In his blog on POZ  Sean Strub introduces his film (see below) thus: "here is a brief trailer from the documentary I am making about HIV criminalization. Long road ahead--and lots of funding needed--but this is a good start and helps people interested understand the critical issues at stake".

Strub has said of the film “I felt it important that the voices of those who have gone through such prosecutions be heard, It is one of the most extreme manifestations of stigma,” he continues, “when it is enshrined in the law, and is significantly driving the epidemic by discouraging people at risk from getting tested, disclosing or accessing treatment.”

Sean Strub is senior advisor to the Positive Justice Project combating HIV criminalization, board member, GNP+/North America and POZ Magazine's founder and advisory editor.

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Meanwhile from London, England comes an audio of a panel discussion ”Intimacy and Responsibility: The Criminalization of HIV Transmission” with Professor Matthew Weait, Dr Catherine Dodds & Dr Adam Bourne. It took place November 30, 2011 nad was introduced by Kathryn Dombrowicz, Director of RiverHouse Trust.

This event was one of several organized by the enterprising Andrew Jukes, an employee of  the UK book retailer Waterstone’s important Gower Street store.  Andrew was profiled by London-based PositiveLite.com.writer Denis Robinson here  in connection with Andrew’s  program of World AIDS Week events that he had persuaded the retailer to feature in that location

The link to the recording of that panel discussion is here.

WOK around China Town: September 26, 5:30 - 8:30 Dinner at 6 pm.

This news article by Trenton Straub firrst appeared in POZ on-line August 4, 2011.

It’s not every day that we come across HIV-related research that explores health-promoting sexual behaviors. So when we came across the article “USA Study of Sex Toy Use by HIV-Positive Men Who Have Sex With Other Men: Implications for Sexual Health” in the International Journal of STD & AIDS, we wanted to know more.

Conducted by the Center for Sexual Health Promotion at Indiana University in collaboration with Online Buddies Inc., the survey included 2,275 HIV-positive men who have sex with men (MSM). Participants were recruited from Manhunt.net and spanned the United States; most were white (83 percent), Latino (7 percent) or black (4 percent).

The survey set out to look at sex toy use and its implications for health among positive MSM. It found that 70 percent of participants reported using at least one sex toy in the past year, including dildos (49 percent), butt plugs (31 percent), vibrators (28 percent), masturbation sleeves (17 percent) and anal beads or balls (16 percent). And 31 percent reported using toys in the previous four weeks. White men were more likely to use toys, and men in sexually active relationships were more likely to use toys than those not in such relationships.

Before beginning, the researchers hypothesized that using sex toys not only increased sexual pleasure but also lowered the rates of sexually transmitted infections (STIs) and lead to fewer instances of unprotected anal sex.

To find out the results, we spoke with Joshua G. Rosenberger, PhD, MPH, who’s an assistant professor in the Department of Global and Community Health at George Mason University in Virginia and has a joint research appointment at the Indiana University School of Medicine and the Center for Sexual Health Promotion.

Your survey results found that positive MSM who used sex toys were not statistically more likely to have an STI or to use condoms. How does this bode for your hypotheses going into the research?

Overall we saw relatively low rates of people reporting risk reduction as a primary reason for toy use. What we found with the sex toy use was, not surprisingly, it was more commonplace for sexual pleasure. When we created the survey, we were more interested first in documenting the [sex toy] behaviors—focusing on how much do you enjoy this, how do you incorporate this into your sexual life—because no one had ever done that. [Risk reduction] is important, but that wasn’t our main goal.

Now that you know more data about sex toy use, how would you like to see the data used among advocates and health practitioners?

First and foremost, it’s a way to educate them that MSM sex is not just anal sex and that there is a whole sexual repertoire that exists. There really needs to be more discussion and dialogue about what that looks like. We spend so much time on disease transmission, on labeling gay, bisexual and other MSM as having all this anal sex.

When you’re thinking about HIV, [sex toys are] just one other risk reduction strategy. You can easily recommend toy use as a safe way to engage in fun, healthy sexual activity in which both people can get satisfaction and pleasure without risk—and you can teach them the necessary steps around toy use, which would include making sure the toys are cleaned properly. And really just putting that message out as another alternative. It’s not just abstinence; it’s not just condoms; here’s one other tool that you can use to make sex possible.

You’ve done previous research on sex toy use among the larger U.S. population. How do the MSM results compare?

The numbers, in general, are mostly the same across the board in terms of rates of use and lifetime use, [but] slightly higher among MSM. There’s actually a paper under review right now that’s looking at a final study we just completed with women who have sex with women, and we have questions in there about HIV infection and women who are HIV positive.

Can any of the takeaways from this MSM survey be applied to other groups?

Absolutely. That’s why it’s important. The implication of what can be done [in terms of risk reduction and sexual health and satisfaction] can be extrapolated to any population, regardless of [HIV] status.

The survey did reveal some interesting aspects of the general health and sexual activities of MSM living with HIV. It was great to hear that 91 percent of them described their health as good, or excellent or very good, and then there were the findings that 53 percent were not dating, and yet that 88 percent were sexually active. What do these stats say about this population group?

