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About Just out. (Portland, OR) 1983-2013 | View Entire Issue (Jan. 8, 1999)
- lanmaryfl. 1999» 'THE FINEST PERFORMANCE OF SIR DEREK JACOBI'S DISTINGUISHED CAREER" Skintimacy T h e t h r i l l o f b a r e b a c k in g is n o t h i n g t o s c o ff a t, b u t n e i t h e r is c o m m it m e n t to o u r c o lle c tiv e w e ll- b e in g arebacking” is a term adopted by those who engage in anal sex without the use of condoms. This activity is on the rise among nonmonogamous gay men. The numbers show it. A t least 2 percent of gay men seroconvert each year in major cities. It is a frightening and sobering statistic. The advent of a variety of protease inhibitors was heralded as a potent and highly effective weapon against the progressive nature of HIV infection. W hile hospice enrollm ent declined, the hopes of gay men soared. Fewer people were dying. Several news stories related that levels of HIV in infected men began to plummet “to undetectable levels.” HIV-positive men began to imagine and even plan for a future they had earlier believed had been snatched away from them. Previ ously ill people returned to work and formed new relationships. Certainly these statements are very familiar to you. It’s old news and those were heady times. Excit ing times. As members of a multi faceted queer community, we each felt like a phoenix rising from the ashes of our discontent and pain. But have we been lulled into a false sense of security by the availability of these strong med ications? Do we really believe that HIV/AIDS is a chronic disease? Weary of living in fear and of having our intimacy sheathed in latex for nearly two decades, are we now more willing to compromise the health and safety of those we are sexually intimate with, as well as our own? The answer for some is “yes.” We recognize that combinations of protease inhibitors provide long-term health benefits for many. However, new evidence suggests that the highly acclaimed medications are failing those who need them most. Though drug combina tions can delay disease and death, they have serious limitations. Lasting benefits can be as elusive as ever, particularly when a patient doesn’t take the medication on a regular basis. People who fail one treatm ent with a protease inhibitor have only limited success with a sec ond. Cross-resistance among medicines devel ops and the virus mutates. This is a reality. Additionally, some drug-cocktail consumers are developing a syndrome of disfiguring fat deposits on parts of their bodies even as their faces and limbs become emaciated. The Food and Drug Administration is concerned that so- called “buffalo humps” on the backs of patient’s necks and “protease paunches” are more than minor cosmetic concerns. Some patients are also developing increased risks for heart dis ease, such as high levels of LDL (bad) choles terol. The FDA does not want to alarm people, because the benefits of protease inhibitors still outweigh the risks. I realize the counterproduc tive effects of fear mongering and do not seek to promote it. However, epidemiologists nationwide have noticed that rectal gonorrhea rates have increased significantly in the gay community. Additionally, unprotected anal sex facilitates the transmission of triple-combina- tion-resistant HIV. Barebackers are courting a dangerous return ■Toronto Fim Festival STRANO RELEASING PRESENTS A H UH BY JOHN MAYBURY “★ ★ ★ ★ ■ -SAN FRANCISCO EXAMINER * “BRILLIANT” •NT POST, SAN FRANCISCO GUARDIAN bII VILLAGE VOICE RPIECE” THE GUARDIAN, UK Y FOR A PORTRAIT OF FRANCIS BACON 1 0 ( 0 9 Films STARTS FRIDAY, JAN. 8 FOR ONE WEEK ONLY! N o w you c a n S a v e 20 - 70% on yo ur Fu neral Costs I I I I I I Due to recent changes in FTC laws, you can now purchase your casket, urn, headstone or marker outside of funeral homes. After your purchase we will deliv- er to the funeral home of your choice. W e feature: Top Q u a lity C askets 24-H o u r S ervice Now you have a choice We are here to help you in your time of need Trust Accounts and pre-funding funeral packages available soon. W e have one of the largest showrooms in the Northwest. W e have on our staff a Licensed Funeral Director, Tom Morris, who is available for consultations and seminars. Bring in this a d a n d SAVE 10% on our a lr e a d y lo w p ric e s nightly 8:45,10:30 plus Sat-Sun (5:00) 616 NW 21st 223-4515 Z E > to the dark days of the mid-’80s. In fact, the regression may already have commenced. W ith this reality in mind, I advocate that as a matter of mutual respect, we need to keep the latex on. Let us reject the option to gamble with our lives, while simultaneously celebrating and expressing gay sexuality responsibly. We must value ourselves and those we are intimate with. Let us not just talk about our responsibility to engage in safer sex— let’s practice it. The only difference between safer sex and barebacking is a condom and an attitude. The two are inextricably linked. That nothing can quite compete with the delicious sensation of skin-on-skin is a no-brainer. However, safer sex can surely be as romantic, pounding, sweaty and hot. It only takes a modicum of creativity to integrate pleasure with protection, to detach eroticism from increased risk. Learn to feel loved and cared for when a sexual partner requests a condom. Insist on using one yourself. Consider it an invitation to increased intimacy. Eroticize the event to the highest possible degree. Regard it as a delight ful compliment to your self-worth. Safer sex represents a respect for one’s value, and esteem for the safety of one’s sexual partner. Barebacking can be a very thrilling and natural sexual experience, but is it worth contracting a drug-resistant strain of HIV? Is it potentially worth your life? We should not delude ourselves into believ ing that this is a chronically manageable dis ease that can be “taken care o f’ by some pills. As liberating and wonderful as barebacking must feel, let us not devalue ourselves. We are worth much more. ■ O W is written by m e m b e r s of Portland Gay Men Writing. Writers interested in contribute ing should call Alan or Geoffrey at 223-5907. u t o r d ipe DIRECT Casket Sales 76 NE Division St., Main Square, Gresham Showroom Hours: M-Sat 9-6 1-877-272-7629 24 Hours: (503) 492-1571 Two dinner parties collide with some ferociously funny results. Experience the frenetic hilarity of it all as both evenings come together in a collision of rumor and farce. 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