Dan – Part 2: The Chat – Risk Review
Dan showed up at his hookup’s house to find more people than he expected. This kind of surprise carries a lot of risk.
- Problem 1: Your hookup did not get your consent or permission before inviting a third person, leaving you without control over the situation.
Make sure to find out if your hookup wants other guys involved BEFORE you meet up.
Dan used alcohol and drugs before and while having sex with strangers.
- Problem 1: Drugs can be cut with all sorts of substances. If the drugs aren’t yours, you might not know what you’re putting in your body.
- Problem 2: Drugs, especially hard drugs, can seriously mess up your judgment and make you take more risks sexually.
Party only with people and partners you trust. That can help you make safer decisions around sex.
Dan and his hookups had bareback sex.
- Problem 1: Bareback sex puts both tops and bottoms at very high risk for HIV, as well as other STIs.
- Problem 2: Even if someone has tested HIV-negative in the past, that doesn’t automatically mean they’re still negative. At least 1/3, if not more, young men who have HIV don’t know they are positive.
- Problem 3: An HIV-positive person with an undetectable viral load (meaning the amount of HIV in the blood is so low that tests do not pick it up) cannot transmit the virus. But, you have to trust that they have been tested recently and are on top of their medications to stay undetectable.
Always use condoms when you hook up to prevent HIV and STIs. Add PrEP for another layer of protection from HIV.