Table Of ContentTHE GAY HEALTH AND LIFE MAG
ISSUE #190 JUNE / JULY 2022
summer
LUST
of
Are you prepared for a
hot fun summer?
PLUS: OUR FULL GUIDE ON TRANS SEXUAL HEALTH: PrEP, TESTING, PEP, STIs, SAFETY & MUCH MORE
READY FOR A
HOT SUMMER?
You could have an STI without knowing it.
Find out about symptoms
and how to protect yourself
StartsWithMe.org.uk
Photography by THOMAS KNIGHTS.and in Scotland (SC039986). Company reg.no. 1778149.Terrence Higgins Trust is a registered charity in England aProduced by for Terrence Higgins Trust
nd
W
a
les (reg
Y FOR A . no. 288527) .
SUMMER?
Find out about symptoms
and how to protect yourself
.org.uk
for men moving on from
problems with chems
REAL CHEMISTRY
londonfriend.org.uk
connection, wellbeing and chemsex recovery
londonfriend.org.uk/realchemistry
Welcome back, summer
Published by LGBT HERO
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Cover shot by Lightbydan It certainly feels like the first proper summer since the pandemic began. Everything is
Model: Eddy | @EdFTMxxx
open (at least in the UK), masks seem to be on their way out, the pandemic seems to be in
the rear view mirror (we hope). But before we go crazy and get some summer sun and sex,
The FS team for issue 189:
- Ian Howley we need to remember the basics.
- Liam Murphy
- Hadley Stewart
- Xand This issue is about having a safer, smarter and incredible sex life this summer holiday.
We reaquaint you with the prevention essentials that should be must-haves in your hold
luggage.
Appearance in FS is
not an indication of an
individual’s sexual This issue is also all about trans sexual health. We showcase the highlights of LGBT
orientation or HIV status.
HERO’s new trans sexual health hub, which is an essential resource for all trans people
The views of our writers looking for happier, healthier sex lives.
are not necessarily the
views of FS, of the
organisations mentioned,
LGBT HERO or of the Liam Murphy
editor.
Editor - FS
Volunteers contribute
to the planning, writing,
editing and production
of FS.
www.fsmag.org.uk | 07
Summer of lust
It’s the first full holiday season since
the pandemic... but have you packed the
sexual health essentials?
© Photo by Chris Jepson
COVER STORY
We’ve had just over two years of pandemic terror, tension, anxiety, lockdowns and
isolation. It now seems that there’s light at the end of the COVID tunnel. We can socialise
freely, masks are a distant memory (for the most part) and we can travel the world again.
Summer holidays are back and whether you plan to party in Mykonos, explore the dunes of
Gran Canaria or just stay home and sunbathe on Hampstead Heath, as the world opens up,
so does our sex lives.
Before we get back out there and start enjoying our vacation activties, let’s make sure we
pack the essentials and prepare for any encounter. And we don’t just mean sunscreen.
SEX AND THE BEACH
the whole time,” says Mark, 48 from the Midlands.
“You can be yourself without worrying about other
While not everyone travels just to get laid (sight seeing
people,” agrees John, 40 from Northern Ireland. “It is a
and experiencing new cultures is just as fulfilling),
having sex does seem to go hand in hand with a break from the bigotry of home.”
beach holiday, alongside drinking and tanning.
“It’s just a cheap laugh, isn’t it?” says Tom, 32 from
In a survey conducted by FS Magazine before the London. “Sun, sea, sex, and all the brightly coloured
cocktails a boy could want.”
pandemic, we asked our readers about their holiday
habits.
WHAT TO PACK
WE ASKED: Have you ever had sex on holiday?
• 87% said yes Passport? Check.
• 13% said no Sunscreen? Check.
Tiny shorts? Check.
Do you have more sex on holiday than at home? HIV and STI prevention methods? Let’s check
together.
• 45% said yes
• 47% said no If you are planning on having lots of vacation sex,
• there are some essentials you should bring with you,
8% said I don’t know depending on the type of sex you have and your HIV
On your last holiday, how many partners would you status.
estimate you had?
If you plan on having multiple partners (or even if you’re
• 34% said one not planning to) and especially if you are likely to drinks
• 31% said two to three lots and/or take drugs, it’s best to have a prevention
• armoury prepared.
