Messages to Sexual Minorities and their Family - Violence in Intimate Relationships

With the developments of medical technology, there are remedies or treatments for almost all well-known STIs nowadays. AIDS was seen as incurable in the past, but now there are also treatments to maintain the patients’ health.  Taking medication regularly can reduce the quantity of virus in people living with HIV to an undetectable viral load. In this way, the virus will not be transmitted (U&U: Undetectable = Untransmittable), while the life expectancy of them is not different from other people.

Regardless of sexual orientation and gender identity, as long as there is a chance to be infected with sexually transmitted diseases (such as sex without using condoms or sharing needles), there will be a higher risk of sexually transmitted diseases. The virus has no eyes. You will not increase the risk of STD infection because you are gay or cross gender. What matters is what happened, not the identity of the party.

There are many ways and resources for STD screening in Hong Kong, such as the social health department of the government (free of charge), the STD screening services of non-governmental organizations (please refer to the friendly resources Pavilion), private clinics, etc. The price, confidentiality and support are also different. If you want to seek relevant counseling services, you can call the same front line to share your worries and worries.

Due to the lack of local sex education, most people often lack correct sexual health knowledge, which makes sexually transmitted diseases labeled with different negative labels. Many people even associate sexually transmitted diseases with sexual minorities and multiple sexual partners. In fact, sexual health is not only about STD, but also about the pursuit of sexual pleasure and good sexual relationship. I hope that with more understanding, we can have a more positive and respectful attitude, understand and face the various elements of sex, avoid violence, coercion and discrimination, and achieve real sexual health.