Gay Porn Site Producing Bareback Porn Publicly Demonstrates Responsibility

If you’ve ever asked someone what they think about the people who produce bareback porn, often the word irresponsible will come up. This is because many people consider bareback porn producers to be reckless and selfish, where the health of those involved is not taken into consideration. I have operated bareback blogs since 2008 and a bareback sex resource since 2004, so I have personally experienced the reactions that some people have about bareback sex and bareback porn.

I have found that a good number of the people who consider bareback porn to be unsafe are thinking generally and they haven’t actually taken the time to look at individual studios and their processes. Just recently I learned about someone involved in the gay porn industry who placed all bareback porn producers in the same basket by considering all of them to be ignoring the safety of the performers and the viewers. It’s important to note that bareback sex is considered to be the most riskiest form of sexual intercourse, this is a fact, but what also needs to be taken into consideration is that the level of risk can reduce when particular steps are taken, such as full-panel sexually transmitted infection testing and sero-sorting.

Because bareback sex is a controversial topic, I have written this article to share with you one particular gay porn studio which produces bareback porn that has taken the responsible step of putting together an article about the condom-free content that exists at their gay porn site. There are a number of bareback porn producers that have publicly stated that each of their models is tested for a range of sexually transmitted infections prior to each bareback shoot, but I am going to focus on one particular studio in this article, which is a studio I have greatly admired for a number of years.

The studio that has taken the step to responsibly discuss their bareback content is ChaosMen. Bryan Ockert is the creator and producer of this amazing website and from what I can ascertain, he is a really nice guy too. I have written to him on a couple of occasions and he’s really passionate about his work. Bryan also works extremely hard to produce amazing bareback porn for our enjoyment, so while discussing the importance of sexual health in this article, I also want to compliment Bryan once again on his outstanding site. If you have never been a member of ChaosMen, you are missing out, because the guys featured are sexy and because Bryan is a professional photographer, he has a natural eye for capturing the hottest sex on camera.

What I respect about the page Bryan created relating to the condom-free content is that he has put together an official statement about the bareback content highlighting that it is entertainment and that each of the performers is rigorously tested before each and every shoot. Bryan recommends you use condoms in your personal life, so he’s definitely not anti-condom, he’s making a clear distinction between the entertainment he creates at his website and the reality that exists in our personal lives. It’s important to note that what you watch at ChaosMen is bareback porn that has been created under strict sexual health testing conditions. Because each performer has had their sexual health scrutinized stringently every time they have unprotected sex on camera, this is why you often find cum-swapping at the end of many bareback scenes.

You can appreciate that Bryan is working hard to not only produce an amazing product for our enjoyment, he’s also doing it in the safest manner possible. Please understand that while the most careful practices can be made during the production of bareback porn, risks still exist due to the window-period that is present with current HIV testing technology. Bryan also discusses the more advanced testing methods at his site and I have discussed this in previous articles here myself. ChaosMen use a more accurate testing procedure called HIV DNR/PCR testing, which tests for the actual virus itself and not just antibodies and this testing procedure reduces the exposure window period from several months to 6-20 days. Bryan has stated that he will also be using the test already used in Europe that reduces the window period from 3 to 12 days once it becomes available in the United States.

The window period is what makes bareback sex risky, because a person can be recently infected and if they are tested within the window period and the test gives a false negative result, they assume that they are HIV-negative, but HIV infection can still take place, because even though some tests fail to identify HIV within the window period, HIV is still transmittable during this period of time. Hopefully in the future, HIV tests will have the ability to detect HIV the moment it enters the body, because this will make HIV testing and sero-sorting practices more effective.

Bryan makes another important point about the cost of STI testing, which can add up to $300 for each model, in addition to other expenses including travel, accommodation, performer fees, the cost of production, content delivery and a range of other expenses many don’t take into consideration. This is why it’s important to purchase a membership to support the website rather than downloading pirated free content elsewhere. Piracy costs the adult industry a huge amount of money and some studios go out of business as a result, because they cannot afford to continue producing porn when the costs are higher than the revenue they receive. This means that we suffer as a result, because if studios go out of business, there will be less quality bareback porn for us to watch.

