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HIV/AIDS and Sexual Health:
Just after we started our e-mail group, we began getting a few
letters from boys as young as fourteen who were hanging out at
parks, truck stops, rest areas, mall restrooms, etc., looking for
sexual partners. We’ve heard from leaders of other groups about
boys as young as thirteen doing that. Those public places where
sexual hookups happen are called tearooms. Group leaders, PLEASE
advise the members of your groups not to hang out at places like
that. One-half of all new HIV infections occur in the 14-25 age group.
We have done some calculating, based on numbers we’ve found on
the Internet. Using figures for total population, estimated
percentages of gay males in the population, estimates of the
proportion of gay males who are promiscuous and might frequent
tearooms, estimates of percentage of gay males who are HIV+, etc.,
we came up with this: The odds are ONE OUT OF THREE that the
stranger (most likely older than you) that you might hook up with in
a tearoom-type situation is HIV positive.
Just after we started our e-mail group, we began getting a few
letters from boys as young as fourteen who were hanging out at
parks, truck stops, rest areas, mall restrooms, etc., looking for
sexual partners. We’ve heard from leaders of other groups about
boys as young as thirteen doing that. Those public places where
sexual hookups happen are called tearooms. Group leaders, PLEASE
advise the members of your groups not to hang out at places like
that. One-half of all new HIV infections occur in the 14-25 age group.
We have done some calculating, based on numbers we’ve found on
the Internet. Using figures for total population, estimated
percentages of gay males in the population, estimates of the
proportion of gay males who are promiscuous and might frequent
tearooms, estimates of percentage of gay males who are HIV+, etc.,
we came up with this: The odds are ONE OUT OF THREE that the
stranger (most likely older than you) that you might hook up with in
a tearoom-type situation is HIV positive.
Maybe we’re way off. Maybe the odds are one in ten. Would you board an airplane if
there were a one-in-ten chance that it would crash? If it crashed, you would die
instantly. If you get AIDS, you will die slowly and painfully.
Girls, we’re not ignoring you, you need to be equally aware and safe.
There are currently 42,000,000 people worldwide who are known to be HIV+ or have
AIDS. More than 20,000,000 others have already died from AIDS and AIDS-related
illnesses. Countless others are as yet unaware that they are HIV+.
If you think there’s a chance that you have been exposed to the HIV virus, please call 1-
800-BE SAFE 1 (237-2331) for advice and information about testing.
Remember what you've learned about all the other STD's, such as hepatitis and genital
herpes.
You’ve learned some things in Sex Ed about safe sex, or safer sex. We're taught that
abstinence is the only safe alternative. We know that’s not the number-one teen choice,
and certainly not the number one probability, so please visit the Know HIV/AIDS site
for important information. Click here for a news article about STDs among our age
group.
We're bombarded with the notion that having a same-sex relationship means that we're
immediately going to have sex with our partner. That's not automatic and many teen
same-sex relationships don't include sex, and shouldn't, until the both partners are
comfortable with trying it. Commitment, trust, and love should develop first.
Sometimes sex happens first, due to hormones and curiosity, and then a relationship
develops. But don't feel that you have to have sex in order to have a relationship. Don't
assume that gay or bi sexual relationships always include anal sex. Some couples never
even try that. There are many ways to express love without including anal sex. Also
remember that anal sex is the activity most likely to spread the HIV virus. Condoms can
and do break.
We've done a lot of research about oral sex, trying to come up with an answer to the
question of whether it is safe. One theory is that saliva and stomach acid kill the HIV
virus, making oral sex relatively safe. We don't know that that's true. Don't rely on that
theory. A major concern is that a person performing oral sex could have some dental
problem which causes bleeding of the gums. If that person is HIV+, the virus in his/her
blood will be absorbed through your skin. Athletes are removed from competition when
they get a cut or scratch that causes bleeding, because of the posibility that the person
is HIV+ and the other athletes could come into contact with the blood.
Be safe. Don't take chances with your life. We don't intend to be preachy, but seriously,
sex in a monogamous relationship between tested and STD-free individuals is the only
safe way. Believe it! Wait for the right one to come along and live a long and happy
life. We teens have the advantage of being the most likely age group to find a partner
who is just as virgin as we are. If you're getting bored with solitary sex, take a look at
JackinWorld for some new ideas. That's not a porn site.
If Pedro Zamora were still living, he could tell you much about living with AIDS, and
how he fought to educate high school and college students about AIDS prevention.
We recommend YouthResource for general information on sexual health, including HIV
information.
