From 2005 to 2014, the number of HIV-negative gay and bisexual men who have unprotected sex grew from 29 percent to 41 percent, reports Plus Mag.
Even before guys started taking PrEP, a daily drug HIV-negative men take to prevent their bodies from being infected with the virus; condomless sex was growing anyhow.
The study, which was published in the journal AIDS, took research from the National HIV Behavioral Surveillance Survey, which was conducted in 21 cities in 2005, 2008, 2011 and 2014. They asked over a thousand men and found out that bareback sex was increasing across the board, regardless of whether they knew their partners’ status.
Related: Scientists Pledge to Cure HIV by 2020
In 2011, .5 percent of gay and bisexual men were on PrEP in the study. By 2014, the number rose to 3.5 percent. The lack of condom usage is similar with HIV-positive guys, having reported higher incidences of bareback sex — from 37 to 45 percent in six years.
AIDSMap reported the only hint of seroadaptive behavior is that condomless receptive anal sex with partners of unknown or different HIV status rose, while condomless insertive sex with those partners did not.
Bottoms who have unprotected sex stand a greater risk of HIV transmission. In another study, tops were 86 percent less likely to contract HIV than receptive partners.
Related: Cleaning Out Could Prevent HIV
The decline of condom use was seen with both HIV-positive men who were not on meds, as well as HIV-positive men who were – some men might be HIV-positive and not even know their status.
It is important to take control of your health and get tested regularly. Don’t wait to find your status. The sooner you know, the less anxious you will be. Click here to find a testing center in your area, and watch the video below to learn more about HIV and AIDS.
H/T: Plus Mag
David Artavia is an actor and writer from New York City. He loves living vicariously through his friends. Follow him on Twitter and Like his Facebook page.
