. Even then it’s linked back to sex with an overlay of shame; the idea being if you have lots of sex you will catch an STI, so either lock the legs or prepare for a lifetime of damnation.

It wasn’t until after I had lived in Los Angeles for a year that I started to understand what being aware means. It didn’t matter if I was afraid (that’s not going to stop the virus). What mattered was my willingness to find out, to know my status and to act on it — whatever the results were. After all, it was certainly better than the alternative.

Refusing to get tested out of fear invites more fear. I learned that the hard way. Eventually it morphs into anxiety, paranoia, guilt, and shame; a vicious cycle that can be broken in the fifteen minutes it takes for a full HIV and other STIs checkup. I finally realized the obvious truth: I wasn’t afraid of getting tested, but rather the idea of testing positive. It felt much easier not to know. But ignorance isn't much protection.

Living in a state of unawareness is like trapping yourself in a fish bowl: it might be blissful, but your perspectives on the world will be blurred. In today’s Grindr-obsessed, sex on the go, instant gratification world we live in, knowing your status is the most responsible thing we can do to protect ourselves and our future partners. The only thing standing between us is the fear of HIV stigma.

No one wants to be part of the stigma, which is why getting tested every three to six months, like the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention suggests, can be daunting (what if today is the day I get a positive result?). But it’s okay to be terrified of stigma, because it’s a bully. It has no benefit other than to puncture the progress of millions of lives fighting against being labeled as “dirty,” “unsafe,” or “slutty.” But like all bullies, stigma has a weakness.

When you look stigma directly in the face, it runs away. It disappears because all bullies are cowards. Afterwards you realize it wasn’t the stigma that had power over you, but rather the fear of facing it. The willingness to discover the truth becomes a springboard to courage. In the end you learn that the stigma was a lie.

HIV stigma corners us inside a box of fear. The more we tell ourselves it’s better “not to know” the heavier our shame weighs. Getting tested should never feel like we’re walking the green mile. We are taking control of our health by allowing ourselves to know, and knowledge is powerful — more powerful than fear. That is something to be proud of.

The first person you need on your side is you — not your sex partner, not your doctor, not your counselor, nor your therapist. You are the one who needs to stay on top of your health. These days it’s really not hard to do. All you have to do is know. Testing is an essential element, without it, you cannot take the steps you need to stay healthy. When we fight against ourselves, we’re always going to lose. It doesn’t matter what the results of a test might bring. The important part is being aware, because trust me it’s much better than living in a state of panic.

Life is a game of Russian Roulette. Every time we have sex we are taking a risk. The same goes for when we get in a car or simply getting out of bed. We are never going to control everything, but the one thing we can control is our awareness. With that, fear has no reason to exist. There are things we can do to stay on top of our health. Having PrEP as an option to prevent HIV contraction is a major leap forward in medicine, and it should be adopted unapologetically the same way getting tested should. 

HIV has not disappeared. We’ve just stopped talking about it. According to the CDC, if current diagnosis rates continue, one in six gay and bisexual men will be diagnosed with HIV in their lifetime. It’s also estimated that in today’s world, one in seven gay and bisexual men already have HIV but don’t know it, because they refuse to get tested. Because of the lack of knowledge, they are unknowingly putting other men at risk for contracting the virus. But the good news is that getting on treatment and lowering your viral load to undetectable levels essentially makes you uninfectious, unable to transmit HIV. 

Sleeping with an HIV-positive person who is undetectable is much safer than sleeping with a guy who doesn’t know his status. Getting tested impacts more than one person. It produces a ripple effect in our community that encourages men to be empowered about our own sexual health, thus breaking free of the fish bowl. As a result, we invite clarity into our lives. And with clarity, fear has no power.

Get tested today. Proudly. 

SOURCE: HIV PLUS MAGAZINE

THE SEXY GAY PrEP VIDEO WE'VE BEEN WAITING FOR

“PrEP is a prevention strategy that deals with sex, namely bareback sex,” says gay film student Chris Tipton-King, “and I got tired of people tip-toeing around that fact.” The young Bay Area resident had never seen a PrEP video that didn’t somehow sanitize sex or the desires of gay men. “Everything I had seen about PrEP just felt… awkward.”