Please take the time to read the article Bryan has put together, because it’s well-written and very resourceful, both in terms of the background he provides about his site and his procedures, plus it includes other information about sexual health and details about where you can get tested. It’s important to remember that the performers have been tested for sexually transmitted infections and perform in the safest environment possible, but you need to distinguish between the entertainment provided by bareback porn and the sexual practices in your own personal life.

September 27 is National Gay Men’s HIV/AIDS Awareness Day

Many of you may be aware of HIV Vaccine Awareness Day on May 18, National HIV Testing Day on June 27 and World AIDS Day on December 1, but did you know that National Gay Men’s HIV/AIDS Awareness Day is on September 27? We have our very own day to highlight awareness of HIV/AIDS and while some of us may not like to think about HIV or AIDS, it’s a fact that men who have sex with men are the most at risk in the community of contracting the virus without a current cure.

The National Association of People with AIDS (NAPWA) is the lead organizer for National Gay Men’s HIV/AIDS Awareness Day, which was launched in 2008. This awareness day was founded to raise awareness of the HIV epidemic and it’s important for barebackers and men who have unprotected sex with men to be aware of HIV and other sexually transmitted infections, although this particular day focuses on HIV/AIDS. You may have noticed that I referred to unprotected sex twice, one using the words “bareback sex” and the other reference being men who have “unprotected sex” with men. Even though this might be considered the same thing, some guys who have unprotected sex with other guys do not consider themselves barebackers, for whatever reason, so I will use the words “unprotected sex” to include everyone.

I have retrieved the following information from the NAPWA website to help capture the picture of HIV in our world today:

• At least 1.1 million Americans are living today with HIV.

• Half of them are men who have sex with men.

• One in five doesn’t know he is infected.

• There is no cure yet for HIV.

• At least half, possibly as many as three-quarters of new infections come from people who don’t know they are infected themselves.

What is really scary about these statistics is that one in five people do not know that they are infected and that at least half and possibly as many as three-quarters of new infections come from people who don’t know they are infected themselves. There are a number of possible causes for this which I will consider here. Some guys may be afraid to get tested, so they avoid being tested or their testing frequency may be inconsistent. This makes it difficult to be able to honestly provide an HIV status to potential sexual partners. Some people also lie about their HIV status just so they don’t miss out on having sex with someone.

A really big problem with HIV testing using the ELISA test; the most common HIV test, is that there is a window period of up to thirteen weeks before the HIV antibodies can be detected. The problem with this is that if someone is tested within the window period due to a recent HIV infection, they may get a false negative test result and think that they’re HIV-negative, when they may actually be HIV-positive and transmitting the virus to other people during this time. HIV is a very sneaky virus, because it can take a while to show up in test results, but is still transmittable during this time, plus it mutates as well which is why it’s not a simple task to find a cure.

There is a different test which can be completed which is called a PCR DNA test, where this particular test can detect HIV antibodies after about four days of a person being infected and this is a far more useful test, but it’s more expensive and as a result is not as common as the regular ELISA tests. Being aware of HIV is important because it helps you understand more about the virus, the window period and how to prevent its spread, which is why awareness days are so important.

Here are a few considerations which may help reduce the spread of HIV:

1.Test yourself every three months and ensure that you keep up this cycle. If you can test yourself using the PCR test and get yourself tested for other STI’s at the same time, this would be even better. Regular HIV tests every three months are extremely important.

2. If you find that you may have been diagnosed with a false-negative test result during the window period, try to notify anyone you my have had unprotected sex with that they may have been infected and to get tested as soon as possible. There are a number of online notification services designed to help you do this.

3. Try to be as honest as possible with guys you are about to have unprotected sex with. While discussing sexually transmitted infections is no fun, it’s an important step to help keep yourself and others healthy. If you have an infection, let the other guy know prior to having unprotected sex with him. Don’t wait for him to ask or avoid the discussion altogether.

