If I have heard it once, I have heard it a hundred times; so many
people have accused me of trying to make HIV look "sexy." In my line
of work, many detractors have voiced the general notion that it is dangerous to
appear in any way that may come across as provocative, arousing, or — as much
as I try to avoid it — slutty.
This logic is rooted in the idea that using
healthy, sexual images in HIV messaging will dilute the fear of contracting the
virus and further increase the risk of infection for my peers and the younger
gay men on the up and up. This argument, on its face, makes sense. But make no
mistake; it is completely and fundamentally flawed.
As much as I may secretly find myself flattered by the indirect
compliment in being urged to cover up my implied sexiness, I certainly was not,
in any way, making HIV look sexy. I was, however, making sex look sexy. Yes, I
do have the sex. And you have the sex. We all have the sex, and that is also
how HIV is transmitted.
It would seem, however, that popular campaigns only use sex when
referencing HIV-negative men and the risk of the unknown. Two sexy men on the
verge of complete nakedness grab for a condom. The assumption is they are both
HIV-negative but smart, not risk-takers. Now, slap a plus sign on one of their
foreheads and the marketing campaign immediately morphs into an individual in a
turtleneck.
He is smiling but completely void of sexuality, and the messaging
usually reads something like, “I am HIV-positive and nothing is going to get me
down.” Well, nothing except for all the erections that will be staying down
with this “awareness” campaign.
There are HIV prevention campaigns and there are HIV awareness
campaigns. In order to prevent HIV, you need to be knowledgeable about the
virus and the reality of people living with it today. And the only way that
anyone who is HIV-negative is going to engage in a conversation about HIV is to
use one of the same weapons that the virus uses to spread: sex.
There are some campaigns that are the exception. The Impulse Group
has made great strides in bringing sex to the awareness of HIV and sexual
transmission. This group has created several billboards and viral content that
push the boundaries on what living with HIV means today and how sex is still a
part of the equation. But one glance at the criticism of this campaign shows
just how resistant some people are to viewing HIV without the stigma of being
sexual pariahs.
“Advocating for positive people is vital, and [treatment as
prevention] is one of the most underrated forms of prevention,” says Kevin
Pakdivichit, vice president of Impulse Group L.A. “Criticism towards our stance
has ranged from calling us AIDS-enablers to blaming us for making people with
HIV seem normal, acceptable, and even — OMG — sexy.”
The images that promote sexual behavior are also what can make
someone susceptible to risky behavior. If provocative imagery is only used in
campaigns where the status of the partners is unknown but at least assumed to
be negative, then we will only continue to promote the status quo, which is a
staggering 50,000 HIV infections in the U.S. each year.
Most people can agree that it would be beneficial if more people
got tested more often and were open about their status if they were
HIV-positive. But in a culture that often condemns HIV-positive men and women
for wanting to be viewed as sexually desirable, I doubt few will be willing to
step up to the plate.
Now that HIV is a chronic, manageable disease, any HIV message that
intends on engaging both statuses in a conversation has to follow the rules of
every other marketing campaign in the U.S. And the first rule, the main rule,
is that sex always rules.
There are plenty of options an informed person can choose from when
it comes to HIV prevention, but one that is no longer effective is being able
to tell if a person is positive from their appearance. The hot guy at the gym,
your Friday night date, or even the model in the underwear ad could be living
with HIV. If they have told you about their status, then you are that much less
at risk of contracting the virus. But if they are unaware of their status and
you are one of the many other gay men who get "caught up in the moment,"
the sex you have could be one time that makes all the difference.
Unless, that is, if you read something, heard something, or saw
something that showcased HIV-positive men as fully realized, sexually active,
and sexually desirable adults. A message that made both the head on your
shoulders think at the same time as the head between your legs.
People living with HIV are sexual beings, just like anyone else.
And in my opinion, there is nothing sexier than people who are in control of
their life, taking care of themselves, and not afraid to be open about who they
are.
Now, put that on a billboard already.
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