#HIV Partner

[letmemarry]

HIV Marriages for HIV Positive Brides and Grooms in India

In a society where traditions and societal norms often dictate the path of matrimony, the challenges faced by HIV-positive brides and grooms in India, especially in Hyderabad, are distinctive and demanding. This article delves into the complexities surrounding HIV-positive marriages, shedding light on the need for support, understanding, and the creation of a more inclusive environment.

Brief Overview of HIV-Positive Marriages HIV-positive marriages involve couples where one or both partners are living with HIV. Despite medical advancements, societal stigmas continue to surround these unions.

Importance of Support for HIV-Positive Brides and Grooms The emotional and psychological toll on couples navigating HIV-positive marriages emphasizes the crucial need for support networks and understanding within their communities.

Context of HIV-Positive Marriages in India, Specifically Hyderabad India, with its rich cultural tapestry, faces unique challenges concerning HIV-positive marriages, and the city of Hyderabad is no exception.

Understanding the Challenges

Stigma Surrounding HIV-Positive Individuals One of the primary obstacles faced by HIV-positive brides and grooms is the pervasive stigma attached to their condition. Addressing this stigma is vital for fostering acceptance.

Lack of Awareness and Education A significant hurdle lies in the lack of awareness and education regarding HIV transmission, prevention, and the realities of living with the virus.

Emotional and Psychological Challenges Coping with the emotional and psychological challenges is a journey often traveled in isolation. Counseling services play a pivotal role in supporting these couples.

Navigating the Wedding Preparations

Support Networks for Couples Establishing robust support networks is essential for couples preparing for an HIV-positive marriage. Friends, family, and community organizations can offer invaluable assistance.

Counseling Services Professional counseling services provide a safe space for couples to address their concerns, fears, and aspirations, ensuring they embark on their marital journey with resilience.

Positive Examples and Success Stories Highlighting positive examples and success stories of HIV-positive marriages inspires hope and resilience within the community, dispelling myths and misconceptions.

Legal Aspects of HIV Marriages

Rights and Responsibilities Understanding the legal rights and responsibilities of HIV-positive brides and grooms is crucial for navigating societal expectations and safeguarding their union.

Legal Safeguards for HIV-Positive Brides and Grooms Legal frameworks exist to protect the rights of individuals with HIV. Awareness of these safeguards is vital for ensuring fair treatment.

Navigating Societal Norms and Expectations Balancing traditional expectations with the realities of HIV-positive marriages requires open dialogue and education to foster acceptance within communities.

Wedding Rituals and Traditions

Adapting Traditions for HIV-Positive Couples Customizing wedding rituals and traditions ensures that they align with the needs and comfort levels of HIV-positive couples.

Creating a Supportive Environment Fostering a supportive environment during wedding ceremonies helps create a positive and inclusive atmosphere for the couple and their guests.

Inclusivity in Wedding Ceremonies Promoting inclusivity in wedding ceremonies not only supports the couple but also contributes to changing societal perceptions surrounding HIV-positive marriages.

Community Involvement

Raising Awareness Community involvement is crucial for raising awareness about HIV, dispelling myths, and fostering an environment of empathy and understanding.

Building a Network of Support Communities can play a vital role in building a network of support, ensuring that HIV-positive couples have the backing they need to thrive in their marriages.

Encouraging Empathy and Understanding Creating spaces that encourage empathy and understanding reduces stigma and helps the community embrace the diversity of love.

Healthcare Support

Access to Medical Facilities Ensuring access to medical facilities and healthcare services is imperative for the well-being of HIV-positive brides and grooms.

Importance of Regular Check-Ups Regular health check-ups are vital for managing HIV. Encouraging couples to prioritize their health is essential for a fulfilling marital journey.

Dispelling Myths About HIV Transmission Education plays a crucial role in dispelling myths about HIV transmission, promoting a more informed and accepting society.

Financial Considerations

Challenges in Employment Opportunities HIV-positive individuals may face challenges in employment opportunities. Addressing these challenges through advocacy and support is essential.

Financial Planning for HIV-Positive Couples Financial planning becomes crucial for HIV-positive couples, considering potential challenges in the employment sector. Government and NGO support can play a vital role.

Government and NGO Support Governments and non-governmental organizations can contribute significantly by providing financial support and creating initiatives to empower HIV-positive couples.

Social Media and Advocacy

Utilizing Social Platforms for Awareness Leveraging social media platforms is a powerful way to raise awareness, educate the public, and advocate for the rights of HIV-positive couples.

Advocacy for HIV-Positive Marriages Advocacy efforts aim to break down societal barriers, challenge stigmas, and create a more inclusive society for HIV-positive couples.

Empowering Couples Through Online Communities Online communities provide a space for couples to share experiences.

#HIV Marriages #HIV Positive Marriages #HIV Partner #HIV Marriages near me #HIV Marriage Bureau Near me #HIV Marriage consultancy in Hyderabad #HIV Positive #HIV girl for marriage #HIV marriages in India #HIV positive matrimony #HIV Positive matrimonial #Hiv Positive life partner #HIV positive brides #Hiv positive Girls #HIV Positive Grooms #HIV positive marriage #matrimonial site for HIV positive #marriage bureau for HIV positive #HIV positive woman marriage #Hiv positive matchmaking #HIVpositivemarriage #HIV marriage bureau Bangalore #HIV marriage #HIV matrimony #Hiv positive Matrimonial India #HIV positive marriage bureau #Marriage of HIV Positive #HIV matrimonial #HIV positive marriage site #HIV Positive Datings

[stainlesssteellocust]