A recent article from Aidsmap HIV tests every 3 to 6 months suggested for all sexually active gay men in US reports that sexually active gay and other men who have sex with men should have an HIV test every three to six months, which is a recommendation made after investigators in 2008 examined HIV prevalence and risk behavior in 7,271 gay men from 21 cities who believed themselves to be HIV-negative, where overall 9% of men tested HIV-positive. All of the men who took part in the National HIV Behavioral Surveillance System study reported sex with another man and completed questionnaires about HIV testing and sexual risk and only men who believed themselves to be HIV-negative were eligible for inclusion in the study.

The same article also refers to June 1981 being the first time that clusters of what was to become known as AIDS were reported in young gay men in New York and San Francisco and thirty years later there is still no cure for HIV/AIDS. The article provides deeper reporting, so please take a look at the article to learn more about this study. What was found is that relying on another person to know their HIV status is not an accurate or reliable method of avoiding HIV transmission, as it was found that 9% of the 7,271 study participants believed they were HIV-negative, but were in fact HIV-positive, which is approximately 650 men. If you multiply this by the number of guys these men may have had unprotected sex and then multiplied the number of unprotected sexual encounters those guys may have had, you can see just how quickly these numbers add up.

I have also found another interesting article published last month which relates to HIV infection rates, which you can read about in the article Steady HIV infection rate in the US conceals large increases in young gay and black men at Aidsmap. According to this article, almost 50,000 adults a year are being infected with HIV in the United States according to an estimate by the Centers for Disease Control (CDC). While the findings indicate that the infection rate has remained steady over the past four years with approximately 1 infection for every 2,000 US citizens over 13 years of age, the infection rate in young people, gay men and black men has increased by 20.5% in young people aged 13 to 29, 34% in young gay men, by 43% in young black men and by 48% in young, black gay men. To find out the survey methods, click on the article title above.

These percentages are displayed in terms of numbers below to give you a better understanding of the infection rate. Please note that some of these numbers overlap because of reporting categories:

• 48,100 new HIV infections in the whole United States in people over 13 in 2009

• 18,800 HIV infections in young people aged 13 to 29 in 2009

• 7,600 HIV infections in young African-American men aged 13 to 29 in 2009

• 29,300 HIV infections in men who have sex with men in 2009

• 10,800 HIV infections in black men who have sex with men in 2009

• 12,900 HIV infections in young men who have sex with men in 2009

• 6,500 HIV infections in young black men aged 13 to 29 who have sex with men in 2009

References:

• Oster AM et al. HIV testing among men who have sex with men – 21 cities, United States, 2008. Morbidity and Mortality Weekly Report, 60: 694-99, 2011.

• Prejean J et al. Estimated HIV incidence in the United States, 2006-2009. PLoS One 6(8) e17502. doi:10.1371/journal.pone.0017502, early online edition, August 2011.

Considerations For Making Bareback Porn More Responsible and Ethical

Think about bareback porn for a moment and some of the following thoughts may come to mind: hot, risky, awesome, dangerous, natural, disease, erotic. Depending on your stance regarding bareback porn, the things that come to your mind may be quite different to what comes to another persons mind. One thought which likely comes to anyone’s mind is the element of risk that can be associated with barebacking. It’s a real shame that disease can also be connected with something so natural, but it’s definitely relevant, whether we like to think about it or not.

Wouldn’t it be great to think about bareback porn and not have to worry about some of the health related concerns which can come along with it? I think it would be awesome, providing that the element of risk was reduced or eliminated and that’s what this article is all about. Maybe I am dreaming when you see some of the things I will be considering here, but there’s no harm in dreaming, especially when there’s the possibility of improving on the existing framework which exists in the bareback porn industry.

