Sex Positive

The FDA released draft guidelines Tuesday that would change the rules preventing men who have sex with men from donating blood regardless of their sexual histories.

This week, a study finds men who hook up on apps like Grindr are more likely to have STIs than those who meet in person, there are an estimated 400,000 undiagnosed cases of chlamydia in the United States each year, two bears have frequent oral sex, and more.

A recent study from the University of Washington suggests that strides to prevent sexually transmitted diseases should start at an early age, before an individual is even sexually active. In short, the best way to educate a young adult is to think about the big picture, not just the sex part.

So, what exactly does that mean? You've really got to pull on your parenting pants, which sounds more like logic than science in our book. "Kids don't engage in risky behaviors in a vacuum. There are environmental opportunities that have to be created," said Marina Epstein, lead author of the study. With STDs being the most common type of infection in the U.S., prevention is key. A previous study concluded that young adults between 15 and 24 make up half of the new cases. Part of the problem is that many of them are not being educated until after they've already had risky sex.

Today’s AIDS landscape reveals that an unyielding devotion to condom usage isn’t enough to halt the spread of HIV. It takes a variety of safe-sex practices to shield gay men from infection, and Truvada should be a linchpin of that strategy. Given the seemingly unstoppable drop in condom usage among gay men, this is no time for ideological disputes or intergenerational conflict. Every gay man with multiple sex partners should take Truvada, and AIDS activists should do everything they can to get the drug in the hands of those who want it.

The Indian government has filed a petition in the Supreme Court in India, asking it to review its decision to reinstate a 153-year-old law that criminalises homosexuality.