And so, without a dime of governmental or pharmaceutical funding, Chris used an assignment for his master’s degree in cinema to create “The PrEP Project,” a four-part video series that speaks honestly – and quite explicitly – to gay men about their sex lives and why more of them should be using PrEP.

The result is the sexiest (and maybe funniest) video series on the topic anyone has produced to date. It’s exactly what PrEP advocates have been waiting for, because it isn’t beholden to stiff health department guidelines or even political correctness.

Stop everything and watch it right this minute, as long as your boss doesn’t mind some bare ass and explicit sex talk. Each episode is only five minutes.

Did I mention the series features leatherman sexpert Eric Paul Leue, as well as a gay porn star and a muscle boy also known as a drag performer? You’ve got to give points to Chris for pure resourcefulness. Better yet, aside from the eye candy, the series is adorably engaging.

The first classic prevention message that Chris refused to promote in the video was “use a condom every time.” The vast majority of people, gay or straight, do not use condoms consistently. “The rate of consistent condom use among gay men has been estimated to be as low as 17%,” Chris says, “and PrEP is the answer to that. But we still conflate condom use with morality, which just isn’t helpful.” Instead, the film speaks to the sex lives of gay men as they actually are.

The initial backlash against PrEP as an alternative to condoms – the “Truvada Whore” argument — doesn’t bother Chris. He knows where it comes from. “Condoms became an emotional topic,” he says, after a generation of mortality that provided no other options. “Now that there is an alternative, people have a hard time letting that message go.”

Rest assured, “The PrEP Project” outlines the risk of other sexually transmitted infections that can occur without condoms. It just refuses to draw a false equivalency between the consequences of HIV and those of other STI’s.

When the first video in the series launched on Facebook, it got more than 40,000 views in the first day. That is, until Facebook pulled it down for violating their irksome, often vague community standards. “That really pissed me off,” Chris admits. “I should have expected it because it is somewhat graphic sex, but I believe the people who pulled it didn’t like the message. It wasn’t about the sex. I got a lot of hate mail.”

Want to know more about PrEP or ask questions to experts and advocates? Check out the PrEP Facts: Rethinking HIV Prevention and Sex page on Facebook.

Mark S. King is the creator of My Fabulous Disease, where this first appeared.

SOURCE: HIV PLUS MAGAZINE

THE EMPOWERED BOTTOM: "SAFER" SEX IN THE TIME OF PrEP

Until recently, condoms were considered the only viable option for safer sex practices among gay and bisexual men. Once it was first discovered that HIV was a sexually transmitted infection, condoms became the centerpiece of safe-sex culture. Although this tool kept many gay and bisexual men HIV-negative through the worst of the epidemic, but the use of condoms has dropped dramatically over the years. Even among those most adherent, the use of condoms to prevent HIV has often perpetuated  an inequality among gay men; one that looks upon the receiving partner in intercourse as more subservient. It's an inequality apparent in the very terms we use: tops and bottoms. Tops are on top and bottoms are on the bottom — not just in terms of sexual acts.

In other words: the tops had all the power.

Sure, many gay men often identify as versatile when questioned about sexual positioning. Even so, most usually have a general proclivity to one position or the other. Generally, some people are good at topping while others make for better bottoms. Yet, when it comes to mutual respect, sexual health, and protection, tops and bottoms aren’t, or weren’t always, treated as though they were created equally.

“I've definitely felt belittled for identifying as a bottom. As if being a bottom meant being something ‘less’ in our community,” said Joshua Collins, a PrEP user from Phoenix, Arizona. “I also feel like we have certain expectations of someone who identifies as a top and expect them to take control in sex. I've definitely felt like the top was more in control within the sexual dynamic.”

A top is also physically in control of wearing a condom. A bottom can only negotiate the use of a condom. You might think that this doesn’t necessarily create an inequity. After all, a bottom can walk away from a sexual encounter just as easily as a top. But in the throes of passion when the clothes are off and there are mere inches between “everything-but” and full-on penetration, the power is greatly weighted in favor of the top.

As the bottom partner, my HIV status was always contingent on someone else's decisions,” said Damon Jacobs, founder of the popular Facebook group, PrEP Facts. “I had to rely on the top to make sure the condom was used, or didn't fall off, or didn't fall in, or didn't break, or didn't 'magically disappear' as condoms sometimes do.”

