Staying Negative aims to emotionally engage, inspire and facilitate imagination in sexual health practices. The campaign profiles the real life stories of gay, bisexual and trans men who have sex with men (MSM). Men talk about all aspects of their life from coming out, relationships, sexuality and a broad range of other topics. While HIV and safe sex is an important part of all stories, it is not the exclusive focus.
Prior HIV prevention campaigns have traditionally focused on providing gay men with information that will encourage them to adopt safe sex behaviours. In reality, safe sex practices are influenced by a whole range of environmental and cultural factors. The campaign also provides an opportunity for HIV positive men to talk about their lives and discuss how their strategies to staying HIV negative were not successful. We understand that there is more than one way practice safe sex and adopt healthcare seeking behaviours, so let's be creative about it!
There are no real criteria for participants other than that they are MSM and happy to have their stories appear as part of the campaign. In addition to the personal stories, the website provides information on HIV/AIDS, sexual health, relationships and broad of the other relevant topics including domestic violence, drugs and alcohol and depression.
Chlamydia is the most common STI in Australia and is caused by a bacteria called Chlamydia trachomatis. Chlamydia can cause infections of the urethra (the tube that runs through your cock), the throat, the arse (rectum) or the eyes.
Chlamydia can often go unnoticed as not everyone experiences symptoms. In fact, most men do not present with any symptoms at all, however, if symptoms do develop they can take between two days to three weeks to appear after exposure. If left untreated for a long time, Chlamydia can cause infertility which is why it is important to go for regular sexual health checkups.
Symptoms can include:
Since Chlamydia is a bacterial infection, it can be easily passed on when an infected area comes into contact with the cock, arse, throat or eyes. Some sexual activities where this may happen include giving or receiving blowjobs (oral sex) as well as fucking (anal sex). Don’t forget that contact with an infected area can also occur with your fingers so be wary of fingering, fisting and mutual masturbation, even though transmission through this is much rarer.
Thankfully, Chlamydia is very easily treated with either a single dose of antibiotics or a week-long course which your doctor will help you decide on. It is a good idea that you refrain from any sexual activity during the course of the treatment and not just fucking (anal sex) because during sex there are a range of things that condoms won’t necessarily protect you from. It is possible to have Chlamydia more than once so even if you are with a regular partner, wait until the full course of treatment has been finished before engaging in sexual activity so you don’t pass it back and forth between you.