Blogging is a demanding activity on many levels. “Blogging takes time, energy, commitment, discipline, organization skills, communication skills, and research and writing skills”, writes Lorelle on WordPress. Time and energy are important to get a blog going and many would say that they stopped blogging because they were short of these. But the fundamental questions are really “why” people start a blog and then “How to know when to stop blogging”.
“There are times to blog and there are times to stop blogging” wrote Lorelle and amongst the reasons listed those …

Bareback sex is a serious matter when it comes to HIV prevention. It is an issue difficult to address and which often triggers heated debates. Beyond the differences in  opinions surrounding bareback sex, it is obvious that sex with and without condom is not the same and bareback practitioners often emphasise the difference in sensation between protected sex and bareback sex. Real or not, this difference made some people thinking and got them to understand that not everybody is prepared to sacrifice safety to pleasure, and that if it …

The results of the CAPRISA trial which tested the safety and effectiveness of a 1% Tenofovir Gel for the prevention of HIV acquisition in women created quite a stir at the XVIII International AIDS conference in Vienna. For the first time, and after years of unsuccessful research, a randomised trial involving 889 women in South Africa showed that it was possible to prevent HIV acquisition with a gel containing an antiretroviral (ARV).
Overall the results are clear and unequivocal, after 30 months of gel use, the group of women who …

It’s for gay, bi, curious and it’s daft. It is an iPhone “quick, convenient, and discreet” application to find a date. So they say.
Thus the other day, whilst trying to have a drink and a conversation in a busy bar of Soho, I could not but notice the unusual behaviour of my friend: looking at his iPhone, then around the room, back to his iPhone and then scouting the room again. What was he up to? Sending SMS to a potential date? Better ask than talking to myself.
It turned up …

In February 2009 the Microbicide Trial Network (MTN) announced the main finding of its Phase II/IIb Safety and Effectiveness Study of the Vaginal Microbicides 0.5% PRO 2000 Gel for the Prevention of HIV Infection in Women (a.k.a HPTN 035).
This study conducted in Africa and the US was set up to find out if a chemical compound called PRO 2000 could prevent HIV infection in women. The compound itself came as a gel that women needed to apply vaginally prior to have sex. The concept of a product that can be …