'Smarter' Sorting:
Choosing sexual partners of the same HIV status as you.
The following is a guide to additional prevention methods provided by The STOP AIDS Project of San Francisco. The opinions here do not necessarily represent How I Roll, but it provides factual information if you are practicing this method of prevention. Knowledge is power.
'Smarter' Sorting for POZ guys:
It works… if your goal is to prevent HIV transmission. There are many reasons why poz men smarter-sort – to avoid potential rejection, reduce fear or anxiety related to condom breakage, or for a greater sense of shared intimacy. If your goal is to avoid infecting someone who is negative, Smarter-Sorting can be an important personal decision.
If your goal is not to use condoms, STDs remain a major concern
• Syphilis can increase your viral load and impair your immune system
• STDs make it easier to transmit HIV to someone else
Dual infection/Superinfection – you can get infected with another strain of HIV even if you already have HIV. Please see the Center for AIDS Prevention Studies fact sheet for more information, Click here.
'Smarter' Sorting for negative guys:
How do you know if your partner is negative?
• 20% of positive men in San Francisco are not aware of their infection
What are the risks of smarter-sorting for negative guys?
• guys are most infectious right after they’ve been infected with HIV but at a time
when they are likely to test negative (up to 6 weeks after exposure).
• if you’re having sex without condoms, smarter-sorting may be effective in reducing
risk of HIV infection but it does not eliminate risk
What can you do to make more informed choices?
• get tested frequently (every 3-6 months)
• get tested for STDs; having an STD increases your risk of HIV
• communicate with your partners about when their last test was and
what risk they
have engaged in since then
Some alternatives to consider:
• use a condom or don’t have anal sex if you’re not sure of a guy’s status
• if you’re not sure of your partner’s status, you may choose only to top
(topping does not eliminate risk of HIV infection but it does reduce it)
Make sure that you only do what you’re comfortable with… if you’re not certain of a guy’s status, think about what you can do that feels good without putting yourself or someone else at risk.
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Approximately 1 in 4 gay or bisexual men in San Francisco are HIV+.
Of those positive men, at least 20% do not know their positive status.
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Test every 3-6 months, if you are more sexually active, test often.
Click here to get tested.
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