I think that the overall data is saying that men living with HIV are actually not that much different from those who are negative. And I think that’s an element we’re often forgetting within the public health domain, [which is] always looking to point out all the differences. It’s overall a pretty healthy population. So it really demonstrates that HIV is not the end all be all and all of a sudden you’re doomed, and there’s no more sex, no more relationships. With medical treatment, there’s no reason that [people living with HIV] shouldn’t be engaging in safe and happy and healthy sexual behaviors.

The survey looked at whether condoms were used during the last 10 times participants engaged in anal intercourse. The HIV-positive MSM who were the insertive partner, or the top, reported using condoms an average of 5.85 times out of 10. Those who were receptive, or bottoms, reported 5.68 times. Can you put these figures in a larger context?

We don’t have partner data for these events. And a lot of research out there talks about, or asks, “Did you or did you not use a condom? Yes or No” without understanding the contextual factors, such as not knowing their status, whether people ejaculated during this event, [whether they were with a long-term partner or was it an anonymous encounter]—all those factors that actually, when you’re thinking about risk, are important.

Having said that, we found that the number of events that were protected [averaged at nearly 6 out of 10]. Some people interpret that as 40 percent of sexual events were condom non-protected. Data from national representative studies [show] that among gay and bisexual men, regardless of HIV status, the rates of condom use are higher than in the heterosexual population in the United States. I think that gives you a nice comparison. Condom use might not be perfect; it may not need to be perfect; if there’s not a risk of disease transmission, then there may not ever need to be a reason to use a condom.

And now the million-dollar question, if the data can answer it: Does using sex toys make you more sexually satisfied and healthier overall?

What we found was yes, individuals who reported more toy use were more likely to report higher rates of satisfaction, pleasure and all of the domains that are associated with sexual happiness. [However, here’s the chicken-or-the-egg conundrum: How do you know whether toy use makes people more sexually satisfied or whether] people who are more sexually satisfied use toys? We don’t have that answer. We can’t really indicate which one leads to which.

Finally, why is it important to study a topic such as sex toy use among HIV-positive MSM?

It’s important to understand how individuals living with HIV construct their sexual lives. Being optimistic, a day will come when we have a cure or vaccine for this disease. It will be a shame [if] we look back at the literature and media [in] 50 years and [will not know] about the sex lives of gay men because all we’ve done is research about this one single disease.

And while [risk reduction] is certainly important, we’re [not] really taking into account that [HIV-positive] individuals are living healthy, sexual lives and have their own sexual health issues just as anyone else. Sex toys are just one way to bridge this gap and still promote both pleasure and risk reduction.

After having attended the first Poz n'Sexy party, which was a lot of fun by the way, I wanted to chat with Joh Chaisson about his venture into party organizing and give an inside look to this great initiative. The photo above is myself, Jade Elektra (alter ego of DJ Relentless who spins at the party) and John Chaisson, which is taken from the fab magazine  article Positiveliy Positive.

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Jon Chaisson is a 29 year old gay guy living in Toronto who carves out a living for himself as a self‐starting entrepreneur with a successful computer repair business, as well as working on his most recent project  - a website for privately owned vacation properties. You can check out Jon's computer repair business at www.helpmegizmo.com

What made you want to put together an event like Poz n' Sexy, a dance party for Poz men?

I put together Poz n' Sexy to create an environment for poz guys, their friends and admirers to strip the dance floor of its virginity at Goodhandy's Nightclub, along with providing poz guys a safe space to connect and meet other poz n' sexy guys face to face, instead of doing it online or at the bath house.

The idea came to mind when I thought about the negative experiences poz guys have in clubs, with dating and sex because of the stigma. So why not create a safe space for them to party and connect with other poz studs along with their admirers.

The first party there was a guest, and DJ Relentless spinning at Goodhandy's. It must have been successful as there is another coming up.

So here we are moving into the second event. The first event had a pretty good turn out and I brought in Jack Mackenroth (project runway, professional swimmer, and model) from NYC and had Dj Relentless also originally from NYC, spinning at the party alongside some Poz n' Sexy go‐go dancers.

This next party happens Sunday August 14th, the last day of Toronto Leather Pride weekend. We're having Ryan Russell from TitanMen.com to host the party and our special guest Jeremy Feist from jeremyfiestxxx.com. Toronto Leather Pride has been very supportive of Poz n' Sexy.

You've managed to find sponsors, how did that go? Are businesses open to supporting this kind of event?

I approached a few local businesses in the village first, thinking they would be very supportive of an event like this. The response was lukewarm, but I found a few companies who jumped on board pretty quick, like The Village Pharmacy on Church Street. Zahid the owner has been the biggest supporter of the event so far financially. It shows his true support for the clients he serves. The Church Mouse & Firkin, Steamworks, along with Rainbow Cinemas had little or no hesitation to sponsor as well. But overall, finding sponsors in today's economy isn't the easiest thing to do.

