1 – I will know my HIV status

Did you know one-in-four gay men who have HIV don’t know they have it? Knowing if you have HIV or not is important for lots of reasons. If you have HIV and don’t find out until you become ill, it can cause more damage to your health than if you found out earlier. If you don’t know you have HIV and continue to have unsafe sex you could be spreading HIV without even knowing it. Or if you know for certain that you don’t have HIV, you can be sure to do everything you can not to catch it.The only way to know your HIV status is to test regularly. New tests mean that you can get your result in just a few minutes. For more information on testing and to find a clinic near you, visit the GMFA website.

2 – I will not assume I know someone else’s HIV status

Some people think they can tell if someone has HIV by what they look like, their age, where they met them, or if they look ‘healthy’ or ‘sick’. The truth is you can’t tell if someone has HIV or not. To take risks based on the stereotypes that you have about people with or without HIV is a bad idea and leads to the spread of HIV. Find out more here.

3 – I will take personal responsibility for using condoms

“Well he didn’t seemed bothered about using condoms, so I just went along with it.” Sound familiar? Some of us end up having sex without condoms because we leave it to the other guy to bring it up or we are too embarrassed to bring it up ourselves. If we are going to stop the spread of HIV, each of us needs to take responsibility for using condoms, every time. And if you are going to use them, best use them correctly so they don’t break or fall off. Find all you need to know about condoms and lube here. And you can find out where to get free condoms and lube in your area here.

4 – I will value myself and my health

Feeling good about yourself and wanting to be healthy play a big part in choosing safer sex. If you feel depressed, you are more likely to take risks than if you are feeling good about life. So if you’re feeling a bit down, ring your mates, get some exercise, or join a social group. There’s free counselling available to gay men around the UK that can help. Find out more here. Or check out FS magazine online here, it has lots of features and information on how to beat depression, be more confident and lots more.

5 – I will stay informed about HIV and how it’s spread

Most of us think we know all there is to know about HIV and how it’s spread. But there’s still a lot of bad information out there and you may be taking risks without even knowing it. Make sure you have the best information by getting it from a trusted source. Check out www.gmfa.org.u/sex for the most up to date information and advice on how to have the best sex at the lowest risk.