INTERNET SAFETY:
Our parents don’t allow us to send out pictures, full names, home addresses or phone
numbers on the Internet, via e-mail or otherwise. We love and appreciate our parents, so
we are keeping our promise to them that we won’t do that. We recommend that all e-
mail group leaders ask the members of your groups to observe the same precautions.
We know that some teens make their pictures and other personal information available
on the Internet. A recent study showed that 19% of kids who do that get unwanted and
distressing sexual solicitations, many asking for personal contact. Be very careful.
There are predators out there searching for information about you, and they are very
devious. Revealing personal information can expose GLBT teens to the additional risk of
being targeted by homophobes, some of whom pretend to be gay or gay-friendly in order
to find out more about you.
Please click here for Internet safety comments by author Drake Hunter, and here for a
website about teen Internet safety.
TELEPHONE SAFETY:
Please click here for information about phone safety and getting your number removed
from the Google mapping database.
Back to top
there were a one-in-ten chance that it would crash? If it crashed, you would die
instantly. If you get AIDS, you will die slowly and painfully.
Girls, we’re not ignoring you, you need to be equally aware and safe.
There are currently 42,000,000 people worldwide who are known to be HIV+ or have
AIDS. More than 20,000,000 others have already died from AIDS and AIDS-related
illnesses. Countless others are as yet unaware that they are HIV+.
If you think there’s a chance that you have been exposed to the HIV virus, please call 1-
800-BE SAFE 1 (237-2331) for advice and information about testing.
Remember what you've learned about all the other STD's, such as hepatitis and genital
herpes.
You’ve learned some things in Sex Ed about safe sex, or safer sex. We're taught that
abstinence is the only safe alternative. We know that’s not the number-one teen choice,
and certainly not the number one probability, so please visit the Know HIV/AIDS site
for important information. Click here for a news article about STDs among our age
group.
We're bombarded with the notion that having a same-sex relationship means that we're
immediately going to have sex with our partner. That's not automatic and many teen
same-sex relationships don't include sex, and shouldn't, until the both partners are
comfortable with trying it. Commitment, trust, and love should develop first.
Sometimes sex happens first, due to hormones and curiosity, and then a relationship
develops. But don't feel that you have to have sex in order to have a relationship. Don't
assume that gay or bi sexual relationships always include anal sex. Some couples never
even try that. There are many ways to express love without including anal sex. Also
remember that anal sex is the activity most likely to spread the HIV virus. Condoms can
and do break.
We've done a lot of research about oral sex, trying to come up with an answer to the
question of whether it is safe. One theory is that saliva and stomach acid kill the HIV
virus, making oral sex relatively safe. We don't know that that's true. Don't rely on that
theory. A major concern is that a person performing oral sex could have some dental
problem which causes bleeding of the gums. If that person is HIV+, the virus in his/her
blood will be absorbed through your skin. Athletes are removed from competition when
they get a cut or scratch that causes bleeding, because of the posibility that the person
is HIV+ and the other athletes could come into contact with the blood.
Be safe. Don't take chances with your life. We don't intend to be preachy, but seriously,
sex in a monogamous relationship between tested and STD-free individuals is the only
safe way. Believe it! Wait for the right one to come along and live a long and happy
life. We teens have the advantage of being the most likely age group to find a partner
who is just as virgin as we are. If you're getting bored with solitary sex, take a look at
JackinWorld for some new ideas. That's not a porn site.
If Pedro Zamora were still living, he could tell you much about living with AIDS, and
how he fought to educate high school and college students about AIDS prevention.
We recommend YouthResource for general information on sexual health, including HIV
information.
INTERNET SAFETY:
Our parents don’t allow us to send out pictures, full names, home addresses or phone
numbers on the Internet, via e-mail or otherwise. We love and appreciate our parents, so
we are keeping our promise to them that we won’t do that. We recommend that all e-
mail group leaders ask the members of your groups to observe the same precautions.
We know that some teens make their pictures and other personal information available
on the Internet. A recent study showed that 19% of kids who do that get unwanted and
distressing sexual solicitations, many asking for personal contact. Be very careful.
There are predators out there searching for information about you, and they are very
devious. Revealing personal information can expose GLBT teens to the additional risk of
being targeted by homophobes, some of whom pretend to be gay or gay-friendly in order
to find out more about you.
Please click here for Internet safety comments by author Drake Hunter, and here for a
website about teen Internet safety.
TELEPHONE SAFETY:
Please click here for information about phone safety and getting your number removed
from the Google mapping database.
Back to top
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