While Alex is obviously besotted with Cassie it is interesting that he, uh,

went on a whole-ass rant about how he’s somehow internalised an extremely conventional, heteronormative idea of what life should be like, wherein he’s expected to find a girl, get married and have kids as part of living ‘properly’, except he’s realised that lifestyle is impossible for him, partly because he’s infected with what he continually calls ‘magical AIDS’

My closeted bisexual alarm bells are ringing, is what I am saying

#THE COMPHET WRITES ITSELF #the HIV metaphor works much better this way #also that line about how his parents are scared he might bring a boy home? Wherever that was #the laundry files #charles stross #I’m pretty sure Evan speculates on Alex being autistic back in book 5 and he doesn’t seem aware of that either #So assuming I didn’t imagine that (lost my copy of Rhesus Chart) there’s…precedent #Probs won’t really show up much bc he’s with Cassie-First and I can’t imagine them getting enough page time #To have a Bob/Mo style potential breakup arc and other partners…or enough pagecount to discuss potential polyamory lol #but it might be interesting if he ever shows attention to a guy if/when we get his perspective again. That’d be cool #headcanon #bisexuality

[lgbtq-archives]

𝐀 𝐏𝐥𝐚𝐭𝐞 𝐨𝐟 𝐋𝐨𝐯𝐞 | 𝐔𝐧𝐜𝐨𝐧𝐝𝐢𝐭𝐢𝐨𝐧𝐚𝐥 𝐋𝐨𝐯𝐞 

#lgbtq #mother #unconditional love #lgbtq archives #christmas #holiday #christmas dinner #gay history #aids #hiv positive #aids stigma #loss of partner #mother and son #tribute to mom

[13thpythagoras]

Rest in Power Alfredo Bowman, aka Dr. Sebi

#they don't call him Magic Johnson for nothing yall #he found the fountain of youth and what happened to his HIV diagnosis? lol #gone #Dr. Sebi diet cures HIV among other ailments #this has been proved in court but it's uncomfortable to admit #for western science #Dr. Sebi diet allows for longevity on the span of centuries rather than decades #uncannily similar to the Pythagorean diet is the Dr. Sebi diet #plant based diet #the more plant based the more longevity #could also be argued that Dr. Sebi practiced polyamory #Lord knows he's on record for having many children with many women #question being did he abuse the mothers of his children for seeking children with other men themselves #I don't know the back story of Alfredo Bowman's life but no doubt he's fascinating #if he doesn't have a history of partner abuse then he's really also a polyamory o.g. as well

[roshni99]

How can I reduce my risk of getting HIV? #HIV #healthtips #raphacure - YouTube

🌈⚡️ Empower Yourself: Reducing Your Risk of HIV Infection! #HIVAwareness Curious about ways to minimize your risk of HIV? Empower yourself with essential knowledge and take proactive steps to protect your health. Your well-being matters, and being informed can make a significant impact. 🌈⚡️ 🧡 Practice Safe Sex: Consistently and correctly use condoms or dental dams during sexual activity, especially with new or unknown partners. This greatly reduces the risk of HIV transmission. 🚫 Avoid Sharing Needles: If you use injectable drugs, never share needles, syringes, or any equipment. Use clean, sterile supplies to reduce the risk of HIV and other infections. 💉 Consider PrEP: Pre-exposure prophylaxis (PrEP) is a medication taken daily by individuals at high risk of HIV. Consult a healthcare provider to determine if PrEP is right for you.

💪 Maintain Good Health: A healthy immune system can help protect you. Eat a balanced diet, exercise regularly, manage stress, and get sufficient sleep. 🌡️ Regular Testing: Get tested for HIV regularly, especially if you engage in high-risk behaviors. Early detection allows for prompt treatment and reduces the risk of transmission. 👥 Know Your Partner's Status: Communicate openly with your sexual partners about their HIV status and get tested together. This helps build trust and make informed decisions. 🌈 Supportive Relationships: Cultivate a network of friends and partners who prioritize safe practices and open communication about sexual health. 💬 Educate Yourself: Stay informed about HIV transmission, prevention methods, and the latest advancements in HIV awareness and care. 🙌 Community Resources: Utilize available resources, such as local health centers, NGOs, and online platforms, to access information, testing, and support. 🌆 Stay Informed: Stay connected with HIV-awareness campaigns, community initiatives, and reliable health sources to stay up-to-date on prevention strategies. Before watching the video, don't forget to SUBSCRIBE to our channel to receive many more tips and updates! For professional help and access to essential tools, download our mobile app: 📲 Android: [Link: http://bit.ly/3JACQOb] 🍏 Apple: [Link: https://apple.co/3I0QKbe] Explore more at https://www.raphacure.com/Virtual-Con... or write to [email protected]. Remember, reducing your risk of HIV involves a combination of education, responsible choices, and proactive measures. Every step you take towards HIV prevention contributes to your overall well-being. 🗣️ Spread the Awareness, Promote Health! 🗣️ Share this valuable information with your circle to raise awareness about HIV prevention. Knowledge empowers you to protect yourself and support others in their health journey. Prioritize your health, prioritize informed choices. Stay connected for more health insights and awareness. #HIVAwareness#StayProtected#PreventHIVInfection#HealthEmpowerment#StayInformed#wellbeingmatters how can i protect my partner from getting hiv?,getting tested,does pulling out reduce hiv risk?,can i get hiv if my partner is on treatment,hiv testing,how can i protect my partners?,risk,how can hiv be transmitted through kissing,how can you get hiv,how can hiv be transmitted through,can you get hiv if your partner is on medication,can hiv be transmitted through urine,can you get hiv from just sticking it in,can i infect my partner with hiv if im on arvs?

