Attitudes towards safe sex in 2015

Call me paranoid. Call me sensible.

...but i get so frustrated when i hear a gay man say "I'm a top, so i don't need to use a condom!"

Now before you shout "Homophobe" lets point out i am a gay man. Still with me? OK. I hear that statement a lot, and it unfuriates me that on the gay scene you still hear statements made like that. Especially as there are so many good articles written in the gay press about the dangers of not using a condom for both "Tops" and "Bottoms".

The other one i hear amongst my straight older social circle is "Well that affects the younger people - we don't have to worry about that!"

Seriously?!

HIV doesn't know your age, your colour, your gender - all it wants is some nice human bloodstream to grow in.

Here in the UK there are really strong laws that side on the "victim" if you have not declared your status to a partner before having sex. The law is set up that it's a criminal offense, and because of the ignorance surrounding HIV in the 21st century, a jury is more likely to feel sympathetic towards a so called victim of HIV crime. Ofetn times someone will claim that they were not told the other persons status, when in fact they did know. Its a blatant case of one versus the other, and rather than a jury claim an impasse - they will side with the so called victim. When you are first diagnosed - the great thing is that the NHS nurse sits you down and makes sure you understand this, and the implications of what can happen if you infect someone. Amazingly though i still hear stories of blatant disregard - not only for the law - but more concerningly for other peoples health.

One such incident i personally became aware of was of one man in his late 30's who had a fake passport made to prove he was ten years younger, and a fake doctors note proving he was negative, when infact he was positive. He was then going on social hook up apps and website for casual sex looking for "Bareback" sex. For me this is tantamount to not only fraud, but potentially mansluaghter. Call me over dramatic if you want, but i can not abide idsregard for others at the expense of someone else's selfishness.

aaaaghhhh rant over