A gay or bisexual man who primarily tops is also less at-risk for HIV infection (but not immune). But this is not the inequality that condoms create. A top who engages in condomless sex isn’t held nearly as responsible as a bottom often is when it comes to safe sex, yet the top is the one who must physically wear the condom in question. The relationship between gay men, condoms, and HIV can be directly paralleled with that of birth control, heterosexual sex, and pregnancy. And PrEP is to the empowered bottom the same way that birth control is to the empowered woman — including the slut shaming that both parties have often experienced as a result of their choice to take control of their health.

“PrEP is the first opportunity bottoms have ever had to be in full control of our HIV status,” said Jacobs. “It allows both partners, in either sexual position, to be 100 percent responsible for their pleasure and protection.”

Colton Ferrell is a young PrEP user from Austin, Texas. He didn’t think too much about the inequality of his preference for bottoming until he found himself in his own sexual quandary.

“So, I never really thought of there being an imbalance dependent upon sexual position, until one time recently when the guy and I discussed using a condom,” said Ferrell. “We agreed to use the condom, he grabbed the condom wrapper, I laid down on my stomach, and we had — not so enjoyable — sex. Something, as a bottom, I've noticed is that I can rarely feel the difference as to if the guy is wearing a condom or not, and it turned out, that in this circumstance, he wasn't, and he actually came inside of me. Aside from feeling very violated and pissed, I was less worried than I feel I would've been, because I was on PrEP, and wasn't as concerned about HIV, while still knowing I needed to get checked for everything else.”

Ferrell’s experience is just one example of how the one who is at risk is often left without control in a situation of protection. The use of Truvada as PrEP, the HIV prevention pill that is 99 percent effective at eliminating the risk of HIV infection when taken correctly, has the potential to revolutionize the gay sexual experience. Now, a bottom has the option to enter into the intercourse that he chooses with the knowledge that he has taken action to protect himself from HIV, regardless of the top’s preferences or agreements. Furthermore, he is involved in preventative care with his healthcare provider and taking responsibility for his own sexual health.

But most importantly, he is allowed to enjoy the pleasures of sex without experiencing any added shame for his preferred position or fear of a possible HIV infection.

“I think I can sum up how PrEP has changed the way I feel about sex in one word: wow!” said Collins. “I've personally never been that adherent with condom usage and I would always feel very guilty and irresponsible. I've had many a time I'd nervously awaited an HIV test result hoping and praying. With PrEP, I don't worry about it anymore and just enjoy the moment. Now I let my sexual partners know I'm on PrEP and I've had some really great experiences with guys who are positive and who I probably wouldn't have approached. I would say I'm a lot more aware of my sexual health now because I get tested every three months.”

So what does PrEP mean to the empowered bottom? It means living in an environment where the fight to stay sexually healthy is held on more of an equal playing field. It means less shame and fear and a greater sense of self worth and sexual pleasure.

“I'm a child of the 1980s,” said Eric McCulley, a PrEP advocate. “And for the majority of my life, all I've heard about sex is that it is dangerous and that it might actually kill you. So it's nice to not be afraid of sex anymore. And to be in control of my own sexual health is empowering and affirming.”

As the arguments over the use of PrEP continue to dissipate and the science and validity of the HIV prevention pill continues to increasingly resonate within the gay community, it is now a matter of accessibility and affordability for those who need it so that more bottoms become empowered by the other little blue pill.

Here’s to a new kind of sexual revolution.

SOURCE: HIV PLUS MAGAZINE

BLACK AIDS INSTITUTE ANNOUNCES 30 DAYS OF HIV CAMPAIGN

Phill Wilson, President and CEO of the Black AIDS Institute, says that the disturbing disparities regarding HIV and AIDS in the black community inspired him to create the campaign. “Our house is still on fire and we don't seem to notice,” said Wilson in the official press release announcing the 30 Days Of HIV campaign.

“Even though it is not in the news as much as it was a few years ago, HIV/AIDS is an ongoing—and in among some sectors of the black community—a tragically growing crisis,” said Wilson, who is black, gay, HIV-positive man. “Black gay and bisexual men in the United States have a 50% lifetime HIV infection rate. Black women still represent 61% of the new HIV infections among women.”

Wilson say that 30 Days Of HIV was designed not only to spotlight the problem, but more importantly, what we can do to begin lessening these disparities. The campaign, which runs from May 27th through National HIV Testing Day (June 27th), has three core elements:

The Online Community Calendar to promote HIV and health related events serving black communities.