#HIVAwareness #StayProtected #PreventHIVInfection #HealthEmpowerment #StayInformed #wellbeingmatters how can i protect my partner from getting hiv? #getting tested #does pulling out reduce hiv risk? #can i get hiv if my partner is on treatment #hiv testing #how can i protect my partners? #risk #how can hiv be transmitted through kissing #how can you get hiv #how can hiv be transmitted through #can you get hiv if your partner is on medication #can hiv be transmitted through urine #can you get hiv from just sticking it in #can i infect my partner with hiv if im on arvs? #Youtube

[vaspider]

Pete Buttigieg is just a faggot.

It's very important to me that younger queers understand this: to the people who you're trying to be more respectable for when you say things like neopronouns set the trans movement back or you're why the cishets don't accept us or including [aces/bi people with the 'wrong kind' of partners/non-binary people/kinksters/non-passing trans ppl/furries/polyam people] just hurts us, can't you wait until we get all our rights before we talk about some of yours? -- to those people? Pete Buttigieg is just a fag.

On Sunday at Pride Northwest, some kids -- late teens, early 20s -- asked what our button I survived Reagan for this? meant. All of the queer adults at the tables making up our ad hoc counter looked at each other and sighed a little. Emet and another adult started to explain the way that the Reagan Administration handled -- or didn't handle -- the beginning of the AIDS crisis. How many people died. How much we were ignored. The Ashes Action. The Time Magazine article which explicitly blamed bisexual men for passing the pandemic to the cishet community, playing on all the worst stereotypical bullshit. The way that even when the CDC started paying attention, they were so focused on gay men that they ignored AIDS in the lesbian community, leading to the "women don't get AIDS, they just die from it" poster. And so on.

I finished counting out change and passed the last Bear Pride raised fist pin over to a bear a little older than me, then turned my head and interjected, "they didn't care until it started infecting more than just the fags." I turned my head back and handed him his change. He laughed bitterly and said, "remember when they called it 'gay cancer?'"

That what I need you to understand. The people for whom you are folding yourself into smaller and smaller boxes will never see you as anything but a freak. A queer. A dyke. A tranny. A fag.

Never.

These are people who will stand by and let you wither away and die alone, gasping for breath in a cinderblock room, and not even claim your ashes, and they will say you deserve it, because of your lifestyle. If they speak of you at all it will be by the wrong name, with the pictures you hate the most. They will curse at your lover, throw him out of the home you shared, and steal the gift you gave last Christmas to throw it in the trash just so he can't have it and they'll say Jesus loves you! while they do it. They'll feel good and righteous and blessed and holy and pure for doing it.

And for them, you spit in the eye of your sister. For them, you disavow your sibling. For their sake, you trim away bits of your heart and lace yourself up tight. Never too loud. Never too queer. Never inconvenient or embarrassing, never asking for too much.

Pete Buttigieg is what happens when your Boomer dad turns out gay. Middle America. Parents still married. Suburban-sprouted. Valedictorian. Harvard-educated. Rhodes Scholarship. Military service. More power to him: I hope he and Chasten are very happy together. Genuinely, I do.

You couldn't create a more respectable gay if you grew one in a lab run by concerned voter focus groups.

But Pete Buttigieg? Is just a fag.

That's the part you don't seem to get: when they abandoned us, they abandoned all of us. Rock Hudson was a beloved movie star and even personally friendly with that horrid pair of ambitious jackals. Nancy Reagan refused to help him get into the only place in the world that could treat him at the time, and he died.

It was 1985, 4 years after the CDC first released papers on what would eventually become known as HIV/AIDS and 7 years after the first known death from an infection from HIV-2. Reagan hadn't even said the word AIDS by the time Hudson died.

Pete Buttigieg is just a fag, and so am I. Unless I'm a dyke, which seems to depend on who's yelling what from which window and what day it is.

Yes, there will be people who genuinely love and accept you. Those people are worth all the frustration of the rest, thankfully, and they're the ones who love you in a pup mask or a leather harness and a neon jock like the ones sold by the men up the row from us last weekend. They're the ones who laugh out loud when you tell them you hid the word "dyke" in your company name, the ones who love you in all your messiness and uncertainty and the way you don't fit into neat boxes all scrubbed up and clean.

Most cishets, though... well, they don't actively mean you specifically any harm, at least not when they have to look at you. Not when you're right there in front of them. Maybe they'll be okay with you, personally, especially if you're the kind of gay who makes a good rhetorical device, and as long as you remain a good rhetorical device.

They need people to know that they don't have a problem with the gays, after all, and there you are, being all convenient. You make a nice token, and as long as you do, well. You're useful.

But they call you by your deadname when you're not around, and they put the wrong pronouns in your medical record even though they met you years after you came out, and they won't put themselves out to save you. Not one little bit.

I didn't want to be here again. The year I graduated from high school was the worst year of the AIDS crisis. The world into which I became an adult was a world in which an advisor and friend to Reagan, William F. Buckley, openly advocated for forcibly tattooing the HIV status of HIV+ gay men on their buttocks (and IV drug users on their forearms), and in which my father not only told me that when I was 14 or so, but when was told me that he'd advocated for that tattoo being "over their assholes."

(Buckley wrote that in '86, but he doubled down on it in 2005.

Fucker.)

But yeah. I didn't want to be here again. I wanted my daughter to inherit a better world. I wanted Obergefell and Lawrence v. Texas and Hope & Change to really mean something. I work for it, today and all days. I haven't given up.

