M46

Does anyone use PrEP for parties or clubs?

January 14 2021

More of a safe sex topic, I recently discovered PrEP, it has been used in the gay community for years but I never knew it existed. I spoke with my doctor about being in a high risk lifestyle and he prescribed it to me. PrEP actually prevents you from contracting AIDS if you sleep with an HIV positive person. It costs $40 for 30 tablets and you essentially dose 4 tablet over 48 hours. This works out to roughly $5 per event to protect yourself from HIV. Less than the cost of a drink. I'm sure there are others that know about it and use it. My question is do you use it? Do u think it's necessary? Personally, I don't know how prevelant AIDS is in Australia but all I could think after finding out about it is that if you ever caught HIV and knew you could have avoided it for $5 it would be a tough poll to swallow so to speak. Safe sex is important and I almost always use condoms but what if the condom breaks or what if there is blood transfer? This is now part of my safe sex practice. Thoughts?

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RHP User

5 years ago

Just to let you know...There's not only HIV...but for instance Hep C, syphilis... etc etc...

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RHP User

5 years ago

Id be very skeptical about a tablet costing so little that promises to protect you from Aids. Is this a real thing? Even more worrying is the amount of guys on here who say in messages that they wont wear condoms.

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SpicyKale

5 years ago

Truvada (the drug used for PrEP) has been part of the cocktail used to treat HIV for a long time. In Australia for about the last three years it's been on the PBS for use as PrEP. It's also used for post exposure of you get a needle stick injury or you're sexually assaulted. Most in the gay community would use it daily rather than the on demand schedule that you've mentioned. When used daily it's ultra effective, but I've only seen one peer reviewed study for on demand. The criticism of the study is that the participants were using PrEP on a weekly basis, so the levels in the body were already high enough to still be in the body before taking the next course. If you're taking it maybe once every month or two you don't have a level already in the body, it hasn't yet been proven either way, so the American FDA haven't approved on demand dosing. On demand can't be used by women either, the drug takes 30 days to become effective in vaginal tissue. It also doesn't protect against any of the other Stds. The only reason I can personally see for taking PrEP on demand in the lifestyle would be if you're a bi guy that's into bottoming and you're worried about broken condoms, using it as a second layer of protection so to speak. Just as a thought if your GP wasn't familiar with PrEP, I believe you need three monthly testing to be able to get repeat scripts. They also do kidney function tests and recommend that you don't take any anti inflammatory drugs because they're all broken down on the kidneys. Side effects range from nothing at all, to nausea, to insomnia and weird dreams. A number of years ago I was on a one month course of Truvada after a needle stick injury at work, so I researched the hell out of it, after getting every known bloody side effects for the first fortnight and then they all disappeared! This isn't uncommon from what the specialist I was seeing told me. I don't have a medical background, please do your own research. One thought I do have, is if you're going to contemplate PrEP, go to a clinic that specialises in sexual health rather than your GP, you'll get much better info.

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Mrs_Deep_Love

5 years ago

Completely unnecessary in my opinion. 0.14 % of Australians are infected with HIV and 90% of those are aware of their status. If you are routinely having unprotected sex or sex in Asian countries on holiday. I would encourage its use. I applaud you for taking any measure to increase your sexual safety.

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Mrs_Deep_Love

5 years ago

Afao.org.au if anyone wants to read up.

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RHP User

5 years ago

Just wrap your dick ffs

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RHP User

5 years ago

The best precautions you can take is to use condoms and be regularly tested, I'd say once every 3 months for this kind of lifestyle.

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FeistyFatty

5 years ago

Agree with above. Just cover your cock. Its terrifying the risks people take with their and others health.

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AnnieWhichway

5 years ago

Our kidneys and livers are under the pump as it is (pun). They don't really need another assault by a just in case scenario. I was sexually active in the pre aids era. And 40 years since. A lot has been as a receptive role with bi and gay guys. In those years, only had 1 sti, That was from a female. So condoms keep you safe when used properly. Funny, l knew a guy that ate organically, very expensive food. But then took his prep. Wtf.... Anyway, the least of your worries is HIV. At least treatment has been fine tuned and keeps you running normally. What you should be concerned about is the antibiotic resistant syphilis and gonorrhoea. It's no longer just a shot and she'll be right. It can kill you and in the process, a slow indignant illness. A friend in international sport got a dose overseas. 6 months in hospital. Now 3 years on, he has recovered 90%. His brain is still suffering issues but it's the best he's going to be. With these diseases we are nearly back in the dark ages where death is the end result or severely handicapped. It makes you want to keep it in your undies.....matter of fact l am since co-vid came along and not missing the dramas and the game players just to find an unsatisfactory ending. Self love is the way of the future.....

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Bi_english_guy91

5 years ago

Hi mate, Im a bi guy, mostly in the gay community, so I am very aware of prep.... irs used by most of the gay community and its 99% effective (I have seen comments saying much less, that is for injecting drugs, not sex.) It has reduced the transmission rate massively! But you also mentioned "it stops you getting AIDS"... HIV and AIDS are VERY different. People who have HIV can go on medication which means they are no risk to sexual partners at all.... google "U=U" ........We've come a long way since the 80s, unfortunately the stigma is still the same :) Hope that helps! :)

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RHP User

5 years ago

My understanding of it without reading all the comments. Is that it has to be taken daily to be most effective. Plus u have to have 12 weekly std checks if your taking it. If your a bottom then your more at risk than a top. Still have to protect yourself of other forms of std's. Its all a bigger risk if u are having many partners. Perhaps the question is Is it worth it ? Better to have a regular small group that all get tested and take sexual health as priority.

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RHP User

5 years ago

Still costs more than a pack of condoms

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WarriorQueen

5 years ago

This has been a really interesting thread to read and I'm pleased to hear that people are really thinking about protected sex. Just curious though how many out there are using protection for oral sex? In particular I am finding that people think that it's okay to perform oral sex on me without using a dam. Actually most people that I have come across don't even know what a dam is.

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WarriorQueen

5 years ago

Thanks Spicy Kale. Unfortunately I don't have the option to select for all activities. It's not an option that comes up.

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Does anyone use PrEP for parties or clubs?

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