In The Life, an Instagram storytelling series titled featuring community-sourced life experiences of black, gay/bi/trans men.

And “Daily Actions,” a once-a-day call to action via BAI’s Facebook, Twitter, and Instagram pages to mobilize black communities and those who serve them.

For more information about the 30 Days Of HIV campaign, visit the Black AIDS Institute’s website.

SOURCE: HIV PLUS MAGAZINE

HELP KEEP MICHAEL JOHNSON OUT OF PRISON

Michael Johnson sent shock waves around the HIV-positive community in 2015 when the Olympic-aspiring college wrestler was arrested under Missouri’s HIV criminalization laws, and charged for “recklessly infecting another with HIV,” and for counts of “recklessly risking infection of another with HIV,” as Plus previously reported. 

Johnson’s trial was ridden with racism, homophobia, and ignorance from the start — even from his own defense council. His lawyer’s opening words to the jury were apparently, “You have to consider my client guilty until proven otherwise.” The judge reportedly corrected the public defender by saying, "I believe you meant to say 'innocent.'"

The jury took only a few hours to deliberate, before sentencing Johnson to 30.5 years. 

Thankfully, last December the Missouri Court of Appeals reversed his conviction based on the prosecution’s failure to turn over important evidence on time. This can be new beginning for Johnson, but he needs our help. 

In order for Johnson to truly get a second chance, he needs the best legal counsel available at his new trial — one that doesn’t think his client is “guilty until proven otherwise.” 

The new trial date has not been set yet, but what we do know is that Johnson needs to raise $20,000 in 20 days. According to his funding page on Funded Justice, the money will be used to hire a private attorney that has the experience, background, and passion to help him fight the HIV criminalization laws in Missouri. 

Any and all amount of monies will be one step toward justice. 

To donate, please CLICK HERE. 

SOURCE: HIV PLUS MAGAZINE

HOLIDAY MIRACLE? MICHAEL JOHNSON'S 30-YEAR HIV-DISCLOSURE CONVICTION OVERTURNED

The Missouri Appeals Court has reversed the  conviction of college studen Michael Johnson, whose HIV non-disclosure conviction helped galvanize the anti-criminalization movement last  year. Although Johnson won't immediately go free — he was remanded pending a new trial — the decision is still being hailed by activists fighting HIV criminalization.

"This is a happy note of justice to close out a year of political and cultural discourse that has all too often exacerbated, been indifferent to, or cruelly celebrated injustice, “ says Sean Strub, founder of The Sero Project, the organization that co-sponsors the HIV is Not a Crime training conferences, which teach activists how to help overturn outdated laws targeting those with HIV. 

In 2015, Johnson, a former college wrestler, was charged with "recklessly infecting another with HIV” and four counts of “recklessly risking infection of another with HIV.”  

Johnson’s lawyer’s opening words to the jury were apparently, “You have to consider my client guilty until proven otherwise.” The judge reportedly corrected the public defender by saying, "I believe you meant to say 'innocent.'"

In a trial marked by racism, homophobia, and ignorance of medical science, prosecutors alleged that Johnson knowingly exposed his sexual partners to HIV by failing to disclose his status. 

Their claim was accepted in part because, as Steven Thrasher wrote on Buzzfeed, “prosecutors have in their possession what they consider a smoking gun: On Jan. 7, 2013, Johnson signed a form like this one from the state of Missouri, acknowledging that he had been diagnosed with HIV.”

After a speedy five-day trial, the jury only deliberated a few hours before finding Johnson guilty on all counts. Given a total sentence of 60 years, the judge decreed that the two 30 year sentences could be served concurrently.

The lengthy sentences reflected that under Missouri law, HIV transmission is a Class A felony along with murder, forcible rape of a child under 12, and first-degree kidnapping. 

Appealing the conviction, Johnson's lawyers offered several arguments for why the decision should be overturned, including the fact that the state prosecutors withheld tapes of phone conversations that Johnson had in prison, conversations the state didn't reveal it was going to use until days before the trial. The appeal also argued that Johnson's sentence was unconstitutional given what he was charged with (this argument is based on the fact that HIV is no longer a death sentence and therefor transmission of the virus should not be viewed as equivalent​ to murder).