I need you to know that, too. This isn't a white flag. I'm not surrendering. This isn't over. To misquote Henry Rollins, this is what Marsha and Sylvia and Stormé and Leslie and Brenda and Auntie Sugar trained us for. This is punk rock time.

But I need you to understand that if Pete Buttigieg is just a fag, if that human embodiment of a Wonder Bread, mayo and Oscar Meyer bologna sandwich is not respectable enough for them -- and he's not -- then the rest of us have absolutely no hope of measuring up. Not even if we trim away every colorful, beautiful piece of our community, not even if the Sisters Of Perpetual Indulgence vanish into the ether, not even if we sacrifice the five elements of vogue on the altar of white supremacist cishet middle-class conformity: we can't trim ourselves down to something they'll accept.

The only other option is radical acceptance of our queer selves. The only other option is solidarity. The only other option is for fats and femme queens and drags and kinksters and queers and zine writers and sex workers and furries and addicts and kids and the ones who can look us in the eye and see all of us to say we're here, we're queer, get used to it just the way we did 30 years ago. It's revolutionary, complete and total acceptance of our entire community, not just the ones the cishets can pretend to be comfortable with as long as we don't challenge them too much, or it's conceding the shoreline inch by inch to the rising waters of fascism until we've got nowhere left to stand and some of us start drowning.

That's it. Either it's all of us or it's none of us, because if we leave the answer up to the Reagans of the world and all the people who enabled him in the name of lower taxes and Democrats who wring their hands, weeping oh I don't agree with it but we'll lose the election if we fight it right now, the answer is none of us.

The brunch gays can come, too, I guess.

#long post #uncensored slurs #slurs #homophobic slurs #ronald reagan's grave is a gender neutral toilet #lgbtq #queer #trans #transgender #fag #dyke #lgbt

[sizzlingsandwichperfection-blog]

A Big TB Announcement

Greetings from Washington D.C., where I spent the morning meeting with senators before joining a panel that included TB survivor Shaka Brown, Dr. Phil LoBue of the CDC, and Dr. Atul Gawande of USAID. Dr. Gawande announced a major new project to bring truly comprehensive tuberculosis care to regions in Ethiopia and the Philippines. Over the next four years, this project can bring over $80,000,000 in new money to fight TB in these two high-burden countries.

Our family is committing an additional $1,000,000 a year to help fund the project in the Philippines, which has the fourth highest burden of tuberculosis globally.

Here’s how it breaks down: The Department of Health in the Philippines has made TB reduction a major priority and has provided $11,000,0000 per year in matching funds to go alongside $10,000,000 contributed by USAID and an additional $1,000,000 donated by us. This $22,000,000 per year will fund everything from X-Ray machines, medications, and GeneXpert tests to training and employing a huge surge of community health workers, nurses, and doctors who are calling themselves TB Warriors. In an area that includes nearly 3,000,000 people, these TB Warriors will screen for TB, identify cases, provide curative treatment, and offer preventative therapy to close contacts of the ill. We know this Search-Treat-Prevent model is the key to ending tuberculosis, but we hope this project will be both a beacon and a blueprint to show that It’s possible to radically reduce the burden of TB in communities quickly and permanently. It will also, we believe, save many, many lives.

—

I believe we can’t end TB without these kinds of public/private partnerships. After all, that’s how we ended smallpox and radically reduced the global burden of polio. It’s also how we’ve driven down death from malaria and HIV. For too long, TB hasn’t had the kind of government or private support needed to accelerate the fight against the disease, but I really hope that’s starting to change. I’m grateful to USAID for spearheading this project, and also to the Philippine Ministry of Health for showing such commitment and prioritizing TB.

—

One reason this project is even possible: Both the cost of diagnosis (through GeneXpert tests) and the cost of treatment with bedaquiline are far lower than they were a year ago, and that is due to public pressure campaigns, many of which were organized by nerdfighteria. I’m not asking you for money (yet); Hank and I will be funding this in partnership with a few people in nerdfighteria who are making major gifts. But I am asking you to continue pressuring the corporations that profit from the world’s poorest people to lower their prices. I’ve seen some of the budgets, and it’s absolutely jaw-dropping how many more tests and pills are available because of what you’ve done as a community.

—

I don’t yet have the details on which region of the Philippines we’ll be working in, but it will be an area that includes millions of people–perhaps as many as 3 million. And it will include urban, suburban, and rural areas to see the different responses needed to provide comprehensive care in different communities. This will not (to start!) be a nationwide campaign, because even though $80,000,000 is a lot of money, it’s not enough to fund comprehensive care in a nation as large as the Philippines. But we hope that it will serve as a model–to the nation, to the region, and to the world–of what’s possible. 

—

I’m really excited (and grateful) that our community gets to have a front-row seat to see the challenges and hopefully the successes of implementing comprehensive care. Just in the planning, this project has involved so many contributors–NGOs in the Philippines, global organizations like the Partners in Health community, USAID, the national Ministry of Health in the Philippines, and regional health authorities as well. There are a lot of partners here, but they’ve been working together extremely well over the last few months to plan for this project, which will start more or less immediately thanks to their incredibly hard work.

#tuberculosis

[queerism1969]

What are some things about gay sex everyone should know?

Not everyone has defined top or bottom roles.

Condoms are just as important for gay couples as they are for straight ones

When you first start bottoming, it feels like you have to take a massive dump.

Depending on the top, bottoming can make you very, very gassy.

Sometimes if you were at the bottom while barebacking (sex without a condom) you shart some lube and semen.

