Some men on PrEP revealed a feeling of freedom from the inherent dread that consumed prior sexual experiences. Interviews with gay men across in NYC suggest that gay men on PrEP are having more condomless sex than before and enjoying it. But, for gay men on PrEP eschewing the condom, there is the heightened risk of contracting Sexually Transmitted Infections other than HIV and of being branded a “slut” or “Truvada whore” by friends and some in the LGBTQ community.
Now, PrEP is providing the opportunity to experience sex without the same level of anxiety. I absolutely consider being on PrEP to be practicing safe sex.”įor many gay men, the fear of contracting HIV imbued virtually every sexual encounter. “When you're my age, and you came out in the '80s, there was such a stigma about behavior and how it equals death, so you do everything you can to protect yourself against it. But because PrEP has proven to be so effective at preventing HIV, he's now much more comfortable being intimate with an HIV positive guy. Before, even when practicing safe sex with condoms, he would shy away from hooking up with any guy who was HIV positive. My mindset is changing.”Īfter being on PrEP, Trevor* no longer sorts out HIV positive people when dating and hooking up. “It’s like, why not? Something is very different.
He says his feelings changed once he began taking PrEP, a medication for those that are HIV negative that is highly effective at preventing the transmission of HIV. The idea of that prior was, ‘That’s too risky.’ But it’s hot,” says Trevor, a 44-year-old NYU professor. “For me, like, I never felt comfortable with someone coming in me.