Features > The Guidance Counselor

by Doug McClelland

[Editor: See here for our standard note on confidentiality and anonymity.]

(posted June, 2006)

From: Tommy Top
Subject: HIV immunity
Question: Hey Doug. Is it true that some people are immune to HIV?

Dear Tommy: Yes, it seems that a certain percentage of people are immune to HIV.

People with a specific genetic mutation seem resistant or immune to HIV. People with one copy of the CCR5-delta 32 mutation inherited from one parent are resistant to HIV. People with copies from both parents are virtually immune to HIV. The CCR5-delta 32 mutation probably arose a few thousand years ago in North Eastern Europe.

The gene produces a receptor, called CCR5 that is the main entry port for HIV-1 into T cells and macrophages. While most people around the world have two CCR5 genes, about 10 percent of Europeans, on average, lack one of the genes. They thus produce fewer CCR5 receptors, which hinders initial infection by HIV-1 and slows spread within the body once an immune cell has been infected. Those lacking both genes produce no CCR5 receptors and thus have no entry point for the virus, making the person immune.

Smallpox may be the reason. Smallpox killed 3 in 10 infected people for thousands of years in Europe. Recent studies suggest that smallpox, like HIV, can’t infect someone with the CCR5-delta 32 mutation. So those who survived Smallpox were more likely to have the gene. Over time this rare gene mutation therefore became more common in places repeatedly infected by Smallpox; primarily Northern Europe.

The Scandinavian countries in particular have very high frequencies of this gene - 14 to 16 percent. About 10% of whites of European origin now carry the CCR5-delta 32 mutation. The incidence is only 2% in central Asia. The mutation is completely absent among East Asians, Africans, and American Indians.

This is a similar evolutionary adaptation as those who have Sickle Cell Anemia being resistant to Malaria.

So, yes it seems that a certain percentage of us are immune. Unfortunately, the only way you could find out if you have this adaptation would be to have your genes sequenced, a very expensive procedure.

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From: Assman
Subject: Prostate massage
Question: I am interested in learning the technique for doing a prostate massage. My partner enjoys being anally stimulated. I just need to know the proper way to do it.

Dear Assman: Prostate massage can be amazingly stimulating. Having your partner massage your prostate while sucking your cock is a fantastic combination. The trick is to find the prostate with your finger, rather than just finger fucking his ass.

Some guys prefer spit, but many need lube to allow you to insert your finger into their ass. Slide the entire length of your pointing finger or your middle finger (or sometimes both) into your partner’s ass. Then move your finger in an upward motion along the wall of the rectal lining that faces the front of his body. Try to locate a round bulb of tissue — this is the prostate. Once you locate this area, move your finger in a "come here" motion, as if you were asking someone to move closer to you. Use your finger to massage the prostate, and be careful of not using your nail. Start off gently. While you are working your partner in this way, you can ask if he wants more or less pressure, or slower or faster strokes.

If you can hit the right spot the right way you should be able to give your partner a real thrill. It is even possible for men to cum through prostate stimulation alone (although I’d suggest you suck him at the same time).

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From: Topper
Subject: Bareback top risks
Question: I’m exclusively a top, and I’m negative. How much risk am I taking if I bareback?

Dear Topper: A doctor I consulted who has been treating HIV for seventeen years told me that in all his cases the guys got infected when bottoming. He's never had a case from guys topping or blowing. But even then he cited a low percentage from the literature that suggested some people picked up the virus when topping. So it seems that bareback topping is fairly safe.

But a recent report questions this. I’m going to quote the report below.

“RECTAL SECRETIONS, ANOTHER WORRISOME BODY FLUID:

A new finding, recently released, suggests that rectal secretions may contain a higher concentration of HIV virus that any of the more well-known body fluids we have been told to avoid. Researchers say that blood, semen, sweat, tears, and saliva each carry a smaller percentage of the virus than the amount which is being found residing in rectal secretion fluid. Additionally, the studies showed that rectal secretion HIV levels are not nearly as affected by AIDS medications in the way blood plasma or semen HIV levels are.

What exactly are rectal secretions? Well, your rectum keeps itself moist and supple by secreting a sort of mucosa. The design of this of course is to provide lubrication that will help solid waste find its way out of your body with relative ease. A by-product of this design is that, as with saliva, more mucosa can come to the aid of the rectum during intercourse. You've heard the terms 'make me wet' and 'juicy ass'? Yep, that's what they are alluding to, more or less. So what the study has determined is that these wonderful natural ass juices that help make bareback fucking so irresistible can contain what is perhaps the highest concentration of HIV in an infected person's body.

This is problematic news for negative tops who have felt their risk for catching HIV was very low. However the news is especially bad for uncircumcised HIV-Negative topmen, as the act of intercourse causes the foreskin (covered in microscopic velcro-like DC-SIGN molecules) to literally bathe in rectal secretions during the entire period of intercourse. If both partners are HIV-negative, there is no immediate concern. However, for HIV-Negative tops engaging in bareback sex with HIV Positive bottoms, and especially for the uncircumcised ones, the risk for infection is now considered extremely high.”

So we come back to saying that using a condom is the only way to have peace of mind until there is a cure.

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