14% said four to five
• 9% said more than eight
“I was free of STIs before I went on holiday but when I
• 9% said none
• tested on my return I had gonorrhoea,” says Richard,
5% said six to seven.
44 from London.
“It’s fun to let your hair down and not feel that
“I got chlamydia in throat from giving head,” says
someone is judging you,” says Daniel, from London.
James, 30 from London.
“It’s nice and relaxed, easy to hook up with guys,” says
“I used a condom but still picked up the infection,
Liam, 29 from north west England, “and I don’t feel like
probably from getting head,” says Chris, 27 from
I’m the only gay guy there.”
Ireland. “I got tested and treated at home after, and
“They are a fantastic way of getting your friends informed the guy by messaging him on Grindr.”
together and going to a place you can all be yourself
www.fsmag.org.uk | 09
© Photos by Shutterstock
PrEP
to HIV as they will stop HIV-infected bodily fluids (cum
or anal mucus of an HIV-positive person) from
coming into contact with the mucous membranes (in
What is PrEP?
the arse, the foreskin, urethra and head of the penis) of
the partner.
PrEP stands for Pre-Exposure Prophylaxis. It’s a pill
that HIV-negative people can take that can stop you How do you put on a condom correctly?
getting HIV.
Step 1:
How do you take PrEP? When your cock is hard, take the condom out
of the wrapper carefully using your fingers. Using your
teeth to tear the packet could damage the condom.
You can take PrEP in a couple of different ways, Squeeze the air out of the teat on the tip of the
depending on the type of sex you are having and how
condom (if there is one) and put it over the end of your
frequently.
cock. Don’t stretch it and then pull it over your cock as
this will make it more likely to break.
Taking PrEP regularly: one tablet a day, every day
Step 2: Roll it down the length of your cock – the
On demand/event-based PrEP: two tablets two to 24
further down it goes the less likely it is to slip off. Put
hours before sex, one tablet 24 hours after sex and a
some water-based or silicone-based lubricant over
further tablet 48 hours after sex.
your condom-covered cock. Put plenty of lube around
his arse too. Don’t put any lube on your cock before
Both methods have shown to be very effective in
you put the condom on, as this can make it slip off.
preventing HIV.
Step 3:
Where can you get PrEP? Check the condom occasionally while fucking
to ensure it hasn’t come off or split. If you fuck for
a long time you will need to keep adding more lube.
PrEP is now available for free from sexual health clinics
When you pull out, hold on to the condom and your
in England. You can find a list of clinics at
cock at the base, so that you don’t leave it behind. Pull
nhs.uk/service-search/find-a-sexual-health-clinic.
out before your cock goes soft.
In Scotland, PrEP is available through sexual health
Some newer condoms are used slightly differently;
clinics. Visit PrEP.Scot to find out how to get PrEP.
Pasante Unique condoms for example have special
tabs which you hold to help you slide the condom
In Wales, visit the Public Health Wales website at
down your cock. Clear instructions can be found on
friskywales.org to find your local sexual health clinic.
the packs.
Currently in Northern Ireland there is an initial What condoms should you use?
consultation and assessment for a two-year pilot trial,
based at a centralised service in Belfast. •
Standard strength condoms, used properly, are
just as reliable for anal sex as thicker ones.
You can also buy PrEP. Information website •
Condoms carrying the British Standard kitemark
iwantprepnow.co.uk has a verified list of online sellers.
are checked for quality
•
Everyone’s cock is different, so shop around until
CONDOMS
you find the kind that fits you best.
What if you’re allergic to latex?
If you are sexually active, it’s a certainty that you know
what a condom is and what a condom does. In the age •
Non-latex condoms - like Durex Avanti, Mates
of PrEP, it could be that you no longer use condoms.
Skyn and Pasante Unique - are useful for men who
However, it is worth recapping the benefits of
are allergic to latex.
condoms and which ones to use and how to use them. • They are more expensive than the latex ones but
are considerably cheaper online
Condoms, when used effectively, will prevent exposure •
Mates Skyn and Pasante Unique condoms
are also among the thinnest available, and are
www.fsmag.org.uk | 11
© Photos by Shutterstock
