rectum

Last week, as I sat through a day and a half of CDC-sponsored expert consultation on anti-HIV therapy and transmission risk, listening to data on things like the biology of sexual transmission, pharmacology in the genital tract, viral loads and semen, and viral loads and vaginal secretions, the butt-cheeks of bias were spread before me and the gaping hole of neglect revealed.

It’s not like I didn’t know this already.  I subscribe and contribute to lifelube.org, I’m a member of the International Rectal Microbicide Advocates (IRMA), and I’m an active member of CHAMP’s Prevention Research Advocacy Working Group (PRAWG).  But frankly my ass is chapped.  Hearing one presenter casually refer to anal intercourse as having a twenty-fold higher transmission risk than vaginal intercourse and others repeatedly quip that there is little or no corresponding data regarding rectal / anal anything, I had a barely resistible urge to bend over and moon the podium, screaming.  read more »