One of the first things to consider involves the performers engaging in unprotected sex with other performers. Some bareback porn studios require mandatory HIV and STI testing, while others are more lax about testing and may simply rely on what a performer thinks his HIV status is or not even worry about it at all. This lax standard can impact poorly on the performers, studios, people the performer may have sex with in their personal lives and the list goes on. I believe that all studios producing bareback porn should require mandatory STI testing for their models prior to each filming taking place. I used the acronym STI for all Sexually Transmitted Infections and not just one. HIV is definitely one of the major STI’s to be concerned about, but there are others which can also be contracted when engaging in unprotected sex.

This is where you may begin to think that I am dreaming. I am suggesting that bareback performers regularly undertake complete STI testing prior to having unprotected sex with other performers. I know that this would involve a considerable amount of time for the performers to get tested and the cost involved would also be considerable. Something else to consider is how much is a performers health worth? I think that a performers health is worth far more than the cost of an STI test, a performers health is priceless. If a bareback performer has already tested positive, then HIV testing could be skipped in this instance because their status is already known and confirmed, but other STI tests should still be carried out. When I refer to HIV testing, I am suggesting the advanced PCR (Polymerase Chain Reaction) test, which can identify HIV in a few days rather than the several week window period delay of the ELISA (Enzyme-Linked Immunosorbent Assay) and Western Blot tests to provide more accurate results.

The second suggestion involves the use of sero-sorting to match bareback performers with other performers who have the same HIV status as themselves, which is a technique a number of bareback studios already implement. For this to be effective, an up-to-date HIV test result is essential so that the most accurate match can be made. Unfortunately, this is not a 100% effective technique, but it’s a process which is better than not attempting to sero-sort at all. From what I have heard from some models, they do not even know the HIV status of other models they work with, so they just trust the studios and hope for the best. I certainly wouldn’t be comfortable with this level of trust, so I think that open communication is important so that all models know that they are going to have unprotected sex with someone who has the same HIV status as themselves.

There are a number of benefits to sero-sorting. Providing that regular testing using the most sophisticated methods available along with carefully sero-sorting performers, this will help performers feel more comfortable working alongside (and inside) their on-screen partners, which could result in the sex being even hotter. Some studios resort to the archaic pull out before you cum and make sure the bodily fluids don’t enter the other person technique, which is not very effective, especially if one performer is HIV-negative and the other HIV-positive. This kind of porn climax does not make good viewing either, because a large percentage of bareback porn fans like watching guys swapping bodily fluids, whether it’s orally or anally. In saying this, the State of California is concerned about the swapping of bodily fluids, which I have just mentioned to give some balance to this article.

I also think that people are afraid to talk about HIV and other STI’s. This is another problem because sexually transmitted infections exist and should be discussed openly, rather than being hidden or dismissed. Performers should feel comfortable talking about this topic, studios should be comfortable with this discussion and viewers should also feel comfortable with this too. Discussing these important topics could be made more interesting as well. I would like to see a public service message on a video where the performers openly talk for a moment about sexually transmitted infections, rather than seeing a boring text message for a few seconds. Perhaps a couple of performers sharing their awareness about sexually transmitted infections, what to look out for and making it a short yet informative part of the bareback porn feature. If I was a bareback porn producer, I would pay my performers to appear in a public service message which is both informative, interesting and made as erotic as possible so viewers want to watch it and absorb the contents of the message.

The problem with some of these “dreams” is that in reality, the costs and time associated with doing this would be seen by many studios and even some performers as being too much and a waste of time. It’s a shame, because if a high standard of health and respect for others was developed by the whole of the bareback porn industry, then the industry would be seen in a better light than it is right now. I am a pro-barebacker and because barebacking is important to me I feel that the industry needs to stand up right now and implement some minimum standards so it will continue to exist in the future. I am also concerned about porn piracy, because with so much piracy going on, the porn studios are not receiving as much income as they need to produce their films and as a result, they are forced to reduce their costs as much as possible to stay in business. Both porn producers and consumers play an important role in the future of bareback porn.

