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Serosorting
It's an odd sounding word, but more and more people are using it now
days… not just the word, but also the practice itself. It comes
from the word "serum" which has to do with fluids of the blood.
If you
have HIV then you are sero-positive, and if you don't then you are
sero-negative. You get the idea. A negative/positive couple would be
considered "sero-discordant" because they have a different
HIV status. So, as I'm sure you've figured out by now, sero-sorting
is the process of choosing your sexual/romantic partners based on whether
or not they have HIV.
Some people find this a bit discriminatory, but a lot of people do it anyway as a normal part of hooking up or dating people. Most of the time it is Positive guys who won't date Negative, and not necessarily the other way around. It has also been one effective way of curbing new HIV infections, for obvious reasons.
Now, just because a guy says he is negative doesn't mean he truly knows for sure. It takes a few months for HIV to show up on a test, which means if they've had unsafe sex recently a negative result doesn't mean a thing. So, we're not advocating having bareback sex with somebody who says he's negative as a way of avoiding HIV infection. But pairing off with someone of your same status, while still practicing safe sex, definitely reduces your chances of catching HIV, or something else.
Remember, there are still a lot of other critters out there that you can get. And Positive guys should remember that they are more susceptible to STDs and other infections, which they can still get from having unprotected sex with another Positive guy. Also, up to 25% of Positive guys have a Hepatitis C co-infection, which can complicate treatment and health. There is no cure or vaccine for Hep C, but using condoms can protect you against it.
Just because
you're sero-sorting doesn't mean condoms and lube
should fall out of the picture, but it can be another important tool
for maintaining your sexual health whether you’re Positive or
Negative. Remember guys: fuck smart, fuck safe!