Sometimes after sex, if the top uses too much lube (very rarely an issue) you end up pooping blobs of lube after sex.

It's ok to tell your partner it's your first time.

Breeding is more psychological than physical

A penis tastes about the same as a finger, in terms of texture and stuff.

Always try to poop beforehand if you know you're going to have sex soon

For the love of god, mind your teeth when you're sucking him off.

Lightly play with the opening of the penis with your tongue

Pee after sex.

If something hurts, STOP. Don't power through it. Pain is your body's way of saying something is injuring you. Pain = Stop, slow down, readjust.

If you want to be a pro-ass eater, don't just lick his hole, make out with it.

Don't just go in and start choking them

If you want to be a good top, you're going to have to bottom a few times

Use more lube than you think is necessary

Getting STD tests is always a good idea whenever you get a new partner

Consent is key and can be revoked at any point in time.

Gay sex doesn’t create HIV out of thin air.

#lgbtq community #lgbtqia #lgbt pride #nonbinary #lgbtq #queer #gay mlm #mlm yearning #mlm thoughts #achillean #mlm nsft #nblm #mlm #gay yearning #mlm pride #gay model #gay pride #gay #gay men #gayhot #gayboy #gay man #gay guy #gay couple #gay love #gaytwink #gay jock #gay muscular #lgbt nsft #lgbtqplus

[letmemarry]

Matrimony for HIV-Positive Grooms and Brides in India

In a country where societal norms often shape the contours of relationships, the narrative around HIV marriages is undergoing a transformation. Across the vibrant landscapes of Mumbai, Delhi, Bangalore, and Kolkata, couples are not merely bound by love but are pioneers in rewriting the script of matrimony. In collaboration with letmemarry.com, these cities are witnessing a resurgence of hope, resilience, and the celebration of love that transcends the limitations imposed by HIV.

Mumbai: A Tapestry of Love and Resilience In the bustling city of dreams, Mumbai, HIV couples are weaving a tapestry of love and resilience. Letmemarry bureau, as a catalyst, plays a pivotal role in connecting souls. The city's cosmopolitan spirit embraces diversity, fostering an environment where couples facing the challenges of HIV can build a life together. From strolls along Marine Drive to the vibrant street food culture, Mumbai offers a canvas where love knows no boundaries.

Delhi: Embracing Love Amidst Traditions Delhi, the heart of the nation, is witnessing a harmonious blend of tradition and progressive values in HIV marriages. Letmemarry Bureau in Delhi is not just a platform; it's a bridge that connects hearts beyond the stigma of HIV. The city's rich history becomes a backdrop for couples as they navigate life together, overcoming societal norms and building a future steeped in understanding and mutual support.

Bangalore: Tech Hub and Hub of Love In the Silicon Valley of India, Bangalore, where innovation thrives, letmemarry.com is carving a niche for fostering meaningful connections among HIV couples. Beyond the tech corridors, couples explore the city's parks, cultural events, and eclectic cafes, forging bonds that withstand the challenges of societal misconceptions. Bangalore's progressive mindset provides a supportive ecosystem for couples in HIV marriages.

Kolkata: Artistic Expression of Love Kolkata, with its artistic soul, provides a unique backdrop for HIV couples to express their love. Letmemarry bureau in Kolkata actively engages with the artistic community, breaking down stereotypes. From the iconic Howrah Bridge to the serene boat rides on the Hooghly River, the city offers a poetic setting for couples to script their love story, free from the shackles of societal judgment.

Life Together: Triumphs and Challenges

Navigating life as an HIV couple in these cities comes with both triumphs and challenges. While the supportive ecosystem created by letmemarry.com fosters understanding and love, societal stigma remains a hurdle. The couples' resilience, mutual support, and the platform's commitment to inclusivity contribute to the triumphs over adversity.

Celebrating Everyday Moments

In the midst of societal challenges, HIV couples in these cities find joy in everyday moments. From sharing a cup of chai in Mumbai's local trains to exploring Delhi's historical landmarks hand in hand, from tech-inspired dates in Bangalore to artistic expressions of love in Kolkata's cultural festivals, every moment becomes a celebration of their unique journey together.

Summary:

Redefining Love, One City at a Time

In conclusion, the top four cities in India – Mumbai, Delhi, Bangalore, and Kolkata – are not just witnessing HIV marriages; they are witnessing a redefinition of love itself. With letmemarry.com as a guiding force, couples in these cities are navigating life together, breaking down societal barriers, and rewriting the narrative of matrimony in a way that celebrates love in its purest form.

#hiv positive marriages #hiv positive groom near me #hiv positive bride near me #HIV Marriages #HIV Positive Marriages #HIV Partner #HIV Marriages near me #HIV Marriage Bureau Near me #HIV Marriage consultancy in Hyderabad #HIV Positive #HIV girl for marriage #HIV marriages in India #HIV positive matrimony #HIV Positive matrimonial #Hiv Positive life partner #HIV positive brides #Hiv positive Girls #HIV Positive Grooms #HIV positive marriage #matrimonial site for HIV positive #marriage bureau for HIV positive #HIV positive woman marriage #Hiv positive matchmaking #HIVpositivemarriage #HIV marriage bureau Bangalore #HIV marriage #HIV matrimony #Hiv positive Matrimonial India #HIV positive marriage bureau #Marriage of HIV Positive

[highly-important]

Little Art things I'm obsessed with pt 1

Portraits of absent figures:

David Hockney - A Bigger Splash, 1967

Hockney originally visited California in 1963 and was won over by the sunlight and laid-back lifestyle, especially the luxury and ubiquity of the swimming pool. He described it as his "promised land" The splash is about freezing a moment in time, but it is also empty of human presence but implying a human. The male figure is present in some of David's other works from this time period, especially his muse and then-partner Peter Schlesinger. These paintings are about a hedonistic gay lifestyle, and the swimmers, the divers, are often the subject of voyeurism and desire. But in this painting, we just missed the diver, which makes the object of desire more private and personal. Who was the painter looking at, lusting after, etc. I like the contrast of the incredibly sharp and graphic suburban neighborhood, and the chaotic, organic splash. So again, if the divers represent this homosexual desire, we have this contrast of an orderly heterosexual world, and the queerness that joyfully disrupts it.