That’s about it from me, but if you are interested in reading more, I have included a link to an interview at Dewayne In San Diego with Andy Kay in the post Andy Kay on Testing, Bareback, Condoms and Patient Zeta. Andy Kay is the Production Manager for Boycrush Studios, the company behind Bare Twinks. I found this interview full of insight and the benchmark set by Boycrush Studios is one I would like to see other studios involved with the production of bareback porn matching. If you want to read more about Andy Kay, you can check out his blog here.

Sometimes You May Need to Use a Condom for Fucking

This blog is probably the last place you would have expected to see an article about condoms, but there are some situations where you might decide to use a condom and this article has been designed for these situations. This will probably be the first and last time a condom article will appear here, but there are some useful points here which barebackers may be interested in reading about when it comes to condoms. If you completely avoid using condoms in your life, there probably won’t be anything of interest in this article, but you are welcome to keep reading.

Many barebackers enjoy the freedom of not using condoms because of the intimacy, sensation and pleasure that condom-free sex can bring, but sometimes sexually transmitted infections can become an issue and a concern. If you are ever in a situation where you are about to engage in bareback sex with a guy, when you discover that one or both of you have a sexually transmitted infection, then you both need to make a decision about whether or not to proceed. You may both decide to have bareback sex together, you may both decide not to engage in sexual activity at all or you may both decide to use a condom in this instance to reduce the possibility of transmitting or contracting a sexually transmitted infection.

If you both make a choice to have sex using a condom, there are a number of things you can do to make the experience feel as natural as possible, in an attempt to replicate the sensation of bareback sex. Because condoms are designed as a barrier for sexually transmitted infections and as a contraceptive device, you are unable to use a condom correctly and swap bodily fluids with each other. It may be possible to increase the level of sensation to create a more realistic feel by taking a few steps which are discussed here.

The type of condom you choose can make an enormous difference to the sensation you experience if you use a condom for anal sex. If you want to learn more about condoms, then Wikipedia is an excellent source of information, including extensive information about the history of condoms, their purpose and also the different types of condoms available. This particular article will be discussing the male condom specifically, which is applied to the cock, rather than the female (or reality) condom, which is inserted inside the vagina. It is important to remember that condoms are not 100% effective in reducing sexually transmitted infections, but they do give a higher level of protection than sex without a condom.

When choosing a condom, there are a number of factors to consider. If sensation is an important issue to you, then you may decide to use condoms which are thinner or labelled “sensitive”, “thin”, “maximum pleasure” or something similar. Usually the thinner condoms allow more sensation, but there may be a risk of damage when using thinner condoms and having rough sex without adequate lubrication, so the use of an appropriate lubricant is important. Remember that oil-based lubricants can damage some types of condoms, so you need to check that the lubricant you use with condoms is condom-compatible.

Many adult shops or online stores have a category or option to help you select the right kind of condom to suit your particular needs. The type of condom you select is probably the most important aspect of increasing the level of sensation. The thicker the condom, the less sensation you are likely to receive. Latex condoms can sometimes cause allergic reactions, but there are other condoms made of synthetic materials such as polyurethane and polyisoprene, which may be less allergenic. You do need to be careful with some condoms, such as lambskin condoms, which are made from sheep intestines. Lambskin condoms can be marketed as being natural and less allergenic than latex, but because lambskin condoms consist of porous material thought to be large enough to allow infectious agents to pass through while blocking sperm, they should not be used.

Another step you can take to increase the sensation is to add a small amount of lubricant to the tip of your dick or the reservoir of the condom, as this can heighten the sensation the top experiences while he is thrusting inside and out of the ass. It’s important not to place too much lubricant inside the condom, because this could lead to the condom slipping off during sexual intercourse. Also be aware of condoms lubricated with a spermicidal chemical called nonoxynol-9. Studies have found that with frequent use, this chemical may increase the risk of HIV transmission, because it can cause skin irritations to the rectum and expose the body to sexually transmitted infections.

