Ita€™s probably one of the most prolific acronyms on gay dating apps. a€?DDF,a€? occasionally accompanied by a€?u b 2.a€? they stands for a€?drug and condition freea€? and ita€™s both usual and odious. If followed closely by a€?you be also,a€? it is quite overtly stigmatizing towards HIV-positive guys. However, actually by yourself, ita€™s very tricky so leta€™s split [a€¦]
Fitness Sexual Wellness Kevin Moroso
This particular article was released on November 18th, 2015
Ita€™s one of the most prolific acronyms on homosexual matchmaking applications. a€?DDF,a€? often with a€?u b 2.a€? It represents a€?drug and condition freea€? and ita€™s both typical and odious. If accompanied by a€?you become as well,a€? it is extremely overtly stigmatizing towards HIV-positive dudes. However, actually by yourself, ita€™s most challenging so leta€™s digest exactly why this is certainly.
First of all, ita€™s vague. Exactly what illnesses could be the individual speaing frankly about? Really does the guy simply imply HIV? Do the guy indicate all STIs? Or perhaps is he also speaing frankly about non-communicable conditions?
Now presuming they relates to STIs, ita€™s a relatively ineffective bit of facts. For many of this slight attacks, like gonorrhea, they might be therefore conveniently sent that no one can actually make sure they dona€™t have one. When got the final examination for the people attacks? Exactly how many partners do you need just before that make sure what number of maybe you’ve had since? Are you DDF on Monday but not on Tuesday when you see the discharge coming out of your penis?
Because these minor infection are typically sent through both dental and anal intercourse and some, like syphilis, can still be conveniently sent when working with condoms, all of your current current intercourse counts. For some from the additional infection, such as HPV or herpes, community wellness regulators cannot recommend screening of these. Thus ita€™s not likely this guy understands whether he’s got herpes or HPV. To phrase it differently, hardly any guys is specific theya€™re without an STI any kind of time time.
If guy is mainly focused on HIV, what truly matters are transmissibility, not whether you’re HIV-positive or not. Dudes whom know they might be HIV-positive and are usually on treatment are not the guys that are sending HIV. In reality, the inventors who consider they’re HIV-negative but have lately seroconverted account fully for the vast majority of transmissions. Therefore, the irony are ita€™s the people which state theya€™re a€?DDFa€? being dispersing HIV, maybe not the inventors whom discover they have this a€?disease.a€? Thus unless the man making use of DDF profile was and thus hea€™s unsafe for your health, ita€™s perhaps not a smart method of sexual wellness. Indeed, they reveals the guya€™s lack of knowledge when it comes to sexual health and exactly how dangerous he might. Even more difficult is the fact that DDF perpetuates the idea that HIV-positive guys whom understand 
their unique position include transmitting HIV a€“ this is exactly a notion definitely untrue, stigmatizing, as opposed to research, and it is helping spreading the epidemic.
Another problem is the fact that this acronym throws together drug usage in what is a persistent health. People believe medicine dependency try poor which phrase can make a connection between HIV-positive men and drug habits. They combines understanding a behavioral problems with a health problem. It makes a breeding ground in the homosexual relationship industry not having HIV is great together with norm.
Leading to the way it reinforces HIV stigma. They centers on their own virus, not them in general people, helping to draw them down as undesirable. It has a deeply adverse effect on the mental health of poz dudes, especially all those who have recently been recognized or are younger. These guys are often in a fragile emotional county, feel that a disease has taken over their bodies and their life, and this also hammers place the idea that they’re maybe not pleasant during the routine homosexual matchmaking industry anymore. These negative mental burdens can frequently carry on for a life time. The acronym helps to strengthen the divisions inside our people between poz and neg, a department whose times it.
So fall they men. Say youa€™re maybe not into undertaking pills with gender. Give their last evaluation date and that testa€™s information. But end making use of the acronym DDF: they reveals your ignorance around intimate health and acts as a strike on some of the most prone members of all of our people.