Our Member giving Testimonial prove about PrEp.

A Story by Bawonga Richard.

My journey with PrEP has been both a personal journey and a journey I’ve taken with the community around me as we all approach this new HIV risk reduction strategy. PrEP changes not only how I view sex and HIV but it also has the potential to change our community and our relationships, let’s make sure we change for the better – we face a bright future as gay men in this country, as long as we work together.

I knew PrEP was right for me because I knew that I needed more ‘tools in my belt’ – as the old line goes – to avoid HIV transmission. It’s no secret that I love sex, I love the intimacy, I love the passion, I love forming connections with incredible men. But I couldn’t rely entirely on strategies such as undetectable viral load in HIV positive partners or condoms.

The research on undetectable viral load speaks for itself; it’s a very reliable HIV risk reduction strategy. But with regards to condoms, so much happens in the moment of sex; whether you and your partner are affected by alcohol or drugs, whether condoms are accessible in the moment or simply the passion of the moment can mean I can’t rely on condoms to protect me 100% of the time. Women got the pill for this reason, so that they could take responsibility for their own fate, the only person they need to rely on is themselves – we now have this opportunity.

So much happens in the moment of sex… I can’t rely on condoms to protect me 100% of the time

I can have sex all day and all night (let’s be honest I don’t have that sort of stamina, but for argument’s sake…) and I just need to make sure I have my pill, and with this I can have the sex I want to have but without the anxiety of HIV transmission hanging over me.

Condoms work for most guys, but for many of us condoms don’t work or aren’t used for a variety of reasons – but the reason is irrelevant, this is a health issue not a moral one. Moralising around.