While it may be difficult to replicate the experience of bareback sex using condoms, these are a few things you can do to help increase the sensation for yourself and your partner. It’s important to remember that condom usage requires care. You need to use the right type of condoms (studded condoms for example can result in damage to the rectum), incorrect lubricant can damage the condom, nonoxynol-9 lubricated condoms can cause skin irritations, lambskin condoms can still result in the transmission of sexually transmitted infections and even if you use a condom, this does not result in complete protection from sexually transmitted infections.

Important: This article has been designed to look at ways barebackers might consider using condoms in some situations, but this article does not extensively discuss how to correctly use condoms or the effectiveness of condom usage. For this reason, please ensure that you research this information using online resources or information from your local health department to ensure that you are familiar with condoms.

Unprotected Sex and the Effects of Crystal Meth

Crystal Meth is known to contribute to unprotected sex between men who have sex with men, but these men may not actually be barebackers who choose to have bareback sex. Crystal Meth has the ability to impair judgment, which can lead to people doing things they wouldn’t normally do if they were not under the influence of this highly addictive drug. There is a difference between those who choose to have bareback sex and those who subject themselves to unprotected sex.

This article will refer to bareback sex as being sex without the use of a condom between men who have made a choice not to use a condom when having anal sex. When the term unprotected sex is used, this is a reference to men who do not use a condom when having anal sex, but the difference is that they may not have chosen to forgo using condoms. The result is the same; men engaging in anal sex without the use of condoms, but it’s the way in which lead to the condom-free encounter which is where the difference lies. Some barebackers use Crystal Meth with the intention of having bareback sex, which is known as Party and Play (PNP), but this article will focus on those who do not regard themselves as barebackers.

Crystal Meth is a stimulant that affects the central nervous system. It’s a white or off-white, odorless, bitter-tasting crystalline powder that easily dissolves in water. Methamphetamine is approved by the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) for use in the United States and is available with a prescription for a number of medical issues including obesity and attention deficit hyperactivity disorder, however, Crystal Meth is most commonly known as a street drug. Crystal Meth is the shortened name of Crystal Methamphetamine and is commonly known as Crystal, Ice, Meth, Speed or Tina. There are many street names for Crystal Meth including: Batu, Biker’s Coffee, Black Beauties, Blade, Chalk, Chicken Feed, Crank, Cristy, Crystal, Crystal Glass, Crystal Meth, Glass, Go-Fast, Hanyak, Hiropon, Hot Ice, Ice, Kaksonjae, L.A. Glass, L.A. Ice, Meth, Methlies Quick, Poor Man’s Cocaine, Quartz, Shabu, Shards, Speed, Stove Top, Super Ice, Tina, Trash, Tweak, Uppers, Ventana, Vidrio, Yaba and Yellow Bam.

The most common way people use Crystal Meth is by smoking it through a glass pipe, similarly to how crack cocaine is used. Other ways to use Crystal Meth include injecting it either dry or dissolved in water, snorting it, swallowing it or inserting it into the anus or urethra. Some people take Crystal Meth because it provides a long-lasting high, where numerous neurotransmitters are released in the brain, which produces a sense of euphoria that can last as long as twelve hours, depending on how the drug was taken. Methamphetamine is also a popular stimulant which improves concentration, energy and alertness while decreasing appetite and fatigue. Some people may also take Crystal Meth to increase libido and sexual pleasure.

There are many common effects by taking Crystal Meth including euphoria, increased energy, increased alertness, diarrhea, vomiting, excessive sweating, loss of appetite, insomnia, tremors, jaw-clenching, agitation, irritability, violence, confusion, increased libido, increased blood pressure, increased body temperature, increased heart rate, increased blood sugar levels and constriction of the walls of the arteries. Some of the effects associated with chronic use of Crystal Meth include an increase in the amount of the drug needed to get the same effect, drug craving, temporary weight loss, erectile dysfunction, depression, rapid teeth decay, teeth falling out and drug-related psychosis. There are serious effects of overdose including brain damage, sensation of flesh crawling, paranoia, hallucinations, delusions, tension headache, muscle breakdown which can lead do kidney damage or failure or death due to stroke, cardiac arrest or elevated body temperature.

