STI and HIV free date?
Until recently, serosorting was a strategy mostly used by Gay men as an alternative to safe sex. If it has been proved to contribute to a decrease in HIV incidence within the gay community, it nevertheless remains highly problematic amongst HIV negative men whose status can’t be as certain as HIV positive men. Also, serosorting does not protect against other sexually transmitted infections (STIs)
Very recently, Nigeria resorted to serosorting amongst heterosexual couples (commented at The Wisdom of Whores). However, since 2003 STFree a company funded in 2003 by Eli Dancy has been offering Safe Sex License to New York City citizen.
“STFree acts as a 3rd party entity by verifying and storing individuals STD testing information with their consent. We then provide all of our members with an ID we call the Safe Sex License (SSL). The Safe Sex License is a confidential identification card that is issued by STFree. It gives its users access to their important STD testing information 24 hours a day, 7 days a week, 365 days a year. As well as, giving potential sexual partners, with the member’s permission, access to this information.”
STFree claims 15,000 members and believes making a great contribution to HIV prevention effort in NYC and beside Safe Sex Licence, provides further information about the HIV window period and other important STD information. But despite all its good intentions, the licence comes with a waiver:
“The STFree Safe Sex License provides instant verification of our members recent HIV testing status, the Safe Sex License should not be used to guarantee the HIV status of our members. The Safe Sex License was developed to help our members and others make better informed decisions regarding potential or current sexual partners. STFree strongly recommends the use of alternative STD prevention methods such as condoms in conjunction with our service.”
Indeed considering that the risk of being infected by HIV is the greatest during the first few weeks following infection, the last person one would want to have sex with is someone who has just been tested negative!
Interestingly, members are willing to make their personal information available to others, most certainly because they have nothing to fear, but what about those who tested positive for some STIs at some point in the past or recently? What about those who don’t want such intrusion into their privacy, a burning question in the case of HIV where the right of personal ignorance prevails over that of society’s protection.
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Hey Roger – I just learned something interesting this week in my infectious diseases epidemiology class – you may already be aware of this as you are immersed in this – but – apparently, there are 3 distinct groups of the HIV-1 strain (these being M(major), N (those not categorized in M or O), and O (outliers) as categorized by molecular phylogenetic analysis. Apparently, there are nine separate genetic types in the M category. Based on the genetic sub-types found in category M – they are able to track the clusters by geographic regions.
Essentially, they are making strides in at least identifying the origins of the various strains which could ultimately lead to further interventions for the prevention of spreading this disease.
The WHO, in concert with the CDC, are taking a two-pronged approach to attacking HIV and AIDS. They are still funding research for finding a cure for HIV/AIDS while looking at ways to eradicate the disease by looking at it from a molecular level. There is still hope out there!
I bet I confuse the hell outta ya don’t I? LOL – a little different compared to what I write on my own blog.
Hey Bobo!
Very nice to see you here! Yes indeed a very different kind of discussion! I try to stay away from politics as it makes me overheat!!!
There are several “clades” of HIV and for instance Type C is the more common in China and some part of Africa, whilst in the West it is type B and in SE Asia like Thailand type E. These strains are not all equal and type E for example is more agressive.
All of this is very important when it comes to vaccine design because a vaccine may not work against all strains!
Anyway, thank again for passing by!
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