Double-Bagging
Dear Dr. Dick,
My absolutely amazing and gorgeous partner of three months is poz, and I' m not. We use condoms for anal sex, but I still kind of worry about getting HIV. Dr. Dick, I want to be with this man, and this man only! So, I'm wondering, is double bagging a way to make sex even safer than just using one condom?
Double Mint
Dear Double Mint,
Double-bagging seems like it would work to keep fluids in check---much like the double bag you might receive with a saucy order of take-out. However, double-bagging during sex just isn't necessary and can actually make the ride less safe. Here's why:
Wearing two condoms on your dick, or wearing one condom while your partner uses an Insertive "Female" Condom, will cause a lot of friction that can cause the condoms to break. The friction will also cause the lube on both condoms to dry up more quickly, even if you keep adding more. This can lead to condom breakage, which can expose you to infection.
When you use a condom EVERY TIME you have sex, and use it CORRECTLY, you can greatly reduce your chances of HIV, STIs, and pregnancy (for those who have female-bodied partners of course). Condoms fail most of the time due to human error. Check out my Condom Basics for safety tips.
It sounds like staying negative is important to you and your health. If you want to lower your chance of getting infected with HIV, here are some things you can do in addition to using your favorite rubbers:
• Test every 2-3 months for HIV and STIs like chlamydia, gonorrhea, syphilis, and herpes. If you test positive for an STI, connect with a medical provider right away for treatment.
• Talk with your partner often about your plan to keep each other safe.
• Use water-based lube with condoms to prevent tearing your delicate flower.
• Use condoms for anal, vaginal, and oral sex, and use a dam for rimming.
• Talk to your partner about his taking HIV medications. U.S. National HIV treatment guidelines now recommend that everyone with HIV take antiretroviral therapy (medicines that fight HIV). Those medications will help your partner stay healthy. They can also help protect you from getting HIV from him. Large studies have proven that HIV medications are over 90% effective in preventing heterosexual HIV transmission. We don't know exactly how effective HIV meds are in protecting men who have sex with men, and they might be less effective in preventing HIV transmission through anal sex compared to vaginal sex. Still, the meds probably help a lot and it would be best if your partner was on meds and had an undetectable viral load (a blood test showing he has no HIV in his blood).
• Think about getting on PrEP (Pre-Exposure Prophylaxis). Guys who are HIV-negative and at high risk for getting HIV can take PrEP. How does it work? You take a pill once a day, every day, to lower your risk of getting HIV. The pill contains HIV medicines that prevent HIV from making copies of itself when it gets in the body. TALK TO YOUR DOCTOR if you are interested in PrEP, and read more about it in my article That Little Pill.
• PEP (Post-Exposure Prophylaxis) can also lower your risk of getting HIV. PEP is the use of an HIV drug after a possible exposure to HIV. If you feel you might have been exposed to HIV (like if a condom breaks or you get a needle stick) go to the emergency room at Harborview within 24 hours of the exposure. PEP works best when started immediately, and will not be prescribed after 72 hours.
• If you're using crystal, and worried about remembering to use a condom, try an insertive condom. You can put one in up to 8 hours before sex!
• If you and your partner use together, keep your points and injection equipment separate. Don't share or reuse.
Remember: go with the single bag. Have fun, and be safe!
-Dr. Dick