Fucking Crazy HIV Campaign

Do they?

Do they?

Date: 28-Nov-2007

The new safe-sex campaign from Seattle-based safe sex educators Lifelong AIDS Alliance has ruffled more than a few feathers and with World AIDS Day approaching we wanted to ask what you thought about the ad.

The ad shows a blob of meth and a packaged condom walking hand in hand together and the tag line, Condoms and Crystal go together. The message is that if you're going to do crystal, use condoms as well but as we all know, condoms tend to be put on ice during meth sex.

Seattle gay journo Dan Savage concurs:

"Crystal methamphetamine is highly addictive, but its allure is not hard to understand; the drug removes inhibitions, bolsters confidence, supercharges the libido… The first thing people on methamphetamine lose is their common sense; suddenly, anything goes, including unprotected anal sex."

And he also says:

"This isn’t the first time LLAA has wrapped crystal meth use up in images of gay pride and community in a misguided effort to “de-stigmatize” crystal meth use—an activity which, when you consider the consequences for individuals and the gay community as a whole, gay health organizations should be working harder to stigmatize.

An image of condom packet walking hand-in-hand with a rock of crystal will not reach men that are currently using crystal—most of whom abuse crystal meth to annihilate their inhibitions and engage in casual unprotected anal sex—while communicating to men that aren’t using crystal that they can “safely” use the drug and fuck without fear.”

What's your opinion?

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5 comments, 39 views, last reply:28-Nov-2007 14:21

Comments:

Yes a fucking crazy campaign. The use of ice in the gay community is a major growing problem. In the last 5yrs in Victoria the growth of HIV infections has increased by about 41%. many due to the use of ice and bareback sex.

posted by stevie on 28-Nov-2007 0:12

There is definitely a culture of drug use in the gay community that it is not debated enough and is, dare I say it, upheld by the myth that gay sex and drugs go together quite well. The intimation that ice is okay with condoms, as this advertisement seems to be saying, perpetuates the myth that drugs and gay sex are great in a very dangerous way. The problem cannot be solved by trying to convince anybody on ice to slip on a condom when you're about to have random (or any) sex with a person who is not your monogamous partner. We know that ice will not afford any user the forthought to put one on. The work needs to be done in the demonising of ice in our society and the eradication of its use. The education needs to be in what ice does to you and what that can mean in the big scheme of things. Harm minimisation is a good start, but I really think this ad does nothing that won't be made void once a guy has ice in his system.

posted on 28-Nov-2007 8:13

I guess this ad subscribes to the notion of "if you can't eradicate it, try to control it", which is the same as proposals for safe injecting houses/clinics they had (or do they still have it ?) in Sydney. Of course no one is around you when you are having sex to ensure that you put on a condom.

posted by slaterd4479 on 28-Nov-2007 8:46

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The consequences of unprotected sex are clearly made note of in an ad like that, however the consequences of using a highly addictive drug are not.

posted by rohie on 28-Nov-2007 11:32

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Always use protection!

posted by stpetefldude on 28-Nov-2007 14:21

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