Sunday, September 4, 2011

The following is an excerpt of a posting in a forum about HIV issues. The original posting was from a man who was infected in a "monogamous" relationship. The man had been infected by his partner, who was positive, and lied over several years, while they had unprotected sex. Personally, I find that kind of lie morally repulsive, and probably criminal. Many notes echoed the following sentiments:

"YOU chose to have unprotected sex. Regardless of the fact that he was your boyfriend in a 'supposed' monogamous relationship or that he lied, you still chose.
I tell you, everyone needs to take accountability for their own actions. It's not about who lied to you, it's about what you allowed. It's your body. If you don't want HIV or STI's, then don't bareback, regardless of it being a partner monogamously or not. If you're willing to accept the possible risks, then do what you want as long as you don't come crying later.
Yes, to most everyone, it's a criminal thing to keep going around and infecting others, but those people are somewhat just as stupid for 'believing' him in the fact that he says he's negative and having bareback sex due to believing him. I just don't understand why it's ALWAYS the poz guy's fault. EVERYONE takes accountability.
And there's always Karma. You keep doing evil things, something big is gonna back to bite ya. And for the things i've seen, it always has come back 10 fold, so i tend not to worry about those people. I worry more about the people who don't think with their heads appropriately.

I find it really funny in the online world too where people will ask status of someone (after claiming to want bareback sex) and that someone will be honest either saying, yes they are poz or that they are neg from their last test but that's only as good as the last test and they bareback, so truthfully, one could claim they don't know for sure. The other guy will say, "well, i don't want to take the chance if you don't know", yet he'll believe others so easily that say they're neg.
Fools, i say. This is the way it's been and always will be. Some get caught, some don't and we wish they would. In the end, REALLY, we have to take accountability for ourselves.
I refuse to play the blame game. I made my own choices, i knew exactly what the possible outcomes & consequences were."

Everyone is responsible for their own health, but nobody is absolved of the responsiblity to avoiding another person, even if that person makes a foolish choice.