The Missouri Court of Appeals today agreed that the prosecution not only failed to comply with Johnson's discovery request, “the State’s violation of Rule 25.03 was knowing and intentional and was part of a trial-by-ambush strategy that this Court does not condone and the Rule 25.03 was specifically designed to avoid.”

Those tapes turned out to be critical to the trial. In them, Johnson says he was only "pretty sure" he'd disclosed his status, acknowledged his hesitance to disclose, and expressed concerns he could have transmitted HIV to others.

"The court's reversal is based on the prosecutor's misconduct," explains Strub, "which raises questions concerning other possible improprieties in Michael's trial. The prosecutor clearly wasn't playing by the rules, and as a result, Michael Johnson, his friends and family, people living with HIV, and justice suffered."

In determining that the prosecution deliberately held the inflamatory evidence, the Appeals Court wrote, "we find that the trial court abused its discretion by admitting the excerpted recordings of the phone calls Johnson made while in Jail. Johnson’s first point is granted, and we reverse and remand for a new trial." 

However, the Appeals Court declined to consider the second argument, noting, "we do not consider Johnson’s second point on appeal, which relates solely to the constitutionality of Johnson’s punishment for an offense for which he must now be retried.”

In other words, by overturning his conviction Johnson sort of goes back to being presumed innocent, and the constitutionality of his sentencing is rendered mute. 

In avoiding the question regarding sentencing, the Court actually leaves the constitutionality of the sentence unanswered, but also open for future appeals of similar sentences. 

James M. Dowd, the presiding judge concluded, “For the reasons stated above, we reverse the judgment of the trial court and remand for a new trial.

"This is far from over," Strub acknowledges. "But if the state chooses to retry him, which may be likely, Sero and many other community efforts will do our best to mobilize every resource available in Michael's defense. A lot of people care about Michael Johnson. And their advocacy, concern, and love has no doubt been meaningful to Michael, his mother, and his family and friends, but also a significant factor in bringing attention and legal resources to bear on his behalf."

SOURCE: HIV PLUS MAGAZINE

YOU'LL LOVE THIS FABULOUS GAY DANCE VIDEO ABOUT HIV

The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention has produced a music video that joyfully educates gay and bi men about HIV prevention options. And it is foot-stomping fabulous!

The song, “Collect My Love,” was released by The Knocks and it features vocals by Alex Newell, the young gender-bending singer who rose to fame by stealing season three of the television series, Glee (his rendition of “Boogie Shoes” on that show is a one-way ticket to my happy place).

In the CDC music video, Newell performs the song in a crowded, gay-friendly dance club. The atmosphere is ebullient and cruisey, with gay men making connections left and right. That’s where HIV prevention comes in.

Gay couples meeting at the club are shown later, as their relationships develop. There is a condom negotiation, a man shown taking PrEP, and even a character who discloses he is HIV-positive and undetectable.

The CDC has filled the video with every prevention method available, and they do it in a sex-positive, non-judgmental atmosphere. The video was created as part of the “Start Talking. Stop HIV.” campaign that reaches out to men who have sex with men, particularly African-American and Latino gay and bi men.

In an exclusive interview with Alberto Santana of the CDC’s Division of HIV/AIDS Prevention and Manny Rodriguez, part of the creative team at agency FHI360, both men made clear that solid research was their guide.

“This is an authentic campaign,” said Rodriguez, “with gay men involved in both the campaign staff and creative team. Our goal was to marry CDC research with something that is accessible and enjoyable to watch.”

“We know that having conversations about HIV can increase good health outcomes and strengthen relationships,” said Santana. “We also wanted to playfully connect to pop culture. We are putting out important information, and doing it outside the normal means.”

The CDC is exceedingly careful to provide scientifically accurate messages, but has certainly never delivered these messages in such an innovative and entertaining way before. The video incorporates both PrEP and the fact people with HIV can become undetectable — two important and often misunderstood issues being heavily discussed among the gay community right this minute.

The men featured in the video are youthful and attractive, but blessedly, they look like young men you might actually meet in a club, not unattainable icons from the pages of Men’s Fitness. In fact, there’s a plus-sized bear seen tearing up the dance floor who walks away with the video during his few seconds on camera. In my mind’s eye, that jubilant, self-possessed man is not going home alone.