And then of course, with the absent figure, there is this massive sense of loss and loneliness. And so much of loneliness is about concealment, hiding in shame. This is a private space, but its also an exposed space, enhancing the loneliness. The figure is isolated, alone, invisible. Its a sadness that contrasts with the setting, the activity, and saturated lighting.

Felix Gonzalez-Torres - Untitled (billboard of an empty bed), 1991

These billboards were exhibited in the streets of Manhattan during the AIDS crisis. This piece was created the same year Felix Gonzalez-Torres's boyfriend Ross died. This portrait is a celebration of love and a memorization of loss and the emotions between intimacy and publicity. In the artist's own words:

“What I’m trying to say is that we cannot give the powers that be what they want, what they are expecting from us. Some homophobic senator is going to have a very hard time trying to explain to his constituency that my work is homoerotic or pornographic, but if I were to do a performance with HIV blood — that’s what he wants, that’s what the rags expect because they can sensationalize that, and that’s what’s disappointing. Some of the work I make is more effective because it’s more dangerous. We both make work that looks like something else but it’s not that. We’re infiltrating that look.“

The work intentionally uses the matching, identical depressions to imply a same-sex couple. The image itself is extremely intimate, but its being displayed in public spaces.

Felix Gonzales-Torres became known for his absent bodies.

And then, a little different, this painting by Jacques Guillaume Lucien Amans (1837) commissioned by Frederick and and Coralie Frey, depicts the three Frey children, with the faint shadow of a figure. There was a legend that there was a fourth figure in this painting. In 2005 a private collector, Jeremy K Simien, purchased the painting and it underwent conservation.

The painting revealed Bélizaire, a fifteen year-old enslaved domestic owned by the children's father. The picture captures the complex relationship between the boy and the children, the family that was keeping him captive. For one thing, the way he is set back from the others. There is this sort of intimacy between them along side the psychological trauma of forced bondage.

Here is a great Tiktok about the painting, to quote "What I'm struck by is what a sensitive portrait this is of this young man who was living in an inhumane society where he, despite being a human being, was bought and sold."

A few years after this painting was created, the three Frey children died, and Bélizaire was the only one who survived into adulthood.

The painting stayed in the Frey family. At some point, likely in the late 19th or 20th century, Bélizaire was intentionally painted over. In 1972, the great-granddaughter of Coralie Frey donated the painting to a Louisiana museum, informing them that a figure was painted over. During the course of the painting's life at the museum, no effort was put into restoring the figure.

Jeremy Simien's, who bought and restored this painting, said on his instagram "Bélizaire, they know your name now. Tell the ancestors to let me sleep for a minute."

And shout out to the picture that make me want to write this, Hyde Park Flowers, London by Tumblr user @kimironside I won't re-post it so check out the link.

#art #art history #felix gonzalez torres #belizaire #david hockney #Jacques Guillaume Lucien Amans #Jacques Amans #Jeremy K Simien #tw slavery #tw aids

[drdemonprince]

Is "safe sex" even real? Never done it so idk but you mentioned risk profiles once. I feel like demographically I've got a higher risk profile and the anxiety about that really prevents me from going and trying anything. Do you think that's overly anxious in a negative way?

"safe sex" is a really misleading and binary term. There is never any guarantee of safety in anything we do. Every choice we make comes with risks. Hell, choosing not to connect with other people sexually (if you have any desire to) does ITSELF come with its own risks and costs over time.

The chase after perfect, guranteed safety will only lead to us feeling powerless and afraid, because it is an impossibility. All that we can do is inform ourselves of the risks, mitigate the risks we are the most concerned about and that affect others, and then knowingly accept what risks we still face as the cost of leading a full, enjoyable life.

When we inform ourselves about risk mitigation, we learn there are certain steps that we should probably take to protect ourselves and others if we are engaging in behavior that carries risk. If you're having sex with a complete stranger, it's probably smart to use a condom. If you have sex regularly you might want an HPV vaccine or to be on PreP to prevent HIV transmission. When you meet up with people you should get tested for COVID. You should get vaccinated against COVID. If you want to get suspended in rope from the ceiling don't use a hardware store $3 carabeener, get the good shit from the rock-climbing supply store. Things like that.

But even if you use a condom, you might get herpes or HPV or crabs or a yeast infection. Even if you never have sex, you might already have herpes or HPV or crabs or a yeast infection. I've had several of those things, including some of the "scarier" sounding ones, and they're really not that big a deal. They're just a thing that happens in life. Most people have them. You pop a Valtrex when you have symptoms, you shove a suppostiory up your vulva when it itches, you sleep without underwear on, you communicate with partners, you move on with your life.

Sure, I do what I can to avoid the risks I am most concerned about. I take PreP right now because not getting HIV would be preferable to me. But I could still live if I got it. I am informed about the realities of living with HIV today, which makes that fear more manageable. It is easier for me to make carefully considered and yet realistic decisions surrounding my risk profile because I can confront the realities that scare me and learn more about them.

