Is 2025 a year when you do things differently? Or are you already smashing it?
The beginning of a new year is as good a time as any to reflect on who you are and what’s important to you – particularly when it comes to our need for intimacy and sexual fulfilment.
Where does safe sex fit into that picture?
Why have safe gay sex in 2025?
The starting point for this conversation really needs to be establishing what we mean when we talk about safe sex.
If you’re old-school, you’ll know of condoms as the foundation of the sexual health campaigns that shaped us for generations.
With the emergence of PrEP and TasP, we’ve now got much more effective tools to prevent the transmission of HIV, but the safe sex conversation is a lot broader than just one specific virus.
Thinking about safe sex in its broadest sense is not only important self-care, but it’s also ensuring that you’re bringing good karma to all of your sexual encounters.
Being informed about the latest developments in sexual health also helps to engage meaningfully with people who appear to have misinformed opinions about tools such as PrEP, or insert value-judgements in how gay men choose to have sex.
Do I only have to have non-penetrative sex to practice safe sex?
While gay non-penetrative sex does lower your exposure to some STIs, it seems self-defeating to base your choice of sexual experience based solely on a risk-calculation.
If you’re opting to stick to handjobs, footjobs, or gay circle jerks because you’re worried about STIs, you’re missing out on all sorts of sexual pleasure. Don’t allow yourself to be limited by anxiety or shame.
Should I still use condoms for gay sex hookups in 2025?
Condoms do provide some protection against some STIs and there’s a range of reasons why someone may want to use condoms during a sexual encounter.
However, with the protection provided by PrEP and TasP against the transmission of HIV, most guys are choosing not to use condoms – you may find that suggesting a condom is considered a deal-breaker or at least a boner-killer.
If you’re wanting to use a condom, some situations will be more suited to that than others. For example, a one-on-one hookup where you can have a bit of a conversation about sexual health will be more conducive to condom use than anonymous encounters at gay bathhouses or rest stops.
How do I have safe sex, taking bareback loads in group sex hookups?
It might sound like an oxymoron – you want to be bred by multiple loads but you’re also focused on safe sex.
The reality is that those two mindsets are compatible.
Whether you’re arranging a house-party for group sex hookups or you’re climbing into a sling in a sex-on-premises darkroom, it’s still important to be thinking about your personal health and wellbeing.
Each of us needs to take personal responsibility for our sexual health. The foundation of that is regular testing, and then knowing which tools best suit our needs. For example, it could be PrEP or TasP, and you may plan a course of DoxyPEP to minimise the risk of STIs.
Should I Consider PrEP in 2025?
PrEP stands for Pre-exposure prophylaxis. This is a medication that you can take to prevent the acquisition of HIV.
You may see PrEP referred to as Truvada and Descovy – these are the brand names of the medication that has been approved for PrEP use.
PrEP is more effective than condoms – this has been confirmed by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention – the US agency responsible for controlling the introduction and spread of infectious diseases.
Studies have confirmed that instances of PrEP failing to protect against HIV are very rare. Researchers have also found that condom use errors – such as breakage or slippage – occur in up to 40% of sexual encounters.
Is generic Truvada just as safe as a gay safe sex option?
The generic equivalent of Truvada is just as effective as the branded option in terms of preventing the acquisition of HIV. The generic or unbranded medication will be less expensive which means that it is more accessible for those that have to pay for medication or who may not be as financially secure. Accessibility is particularly important for queer youth and communities where there is socio-economic inequality.
What is the 2-1-1 Method for PrEP?
If you’re taking PrEP, there are two ways in which it can be taken.
The simplest way is to take it every day. That way, whenever you have a sexual encounter, you know that you’re covered.
However, it has been shown that taking an on-demand dosage is equally as effective. This is sometimes referred to as the 2-1-1 method.
If you’re just wanting to take PrEP on demand, the 2-1-1 method requires you to take the medication as follows:
- Before Sex: Take two pills between 2 and 24 hours before anticipated sexual activity. Taking the pills closer to 24 hours before sex is preferable, but they can be taken as early as 2 hours before.
- After Sex:
- Take one pill 24 hours after the initial double dose.
- Take another pill 24 hours after the previous dose (i.e., 48 hours after the initial double dose).
If you continue to have sex over multiple days, continue taking one pill every 24 hours until 48 hours after the last sexual encounter.
The 2-1-1 dosing strategy has shown to be approximately 86% effective in preventing HIV transmission among MSM.
Should I use DoxyPEP and PrEP for Double Protection?
A DoxyPEP routine involves taking a single 200 mg dose of Doxycycline, an antibiotic, within 72 hours after unprotected sexual activity to reduce the risk of acquiring bacterial sexually transmitted infections (STIs) such as syphilis, chlamydia, and gonorrhea.
This is using doxycycline as a post-exposure prophylaxis, which is why it’s referred to as DoxyPEP.
DoxyPEP can help protect against some STIs, but not all of them.
You may find that your doctor is hesitant to prescribe you doxycycline as overuse of antibiotics can contribute to increasing resistance to antibiotics. When discussing your sexual health with your doctor, it’s important to be up-front and transparent about what you’re asking for and why you believe it is appropriate for you.
Is Doxycycline safe and effective?
Yes! In fact, a recent study found that individuals receiving doxycycline postexposure prophylaxis (doxyPEP) experienced significant declines in bacterial sexually transmitted infections (STIs) outside of clinical trials, suggesting that broader implementation of doxyPEP may help decrease population-level STI transmission.
Among doxyPEP recipients, the study saw some sexy results that makes doxy and Truvada or generic PrEP together a horny combo to get you fucking all night with less worry about the next STI panel at your local STI doctor; quarterly STI positivity significantly declined from before to after starting doxyPEP by 79% for chlamydia, 80% for syphilis, and 12% for gonorrhea.
Don’t wait; get fucking and sucking by thinking about your health and being proactive about how to keep yourself in tip-top shape when planning your next orgy, risky hookup, or cum dump at the bathhouse.
You have the power to be a slut, a totally gooned up fuck toy, without fear or anxiety after the poppers and penis pills die down and the cool light of morning hits you and your pillow the next morning. Get into it!
