Ita€™s probably one of the most prolific acronyms on gay dating apps. a€?DDF,a€? sometimes followed by a€?u b 2.a€? they stands for a€?drug and ailments freea€? and ita€™s both common and odious. If followed by a€?you feel too,a€? it’s very overtly stigmatizing towards HIV-positive guys. But even alone, ita€™s very difficult so leta€™s split [a€¦]
Health Sex Wellness Kevin Moroso
This informative article was actually released on November 18th, 2015
Ita€™s perhaps one of the most respected acronyms on homosexual relationships apps. a€?DDF,a€? often followed by a€?u b 2.a€? they stands for a€?drug and illness freea€? and ita€™s both usual and odious. If followed by a€?you become as well,a€? it’s very overtly stigmatizing towards HIV-positive dudes. But also by yourself, ita€™s extremely tricky so leta€™s break up the reason why this is certainly.
First of all, ita€™s vague. Exactly what disorders may be the individual dealing with? Really does the guy simply suggest HIV? Really does he suggest all STIs? Or perhaps is he even referring to non-communicable conditions?
Today presuming it relates to STIs, ita€™s a fairly useless little bit of suggestions. For many with the slight attacks, like gonorrhea, they’ve been therefore easily transmitted that no one can actually be sure they dona€™t have one. Whenever was your own last examination for people problems? What amount of lovers did you posses right before that make sure what amount of maybe you have had since? Are you DDF on Monday but not on Tuesday when you see the discharge coming out of your penis?
As these minor attacks are typically carried through both oral and rectal intercourse and a few, like syphilis, can still be easily carried when using condoms, all of your previous intercourse counts. For a few of the different infection, like HPV or herpes, general public health government don’t suggest screening for these. Very ita€™s extremely unlikely this guy understands whether he has got herpes or HPV. In other words, hardly any guys is specific theya€™re without an STI at any time.
When the guy is certainly caused by concentrated on HIV, what truly matters are transmissibility, not whether you’re HIV-positive or otherwise not. Dudes just who know they truly are HIV-positive and they are on cures commonly the people who’re transferring HIV. In fact, the people exactly who thought they’ve been HIV-negative but I have not too long ago seroconverted account for the vast majority of transmissions. So that the irony are ita€™s the inventors which say theya€™re a€?DDFa€? which happen to be distributing HIV, not the people who know obtained this a€?disease.a€? Therefore unless the man making use of DDF visibility try for example hea€™s hazardous for your body, ita€™s maybe not a wise approach to sexual wellness. In reality, they demonstrates the guya€™s ignorance when considering intimate health insurance and precisely how hazardous this person could be. Even more difficult is that DDF perpetuates the concept that HIV-positive men which know their own standing tend to be transmitting HIV a€“ this can be a thought that will be bogus, stigmatizing, unlike science, and it is helping to distribute the crisis.
Another issue https://www.besthookupwebsites.org/escort/pembroke-pines/ is the fact that this acronym places together drug use as to what try a chronic health. We genuinely believe that medication addiction is poor and this phrase can make a connection between HIV-positive men and medication addiction. They combines what is a behavioral problem with a health state. It creates an atmosphere from inside the gay matchmaking community that not having HIV is great plus the norm.
That leads to how it reinforces HIV stigma. It concentrates on her trojan, perhaps not all of them overall individual, and helps to mark them completely as unwanted. It has a deeply negative influence on the psychological state of poz guys, particularly people who have been identified or become younger. These guys are often in a fragile mental county, think that a disease has brought over their health as well as their resides, and also this hammers home the concept they are perhaps not welcome when you look at the routine gay relationship community anymore. These bad psychological burdens can often continue for a life energy. The acronym helps to reinforce the sections within neighborhood between poz and neg, a department whose opportunity it.
Thus shed they dudes. State youa€™re not into performing medications with sex. Render their latest evaluation time and therefore testa€™s results. But end utilising the acronym DDF: they demonstrates your own lack of knowledge around intimate health insurance and acts as a strike on some of the most susceptible people in the people.