STI prevention

All stories

‘If you talk lovingly they agree to use a condom’

Safe Sex
Yelawa, who works as a sex worker in Mumbai, regularly gets customers who harass her, do not maintain hygiene and are sometimes violent or intoxicated. They can even refuse to use condoms. In such a scenario, what does Yelawa do to keep herself safe? Aastha Parivaar shared Yelawa's story with Love Matters.

‘I am her partner, not customer’

Safe Sex
Increasingly, sex workers are urging customers to use condoms. But do their partners, or pyarwallas as they are known, do the same? Aastha Parivaar spoke to pyarwallas to understand the use of condoms among pyarwallas as well as their relationships with sex workers.

Can I get HIV with oral sex?

Safe Sex
Hi Aunty ji, I had oral sex with a sex worker, now will I get HIV? Uday 23, Jaipur.

HIV prevention by pills - PrEp and PEP

Safe Sex
While HIV remains incurable, there are ways to reduce the possibility of catching the infection before an exposure to HIV virus has happened and even after a possible exposure. These medication courses are known as PrEP (pre-exposure prophylaxis) and PEP (post-exposure prophylaxis) respectively.

Lehenga check, shervani check, what about STDs?

Safe Sex
The right partner, the best fitting lehenga, the most awesome venue and a perfect honeymoon location. We plan a zillion things to get everything right for our D-Day. But do we ever check if our partners are sexually healthy? Shreya tells Love Matters India's Arpit Chikkara how she and Vishesh prepared for a happy married life by getting themselves checked for STDs.

No condom, no sex: The story of a Mumbai sex worker

Safe Sex
Do safe sex rights apply to a sex worker? Amrita*, a 27-year old sex worker from Mumbai, tells us about her brush with harassment, that stumbled her on to the path of understanding her rights.

HIV/AIDS: sex, drugs and empathy

STI prevention
A cure for HIV/AIDS is not in sight. Yet there is hope to have it under control by 2030. But this involves legalising drugs and sex work – and decriminalising empathy… These news flashes and more in this week’s Sex in the Press.

HIV/AIDS: Myths busted part 2

STI prevention
We started tackling common HIV myths a couple of weeks ago. But there are so many more myths and misconceptions. This week we will look at a few more and bust them. We want you to have all the power when it comes to protecting you from the virus!