Sure, the world conjured in the CDC video may not reflect all interactions among gay men as we know them to be. Stigma and judgment still exist and are practiced nightly in clubs throughout the country. But I wholeheartedly support this alternative, aspirational world, where gay men live joyfully and play responsibly. That’s the world I want to live in.

The video will be shared on social media and through CDC’s community partners. But why wait? Check it out, and share it with your networks. Discuss it. Start a conversation about the ways we can protect ourselves and our community.

And put on your dancing shoes.

SOURCE: HIV PLUS MAGAZINE

ALL HAIL THE PRINCE HARRY EFFECT

Over two million people watched as the U.K.'s Prince Harry (the late Princess Diana's youngest son) appeared on Facebook Live earlier this year to show how easy, quick, and painless it is to get tested for HIV — and to support the Terrence Higgins Trust, the largest non-profit organization supporting people living with HIV in Europe. Since then orders of the rapid HIV test have increased 5,000 percent. 

“It’s so important that we continue looking for new ways to make HIV testing more accessible to those most at risk,” Dr. Michael Brady, the medical director for the Terrence Higgins Trust, told reporters. “[That’s] why it’s fantastic to see the very tangible and immediate impact of Prince Harry’s support for HIV testing.”

A similar impact was seen in the U.S. when Charlie Sheen came out as HIV-positive, demonstrating the power of celebrities to raise awareness among the general public. The Charlie Sheen effect didn’t just bring about an increase in testing. It also caused a huge increase in HIV reporting.  A study conducted by Seth Noar of the University of North Carolina School of Media, and published in JAMA Internal Medicine, an American Medical Association journal, discovered that Sheen’s disclosure caused a 265 percent increase in news reports mentioning HIV (97 percent of which also mentioned Sheen).

Let’s hope more celebrities will follow in the royal footsteps, publicly getting tested and calling on fans to know their status.

Watch Prince Harry's HIV testing video below:

SOURCE: HIV PLUS MAGAZINE

BLACK & LATINO CALIFORNIANS FACE LARGER BARRIERS IN ACCESSING PrEP

A new report on pre-exposure prophylaxis, or PrEP, released by APLA Health, in partnership with the University of California HIV/AIDS Research Program (CHRP), called “Addressing PrEP Disparities Among Young Gay and Bisexual Men in California” revealed less than 10 percent of gay and bisexual men have used PrEP, and that black and Latinos face more barriers in accesssing the HIV-preventative drug.

After polling 600 young gay, bisexual, and other men who have sex with men (YMSM), researchers found that blacks and Latinos not only have a harder time getting PrEP, but most of them weren’t even aware it existed.

While 73 percent of participants were aware of PrEP, the awareness of it was lower among blacks and Latinos, especially to those between the ages of 18 and 21. Only 9.6 percent of Latinos used PrEP, despite most participants (55.9 percent) claiming an interest in practicing it if it were made available to them. Plus covered a story featuring a series of PSA's produced by Public Health Solutions that specifiically addressed the Balck and Latino community, you can watch it here.

Seeing as PrEP is one of the best tools out there to prevent HIV transmission, why haven’t young black and Hispanic YMSM — two groups who are at highest risk for HIV in America — heard about it? Unfortunately there is not a strong enough strategy to reach them in California (perhaps the whole country). APLA Health Chief Executive Officer Craig E. Thompson agrees.

“These results clearly show that young gay and bisexual men are interested in taking PrEP if they know about it and can easily access it,” Thompson said in a press release. “We must eliminate social and structural barriers to this highly effective HIV prevention tool. APLA Health is proud to take a leadership role in making sure that everyone who wants or needs PrEP is able to benefit from it.”

But it’s easier said than done, seeing as 59.3 percent of all the participants didn’t even know where to get a PrEP prescription, and 56.4 didn’t know how to find a doctor. 58.9 percent expressed concern of the price, which without insurance can be around $1000/month. But as Plus reported, there are a variety of programs and resources out there offering financial assistance, including Gilead's Advancing Access program as well as the recently launched PrEP Locator.

However, according to a report from Gilead, over 49,000 prescriptions for Truvada (the only approved drug to use as PrEP) have been filled in the US since being approved by the FDA four years ago. This data was reported by 82 percent of all pharmacies.

