When I addressed the legal consequences of failing to inform a sexual partner of a known health hazard, such as HIV or another STD, I didn't adequately address the practical aspects of failing to inform a sexual partner which deal with our moral and ethical obligations to one another.
I don't believe the vast majority of men cruising for sex anonymously intend to recklessly endanger the lives of other persons by consciously failing to inform their sex partner(s) of their HIV positive status or some other sexually transmitted disease such as Syphillis, Herpes, etc., if diagnosed and being treated. The assumption here is that once diagnosed and while undergoing some treatment program or regimen, an individual would not engage in unprotected sex with other people where transmission of the disease is likely to occur. However, the practical aspect of this is very troubling and problematic.
Anonymous "hookups" are exactly that -- neither sex partner knows each other, and they certainly don't know each other's health history. This is why anonymous 'hookups" are always At Your Own Risk (AYOR). So, if you have anonymous men engaging in unprotected sex, there is a risk of disease transmission which is multiplied by the number of sex partners an individual may engage in unprotected sex. What is particularly problematic here, from a practical point of view, is that a significant number of men engage in unprotected sex and have never been tested for HIV or any other STD unless symptoms appear and the individual's health fails or is otherwise compromised in some significant way. Another aspect that is equally troubling and problematic is men engage in sex more frquently than they get tested for HIV -- if they do at all.
Getting tested for HIV and receiving a negative result from that test provides a false sense of security if a person's sexual lifestyle is anything but secure and protected. We know, for example, that some males are using Crystal Meth as a Party and Play (PnP) 'recreational drug' to enhance their sexual experience. While using Crystal Meth, an individual may experience episodes of lost memory where their inhibitions are remarkably lowered and may engage in unprotected sex with multiple sex partners.
While I don't believe a vast majority of men intend to recklessly endanger the lives of others, the practical aspects of their sexual histories and lifestyle suggest many might be in denial about their health risks or minimize the degree of their risk by a false sense of security or the trust they have in an anonymous sex partner(s). Ultimately, this begs a question that each of us must answer with sobriety and honesty:
Why do Gay and Bisexual males place too much trust in people with anonymous sexual health histories when their lives and health are at stake?
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Those who deny freedom to others deserve it not for themselves. And, under a just God, cannot long retain it.
-- Abraham Lincoln
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