GMHC Looks at Pleasure and PrEP in Candid Forum on Sex

On Thursday, September 24, Gay Men's Health Crisis will host "The Pleasure Principle: Penetration, Pleasure, Condoms and PrEP," the first in a new series of discussions that will educate New Yorkers about PrEP (pre-exposure prophylaxis) and PEP (post-exposure prophylaxis) as HIV-prevention tools.

HIV prevention includes both condoms and PrEP. When taken as prescribed, PrEP is over 90 percent effective in preventing HIV transmission, and along with condoms is a critical tool in Governor Cuomo's blueprint to end the AIDS epidemic in New York State by 2020. This discussion will explore the difficulties talking about sex, pleasure, and penetration within the context of condom and PrEP use.

In 2014, GMHC hosted five "PrEP Rallies" that were attended by hundreds of community members and PrEP advocates, which covered issues ranging from PrEP basics and accessibility to preventing HIV transmission in sero-different couples.

This forum features Damon Jacobs, LMFT, private practice psychotherapist; Garrick Holland, participant in GMHC's HIV prevention program for youth, Sankofa; Mya Vazquez, spokesmodel for hivstopswithme.org; and Nurse practitioner Jason Villareal. GMHC Chief Program Officer Jeff Rindler will moderate.

The event will be held from 6-7:30 p.m. on Thursday, September 24 at GMHC, 446 West 33rd Street -- 7th floor, NYC, (between 9th and 10th Avenues).

GMHC is a leader in educating communities at high-risk for HIV infection about PrEP, in conjunction with linkage to HIV testing and medical care. Over the years, GMHC has learned about the successes and challenges inherent to PrEP usage. In particular, people who would significantly benefit from PrEP are not able to talk frankly about sex -- especially with medical providers, friends, and family members -- as it relates to experiencing pleasure. Rather, these conversations focus more about how to avoid sexually transmitted infections.

Negotiating safer sex is problematic when people feel ashamed, criticized, and/or judged, which makes "pleasure" a dirty word. Additionally, people who overcame these barriers and begin taking PrEP still experience anxiety because of their sexual history and guilt over the loss of friends to AIDS-related complications.

This discussion will help remind those affected by HIV and AIDS that their feelings are valid and that PrEP use, along with condoms, can make people feel safe while enjoying their sexual expression.
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For more information, visit http://www.gmhc.org/