PrEP education is more crucial than ever, especially since 1 in 6 gay and bisexual men will get HIV in their lifetime, according to a Centers for Disease Control and Prevention fact sheet. That includes half of all gay and bisexual black men, and 25 percent of all gay/bi Latino men.

APLA suggests the state of California should use public funds to help pay for PrEP, including PrEP-related clinical ancillary services. States like Washington have made strides to ensure access for its citizens, making it virtually free. Should California follow suit?

Nearly 100 million people live in California, which accounts for about one-third of the country’s population. It’s time for state government to attention to health concerns plaguing its citizens of color. We are literally running out of time. 

SOURCE: HIV PLUS MAGAZINE

WATCH: THE VOICE FINALIST JAMAR ROGERS STRIPS WHILE TALKING ABOUT BEING POZ

The Voice finalist Jamar Rogers strips down to his underwear in the latest episode of What's Underneath, the viral video series where culture influencers expose what's under their clothes as they reveal their feelings about style, image, and identity. 

In the video, Rogers talks about being gay and HIV-positive, and how coming out can help us  can reach our unlimited self. He says, “I didn't know that talking about the one thing that terrified me would open so many doors."

SOURCE: HIV PLUS MAG

WHY POZ GUYS MAKE THE BEST BOYFRIENDS...

I was recently thinking about all the things I meant to write about, but for one reason or another, I haven’t. Maybe I didn’t want to be judged and subject myself to stigma. But I’ve come to the conclusion that there will always be people who can’t understand my choices because their minds are already made up. So be it.

I need to confess something. Ever since those early days of the AIDS crisis, I have been attracted to guys who are HIV-positive. Mainly, I wanted someone with a job who was able to support himself, a place to live other than his parents’ basement, and a sense of style and humor that most people would appreciate, but above all, someone who sees the whole picture. By that I mean someone who can see past his own nose—a good deed doer, in other words. Those are the guys who, I think, have potential for the best chemistry.

It just so happens that many of the guys I started dating in the 1980s and early ’90s turned out to be HIV-positive. Coincidentally, they were also real and unpretentious.

Think about it. Just for a moment, put yourself in someone else’s shoes. After weeks of running a low-grade fever, an occasional bout with thrush, and some nasty skin rashes, you decide to get yourself checked. After a grueling wait period, the diagnosis comes back. You are HIV-positive.

You let this unwanted stranger sit with you and follow you everywhere. What goes through your mind? Josh Robbins, who writes the blog I’m Still Josh, says he seemed to expect the news but still needed to stop and catch his breath. Then he moved forward and said, “Well, I got some work to do to bring that viral load down.”

Another blogger, Patrick Ingram of Poz+ Life of Patrick, admits to leaving the clinic feeling scared and alone after he was told he tested positive, but then he immediately turned it around, offering to help anyone who suspects that they might also have the virus.

“I’ll go with you if you live in my area,” he said. “Please, please don’t do this alone.”

You can’t get any more real and compassionate than these two guys, and they put my other friends to shame—people who seem more concerned about where to travel for vacation than they do about the greater good.

Yes, I know some HIV-positive guys who keep their illness at a distance, compartmentalizing their life and pretending everything is OK. My former partner Robert, who was diagnosed with AIDS in 1994, first told everybody, including his family, that he had “a blood cancer.” He thought it would get him a little more sympathy than an AIDS diagnosis. He was right, but in the end, his denial only delayed his healing.

I’m sure that my positive friends have some down days like everybody else. But what I see in them is a passionate push to move forward and get past the bad stuff. They have a brand of courage, optimism, and strength, oddly coupled with a sweet vulnerability, that, quite frankly, I find attractive. These are the kind of qualities I want in the person I grow old with.

The first week of November, my boyfriend and I attended the wedding of one of my friends, Jay, and his new husband, Angelo. To me, there was no discernible difference between this wedding and any other. There was love, excitement, apprehension, and all those emotions that come with the ritual celebration of marriage.

This wedding also marked a victory of sorts. Like so many HIV-positive men I know, Jay once wondered whether he would be seen as lovable with his HIV-positive status. I suppose Angelo saw the same kind of thing I have seen so many times in Jay. He is flawed like every other person I know (myself included). But he’s also a guy who is always real and kind, who has a clear-eyed focus on the future—a man you’ll find laughing and crying like the rest of us.

SOURCE: HIV PLUS MAGAZINE