Have you felt pressured to have sex that you don’t want? This is something our clients often talk with us about. Women tell us that, often in hindsight, they regret having sex with their partner when they felt he was having sex with other people/men. They say that at the time they wanted to trust him, they hoped their concerns were ‘silly’, they didn’t want to rock the boat, or they didn’t know how to say no or to insist on protection. Perhaps he was adamant he hadn’t been having sex outside the relationship, that he wouldn’t – he only loved them, only to find out a while later that he had been having liaisons with men. It can be difficult to say no to sex or negotiating safe sex (condoms) in what you think is a monogamous relationship, but if you believe your partner could be having sex with someone else (either male or female), you should put your own health and needs first. Apart from condoms to prevent sexually transmitted infections including HIV, apart from perhaps having that difficult conversation about the type of sex you will agree to or your terms, there are also other options – particiularly PrEP. PrEP is a new daily pill for people who are at high risk of HIV transmission.
For more information about PrEP medication – the daily pill that can help prevent HIV – go to: http://pozhet.org.au/prep/
If you’d like some ideas for how to have these difficult conversations, you can call us and talk it through. No one’s saying these conversations are easy, but you don’t have to feel alone.
We can be reached on 02 9560 3011 or 1800 787 887.
