SEX. The very word evokes powerful feelings in all of us. Some go to enormous lengths just to satisfy our urge, this most basic craving. Of course, we THINK we know how to get our rocks off while playing it safe. But in this day and age, when we've been flooded up to our eyeballs with AIDS and STD agitprop, it's often hard to separate truth from fiction.

GAPIMNY invited two guest speakers for the March general meeting to address the issues regarding safe sex today. The workshop featured Dan Bacalzo from the Asian Pacific Islander Coalition on HIV/AIDS (APICHA) and Scott Ikeda from the Young Men's Survey New York (YMS-NY).

The guys opened up the workshop by facilitating an entertaining and interactive "Family Feud/ Jeopardy" type game in which two teams where formed to represent a "family." A member of each family went up to the podium (in this case, a chair represented the podium) and answered questions relating to safe sex. In this exercise, the contestants were basically tested to see how much they knew about safe sex and unsafe sex.

Safer sex can be fun. With a little humor and imagination, talking about it can be fun, too. If your partner says that "you can't feel anything through a condom." You can reply, "It sure feels better than sleeping alone. It'll feel great when I put it on you."

What about oral sex? According to Dan, the question is still out on oral sex. There is still not enough evidence that makes it a high risk activity. Bleeding gums or cuts in the mouth increases risk when performing oral sex. However, there is not enough evidence to consider it a high risk when receiving oral sex.

Use condoms. Condoms help reduces risk. Try using honey, chocolate syrup or whipped cream on condoms during oral sex.

Kissing. Saliva has never shown to transmit HIV. So kissing is safe, whether it's a peck on the cheek or "high impact aerobic French kissing."

Licking. Oral sex does not have to be limited to the southern region of the body. You can lick fingers, toes, earlobes, nipples and…..

Masturbation is relatively safe. You can masturbate yourself or your partner.

Is it safe to have unprotected monogamous sex with your partner? This is something that should be discussed between partners. Get tested together and then make your decision together.

Scott pointed out that there is a difference in viral loads between pre-cum and cum. He said that even though the concentration is higher in pre-cum, there is not enough evidence that this is considered a higher risk.

So, is it safer to swallow or to spit? The debate continues...

--CC/SG