According to the 2008 National Survey on Drug Use and Health (NSDUH), approximately 12.6 million Americans aged 12 or older reported using methamphetamine at least once during their lifetimes, representing 5% of the population aged 12 or older. Approximately 850,000 (0.3%) reported past year methamphetamine use and 314,000 (0.1%) reported past month methamphetamine use. The number of recent new users of methamphetamine among persons aged 12 or older was 95,000 in 2008. The average age of new methamphetamine users aged 12 to 49 in 2008 was 19.2 years. Of an estimated 113 million emergency department (ED) visits in the U.S. during 2006, the Drug Abuse Warning Network (DAWN) (PDF file) estimates that 1,742,887 were drug-related and DAWN data indicates that methamphetamine was involved in 79,924 ED visits.

There is an association between Crystal Meth and sexually transmitted infections (STI’s) because of the tendency of many people to engage in unprotected sex while under the influence of Crystal Meth. Many people who experience the effects of euphoria tend not to use condoms and they can engage in unprotected sex with many different sex partners. When people take Crystal Meth in clubs and other public places where a number of other gay or bisexual men frequent, there is the likelihood that the multiple sex partners may be unknown individuals. When anonymous encounters or casual sex takes place while a person is under the influence of the effects of Crystal Meth, there is a chance that a discussion about condoms or sexual health does not even take place.

There are other reasons why sexually transmitted infections (STI’s) can take place while a person is under the influence of Crystal Meth. Users experience an increased libido and sexual pleasure and have sex for extended periods of time, along with an inability to ejaculate or reach orgasm. Because of the need for sex and the inability to ejaculate, the sex can be rough, resulting in chafing, tearing and trauma to the rectum, mouth and penis, dramatically increasing the risk of infection transmission. Even if guys do choose to use condoms, there is a chance of condom breakage due to rough sex, extended periods of friction or lack of lubricant when using the condoms.

This article focuses on unprotected sex when using Crystal Meth, but please be aware that Crystal Meth users can also become infected with Human Immunodeficiency Virus (HIV) and hepatitis B or hepatitis C when sharing needles. Those who are HIV positive can also experience problems when using Crystal Meth, because the effects of the drug can include people staying awake for days at a time. This means that there can be a lapse in taking HIV medications and because the body needs sleep and rest, the immune system can become rundown and exhausted, so this can take a toll on the health of a person. There are also other serious issues which can result from Crystal Meth for HIV positive individuals.

If you happen to take Crystal Meth and then have unprotected sex unintentionally, you could potentially subject yourself to a number of different sexually transmitted infections (STI’s). There is a chance that one of these STI’s could be Human Immunodeficiency Virus (HIV), however, once you become aware of the fact that you may have engaged in unprotected sex, there is a regime of medication you can take called Post-Exposure Prophylaxis (PEP) which needs to be commenced within seventy-two hours of possible exposure to help reduce the likelihood of contracting HIV, but there is still a chance that the infection could take hold. In the event of you being in this situation, it’s important to visit a Sexual Health Clinic or a medical professional (including your local hospital) as soon as possible, as time is a very important factor when it comes to the effectiveness of PEP.

If you are addicted to Crystal Meth or if you know someone who is and you want to get help for yourself or someone else, it’s important to know that help is available in the community. There is an organization known as Crystal Meth Anonymous (CMA), which is a fellowship of men and women who share their experiences, strengths and hopes with each other and includes a Twelve Step program of recovery. The website features a meeting directory for Australia, Canada and the United States, but if you are from another location, there may be help available for you and an internet search engine may point you in the direction of a service close to you. It’s important to know that you are not alone and that there are a number of services available to assist anyone who wants to stop using Crystal Meth.

Thank you to Anne Marie Helmenstine, Ph.D. and the About.com chemistry section for the article Crystal Meth Facts which was used to assist with the development of certain parts of this article, particularly information relating to the use and the effects of Crystal Meth.