The body is not separable form its environment. We are connected to our surroundings and the people around us, and our bodies get sick, catch viruses, grow old, get messy, and die inevitably and return to the earth. With our one life, we each have to choose what is most important to us and what potential costs we can stand. But with each year that passes, a cost to our bodies is already incurred, and there's nothing we can do to prevent aging and death from coming our way.

So what would you like to do while you are around? Would you like to have sex with condoms? Go on PreP? Get the HPV vaccine? Take random loads in a glory hole? Make out and dry hump with a cutie at a party and catch her cold sore? Cross the street in the dark after looking both ways? Go out dancing so late that your sleep is disrupted for the whole week? Get your heart broken? Have a great all-consuming love? Have children? Endure a torn labia while giving birth? Try psychedelics? Go on a swinger's cruise? Get a UTI from spermicide? Roleplay online instead of meeting in person? Fuck people with a strap-on?

The choice is yours. And no choice you make will be perfect or come without risk. No life is safe. Accepting loss is one of the necessary tasks of leading a life. But you can educate yourself, reflect on what you most want out of life and what you fear, and then take steps to demystefy your worst fears and mitigate the risks that loom largest to you and the people you care about.

Whatever you decide, I hope you have some fun.

[shellsinadune]

thinking about how in falsettos, hiv/aids is portrayed the way real illness often is: a sudden, devastating interruption to someone's life. march of the falsettos never brings up hiv/aids, and it's not until halfway through falsettoland that we get any indication that something's wrong. no foreshadowing, just immediate and unexpected pain.

we know these characters, there's time to love them for who they are before this happens to them. whizzer isn't just The AIDS Patient, marvin isn't just The Partner or The One Who's Next, charlotte isn't just The Doctor. they're people, and they had whole lives before any of this, and we as the audience get to see that. we see their friendship and their petty fights and their eventual love story and their redemption from their flaws.

they all have a trajectory their lives are on. and then disease comes along and crushes it and any hope for things to return to how it was. it's painfully realistic. by not talking about hiv/aids until it hits, it tells a more complete story of the aids crisis than a story that starts after the character's illness does.

#idk man its just so beautiful and devastating #i know a lot of this is to do with motf coming out pre-hiv/aids but it serves as a time capsule in a way #motf is untouched by what's to come so theres no overtone of fear #falsettos #good post op

[renthony]

From the article:

A new study has confirmed what most sexually active gay men will already know: Less of us are using condoms when we have sex compared to ten years ago. The study, published in AIDS and Behavior, was conducted by researchers at the University of Washington. It drew its data from the American Men’s Internet Survey (2014-2019). It looked specifically at men who have condomless anal sex with men who are not on PrEP. The number of men in the study having condomless sex rose by 2.2% each year. However, the rise was greater in younger men (rising 7.2% per year for those aged 15-24 years) and Hispanic men (rising 18%). Overall, condom use remained more popular than PrEP. This might be partly due to barriers to obtaining PrEP, among other factors. Around 15% of the men were taking PrEP. The vast majority of men questioned believed condoms to be “very effective” (60%) or “somewhat effective” (36%) at preventing HIV transmission. However, 24% said they “never” used condoms, compared to 50% who said they “always” or “sometimes” used them. The remainder said they rarely used them. Clearly, there is a large number of guys having condomless sex who are not on PrEP. If their partner is HIV positive and undetectable, they cannot pass on the virus. However, not everyone knows their HIV status or is on treatment. Besides HIV, condoms can also help prevent the transmission of other STIs. The rise in gonorrhea and syphilis diagnoses in the US in recent years is in part related to declining condom use.

#this focuses on cis men but EVERYONE needs to make sure they practice safe sex #get tested and know your status #use STI prevention methods wherever you can #news #queer news #health news

[vaspider]

My question about the AIDS crisis, I'm mostly asking you because like I said, I don't think I was googling the right things, so even if you could just suggest some things to google that would be more likely to get me answers, that would be really helpful.

I guess it's mostly how did AIDS (and to some extent, any STD) become so widespread? I know that it spread through sexual contact and shared blood, but can you really "six degrees of separation" (god, that sounds so flippant, but i genuinely can't think how else to describe it) a chain of sexual partners and shared needles through any two people with HIV in the entire world? Maybe it's just because I'm a bit of a hermit, but while I can understand how it was so devastating once it was already widespread, I guess I'm having trouble understanding how it got such a foothold in the first place. If the first person with HIV had happened to not have a lot of sex would the AIDS crisis never have happened?

I swear I have absolutely no judgement for people that like to have a lot of sex, maybe I just have an underestimate of the amount of sex the average person has because frankly I don't have any? So I hope this doesn't sound disrespectful or anything, it's just kind of hard for me to believe those "six degrees of separation" kind of things in general when it's not like, famous people, so the realization that theoretically any two people with the same STD, on different parts of the globe, would have this string of sexual partners connecting them almost feels like there has to be something I'm missing... But when I'm googling things like "how did HIV become so widespread" and "how do STDs spread" I'm just getting things about how you should use protection and histories of *where* HIV spread rather than answering this more specific question (probably didn't help I was trying to do this research at 1am)

I mean this as kindly as possible:

What is your proposed alternate theory as to the spread of a disease which is transmitted through contact with blood, semen (and pre-seminal fluid), rectal and vaginal fluids, and breast milk? The disease does not spread through saliva or through touch which does not involve those fluids.

