GMFA highlights HIV risk whether you are a top or a bottom

March 11, 2010

Most gay men with HIV got infected when they were had anal sex without a condom. However, some men got HIV when they were the active partner. A new postcard from GMFA, the gay men’s health charity, hits the scene this month, highlighting how men can catch HIV regardless of whether they are a top or a bottom. 

The postcard explains how the lining of the anus can absorb HIV like a sponge. However, being a top is not an effective way to stay safe. The postcard explains that if a guy is a top and doesn’t wear a condom, HIV can enter the bloodstream through the penis.

The postcard provides additional information to support THT’s advertising campaign ‘men can get HIV through their c***s’, which is currently running in the gay press.

Matthew Hodson, Head of Programmes at GMFA, says: “Some men believe the myth that if they are a top they can stay safe if they don’t wear a condom. We want to bust this myth by giving information about how you can get HIV through your c*** – even if there are no sores or cuts. At the same time, we want to inform men why getting f***** without a condom is by far the riskiest type of sex that you can have in terms of HIV.”

Look out for the postcard in the racks at gay venues across London, or you can download it from the website at www.gmfa.org.uk/booklets.

Matthew adds: “Whether you are in a loving long-term relationship or have sex with casual partners, or whether you are a top, bottom, or swing both ways, using condoms or not having anal sex remain the most reliable ways to prevent the spread of HIV.”
 

Image source: Darkone