A Serious Problem Among 13 to 24 Year-Olds

I would be curious to see how HIV infections correlate, if they do, with available sex education.

 

Oh my! I always knew that there was an increased with STDs among adults, but I never knew that it was hitting people as young as 13. This is very sad and disturbing. I think that a large part of it can be attributed to lack of proper sexual education as well as the sex crazed media along with hook-up culture. Maybe, if someone did an extensive documentary on this subject, more people would take attention and get educated.

 

Guess that's one of the few things I can be grateful for in not remotely enjoying or wanting to take part in the hook-up culture...

 

Oh, what a coincidence. I'm doing a research paper on this and this is the pivotal concern, essentially.

 

If there is in fact a causal relationship, though, the relationship could go both ways. Actually I'm inclined to believe the rise in bareback porn is the result of a changing attitude and rise in barebacking, not the cause. Guess there's no way to find out.

 

Hi GW

This is disturbing news indeed.

My best friend from my school days died from AIDS in the late 80s after catching HIV before the safe sex message was widely published, had I realised I was gay back in the 80s I too perhaps may have died. It is the responsibility of the older generation to keep the safer sex message alive and to emphasize the importance of regular testing. In the UK I don’t recall seeing any adverts on the TV like those terrifying ones from the late 80s, it seems that the closest thing to safer sex messages are fly-on-the-wall documentaries from STD clinics, and perhaps the odd message on MTV.

Our younger readers will never have known the dark days and are unlikely to have come across anyone who does remember unless they specifically ask. Perhaps the admins could think of wording for a poll that is prominently displayed on EC in a place where younger viewers could see that enabled us older folk to indicate how many people we know of suffering with, or who have died from, HIV/AIDS, perhaps it may help bring the message home. Perhaps the poll initially could be in later in life area and then the results moved to an area for the younger members to see. If it started in the younger section perhaps the older members may not see it and the resulting numbers in the poll may give a wrong impression to the youngsters. It’s just an idea and probably has many downsides but perhaps it’s worth discussing.

Sale Gay Guy

 

It is really sad. One of the problems, I think, is the mixed messages that are sent regarding HIV - like, is it a *gay* disease or not?

Basically, I think HIV awareness has unfortunately been a bit of a casualty in the rush to *normalise* homosexuality in the last decade or so. Straight people in power, straight politicians, the liberal (and even right wing) media etc avoid discussing HIV amongst gay men because they don't want to sound homophobic. Political correctness (and a legitimate desire to avoid giving red-meat to the homophobes) is trumping compassion.

The message isn't getting across to young gay guys because we're uncomfortable to shout it loudly enough. HIV IS a *gay disease* and we have to recognise that.

 

Well, well, well.
This is one interesting story... :/

 

This generation is in a hook up phase, that's why I think this is happening.Another is lack of sex education

 

This conversation reminds me of a man I met while volunteering at a hospice ten years ago. He was in the end stages of his fight with AIDS, and was down to bones, with marks all over his skin. He was a young man, maybe 40. His family, his friends,everyone had abandoned him. When I came in, he was watching a horror movie, a particularly gory one. I wondered if that was how he felt. I sat and talked with him, washed his forehead, held his hand. He died the next day. This experience, and others, reminded me how the disease not only stripped a person of their vitality, it often isolated people from human touch and caring. I hope things have changed since then.

 

Over the past couple of years, I've read more than one article that describe HIV/AIDS as a "manageable chronic condition" and go onto compare it to a condition such as "diabetes." Some younger people may not fear it as a death sentence as it once was. However, we as a society need to still not take such a nonchalant attitude toward HIV/AIDS...

 

What worries me is the whole "seeking/gifting" culture/movement...

 

Well, I'm terrified.

People are having sex much more often and casually than is safe or logical, I think.

I'm looking through my issues of Cosmo, and people are saying they're shocked that someone would hold out even a couple weeks.

Am I the only one who thinks it's absurd to have sex so early?

 

Probably, yes. Having sex more often than is logical? That doesn't make sense.

'Holding out' is a stupid concept in any case. There is no set time limit on when it is acceptable for two people in a relationship to have sex, and it has no bearing on their likelihood of getting HIV - nor is it any of your business. That is not the issue at hand. The issue at hand is using condoms when having sex - specifically anal sex.