I'm working on getting more sponsors for future parties to do some cool things like bring in a big celebrity or pop icon. Currently the party is on Sunday evening and starts at 10pm. I am considering changing the time of the event as well and maybe even the day it's held on, since people have been telling me they would like the event earlier on Sunday or even on a Friday or Saturday night. So I'm taking those thoughts into consideration when planning the parties.

Do positive guys like the idea of having a fun night out?

The response from the community seems good so far, but people need to come to the party for it to be successful. I think once they came, and saw how cool it was, they would come back time and time again. The music Dj Relentless plays is some of the best music I've heard in a long time and would keep bringing people back on its own. He has a classic sound to his sets. I'm very happy he's with us.

How do you see the future of Poz n'Sexy?

I want to build Poz n' Sexy into a community party with a modern twist. Not stuffy and boring, it's not a funeral it's a party. Hopefully instil some life back into the community. In addition, break down some of that nasty stigma people have towards poz people while having a good time at a club with friends.

I invite feedback and ideas from people in the community as well because that's who the party is for. Please shoot me an email to this email address, This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it. and I'll put your good idea's to use for future parties. Also if anyone is interested in sponsoring the event, send me a message as well.

For more information about Poz n' Sexy, join us on facebook (search "Poz n' Sexy Party") or check us out on the web, poznsexyparty.com

It’s usually the sign that the person who is asking is one of the 76% of Canadian’s who are not tattooed. A cultural tourist. And yet, I’ve started to ask my poz friends with tattoos a similar question. What does it mean that the HIV+ are over represented in tattoo culture?

For many, the tattoo is a metaphor of difference, and history and popular culture have long associated  the tattoo with danger, two concepts familiar to any HIV+ person.  The permanence of tattoos and the permanence of HIV are certainly parallel. Could these shared characteristics be at the core of why HIV+ people are participating in tattoo culture?  My own experiences as an HIV+ person are certainly reflected in the narrative of some of my tattoos, and my first tattoo did come about after having tested positive. Getting tattooed back then was about cementing and broadcasting my own outsider status within my queer community, and less about the art.     

Local business owner Tim Fillion believes that the prevalence of tattoos among his HIV+ peers is about “recognizing that things can change, while tattoos do not” and is directly related to mortality.  My friend Garrett Rubin has a tattoo of the AIDS ribbon on his upper right arm, and has been HIV+ for over 3 years but sees no connection (besides the obvious) between being tattooed and having HIV “unless you’re in jail.”

In Canada, HIV is seven times more common in penitentiaries then in the general population. Despite this alarming statistic, access to clean needles for the purpose of tattooing was removed by the Conservative Government in 2009.  However, the connection between HIV and prison is only a small part of the story.  

I think the real reason HIV+ people are over represented in tattoo culture is connected to one of the major motivations of becoming tattooed in the first place: the commemoration of a life event or journey. HIV is definitely a game changer, and as a result, many of us are seeking help in adjusting to our new realities. While it may have sounded absurd 40 years ago to suggest that getting tattooed was about self help and self care, tattooing today for many people is about working out personal and emotional issues on their bodies.

The scars of HIV can be very deep; why not cover them up with something beautiful?

Tattoo, Ink, Ed Hardy, HIV

Lately, I’ve been feeling more stressed than usual. Life has changed a lot over the past couple of years and the effort and knockbacks involved in getting it back on track are starting to frustrate the hell out of me. In addition to that, I’m dealing with some other problems, including a close relative who is very ill.

I called my dad who responded with, ‘Things could be worse’, which I have since added to my growing list of ‘Most useless things people have ever said to me’. Not that I’m disputing that things could be worse. It’s just that pointing that out doesn’t acknowledge or help me with my problems. It’s a bit like saying, ‘What the fuck are you complaining about?’

To top this off, I’ve been feeling like an emotional sponge of sorts. I’ve had at least three people rant at me this week with various problems, in one case for thirty minutes in connection with the devastating occurrence of a broken hairdryer and related life-changing consequences.   In each instance, I’ve had around two minutes of input in the conversation.

I read some time ago of studies demonstrating the negative effect of stress upon the immune system. I don’t fancy ending up like the unfortunate rodents, who after prolonged exposure to stress, developed ulceration of the stomach and a shrunken thymus.

Also, apparently wounds take longer to heal when stressed. In one study, participants were wounded using a punch biopsy. Those who reported more stress took longer to heal than those who reported less stress. This might explain why I have been experiencing a recurring anal fissure which has this week again decided to show face, culminating in the lowest point of my week – walking like a penguin in the rain for 20 minutes feeling like my behind had busted open.

My stress management techniques pre-HIV diagnosis mainly usually involved guzzling a bottle or two of wine and/or heading out and getting completely twatted out of my mind. Not very helpful, as you can imagine...

Lately, I’ve been trying out some progressive muscle relaxation. This involves tensing and relaxing various muscles in the body, with a view to promoting relaxation. I’m having some success with it, indicated by the fact that I usually fall asleep whilst doing it due to the cosy feeling it gives me.

The next step is to get my dusty running shoes out, and run the stress out of my body. That will have to wait though, as running with an anal fissure is probably ill-advised.

If anyone has tips on how they manage stress, it’d be great to hear them!