There are relatively rare cases of HIV spread through accidental needle sticks - according to WebMD, there are approximately 385k accidental needle sticks among health care workers per year in the US. WHO says that .7% of the global population has HIV, so for some back-of-the-napkin math, at most, you'll have about 2,700 of those needle sticks involving someone with HIV. Since (again, according to that WebMD article on accidental needle sticks), in cases of an accidental needle stick where the patient has HIV, the health care worker only has about a 1 in 300 chance of catching it (as opposed to 1 in 3 for an unvaccinated person catching hepatitis B via accidental needle stick from an infected patient). So - nationwide - you have approximately 9 people per year catching HIV from a needle stick.

And, to be clear, that fucking sucks. However, according to the Bureau of Labor Statistics, in 2022 there were approximately 14.7 million health care workers in the US. Not all of these people have equal risk for accidental needle sticks, but there's only so much research I'm gonna do for rough math to answer an ask on Tumblr.

The average US health care worker has approximately - again, based on my back-of-the-napkin math - 0.00000544% chance of contracting HIV from an accidental needle stick. It's astronomically more likely that a random health care worker will die from tripping over an extension cord or breathing in a caustic chemical than that they will catch HIV.

The chances of getting HIV via blood transfusion before we started routinely testing for it were all but assured if you got blood from someone with HIV. Testing now is so stringent that you have about a one in two million chance of getting HIV from a transfusion. The last recorded case I could find was in 2010, and before that, it was 2002, and the 2010 case happened in part because the donor lied about his risk profile and often participated in anonymous and unprotected sex with partners of multiple genders. He really shouldn't have been accepted as a donor at all. Approximately 4.5 million Americans receive blood transfusions per year, so, like, nowadays, it is excessively unlikely, but even in the 80s, it was an edge case means of infection, not a main source of pandemic spread.

A breastfeeding parent with a detectable viral load has about a 15% chance of transmitting HIV through breast milk. Likewise, HIV can be - and was - transmitted to babies during birth because of contact with vaginal fluid or blood, but, again, these relative edge cases are not the things pandemics are made of.

I want to stress that I am not in any way minimizing the absolute tragedy of the AIDS crisis, and I am not dismissing the fact that these methods of transmission are possible and did cause significant disruption to blood banks, stress for pregnant people with HIV, and so on. They just simply are not major methods of transmission, and never were.

With all of that said... what is your proposed alternate method of transmission, with these facts in hand? What do you think happened? Genuinely, this question is so baffling to me.

I think it's important to understand that before the emergence of HIV, most of the STIs we had were at that point either considered an annoyance (warts, HPV) or were extremely easy to treat and cure (syphilis, once a death sentence, became basically a non-issue for most people in the US as long as they were getting tested relatively frequently, and most other common STIs even today can be cured with a single course or even a single dose of antibiotics).

With that in mind, a lot of people, including a lot of queer people, were having a lot of unprotected sex. For people who could become pregnant, the advent of the pill and access to legal abortion meant that they didn't have to become or stay pregnant if they didn't want to, and for cis gay men, the prevalence of antibiotics meant that the vast majority of STIs were a brief inconvenience at worst.

So allo people did one of the things that allo people (and some ace people!) love to do:

They fucked. A lot. They fucked without fear of much consequence in terms of infection, and because it was much riskier to bring someone home where you could be seen, a lot of gay men cruised, fucking in parks or in literal back alleys or the bathrooms of clubs. They worried about getting arrested or getting caught and having their names in the newspaper much more than they worried about STIs. Sex workers, including trans sex workers, fucked in cars or hotels or... wherever the money was, because survival sec work is ... survival.

So... yeah. What is your proposed alternate theory, here? I am truly baffled at what you think otherwise happened, given a disease with a very narrow route of infection.

#hiv #aids

[sizzlingsandwichperfection-blog]

Me and my friends have a monthly game night, where we play a game or competition, and the loser has to make a donation to a charity of the winners choosing. Next month is gonna be racing Go-Karts, and I've got this in the bag. Are there any TB related charities you would recommend I send my friends to?

YES. The folks leading the charge at expanding treatment access are:

The Stop TB Partnership

MSF

Partners in Health

The Treatment Action Group (which was founded by ACT UP but has now expanded to seek better treatment for people living with TB as well as HIV).

#tuberculosis #is the world's deadliest infectious disease #even though it's curable #which is a proper indictment of not just our healthcare delivery systems #but also our information delivery systems #since TB has long been a neglected illness #tb has killed around 150 million people since it became curable in 1958

[nightpool]

hey all, the CDC identified a cluster of mpox cases in Chicago and UK authorities identified one in London. If you have >5 casual sex partners per year or have close (regularly sharing clothes or bedding) contact with someone who does, please take precautions. Vaccines are still available, launder bedding more frequently, check for rashes regularly on those you're close to, etc.

mpox has a very very low case fatality rate in western countries (0.16%). the vast majority of deaths are among already severely immunocompromised people (primarily uncontrolled HIV)—if you fall into that category, please be aware of the risks.

Most county health departments have some vaccine doses available. The CDC estimates that 1.2 million people are in the eligible population for mpox (casually sexually active or sex partners of those who are). You can review the criteria and search for a vaccine here. You can also review the CDC's mpox safety guide here which all seems pretty straightforward and common sense to me (the most urgent of which is "please for the love of god don't touch other people's rashes" and the funniest of which is "consider having sex with clothes on or masturbating at a distance")

#making this post because i don't want to see any scare mongering bullshit on my dash again this year #and if you do scare mongering bullshit on this post i will block you. you've been warned