I got fucked last week. Hard. Without a condom. I know. I’m an idiot. A few issues back I used this very column to urge people to get tested and use protection. So why am I writing about this again? Because, as recent events have reminded me, even those of us who consider ourselves clued-up on safe sex can get carried away sometimes.
I don’t want to shame people who have sexually transmitted diseases and, of course, these days the outlook is much rosier even for people with HIV. But let’s be clear: STIs are no fun. An old uni mate of mine has Herpes. When it “flares up” he gets itchy and becomes infectious to others. He’s not able to have sex with his girlfriend — a girlfriend he’s too ashamed to tell. This has happened every year. There is no cure.