Observations

[Novarunner]

During my time in Bogota, I have made the following observations:

1. Colombians seem to be more interested in condoms than Brazilians.  I’m guessing Colombia does not handout free PrEP to anyone that wants it, correct?

2. The tocos at Leono Birria are delicious.

[Boy69]

15 hours ago, Novarunner said:

Colombians seem to be more interested in condoms than Brazilians.  I’m guessing Colombia does not handout free PrEP to anyone that wants it, correct?

2. The tocos at Leono Birria are delicious.

1. They are practicing safe sex what's wrong with that?

2. So ?

[Riobard]

HIV PrEP access was established as a human health right under the public health insurance system for Colombian nationals as of Dec 2021 and does not require epidemiological high risk group affiliation. Similar policy position as Brazil that established access for ‘high risk’ in 2018 and finally removed in 2022 the requirement of self-identifying with potentially stigmatized risk group membership. 

[Novarunner]

3 hours ago, Boy69 said:

1. They are practicing safe sex what's wrong with that?

2. So ?

1. Nothing is wrong with it.  Condoms exist for a reason and definitely have their place.  The attitude toward them just seems to be significantly different here in Colombia compared to America or even Brazil, to a lesser extent.  I was just curious.

2. Taqueria Popular is also excellent.

[Novarunner]

3 hours ago, Riobard said:

HIV PrEP access was established as a human health right under the public health insurance system for Colombian nationals as of Dec 2021 and does not require epidemiological high risk group affiliation. Similar policy position as Brazil that established access for ‘high risk’ in 2018 and finally removed in 2022 the requirement of self-identifying with potentially stigmatized risk group membership. 

You seem to know a lot about this and I am curious, so…

1. PrEP has been available to “high risk” groups in Brazil since 2018 for free (5 years)

2. PrEP has been available to anyone that wants it in Colombia since December 2021 (2 years)

Would you happen to know when PrEP became widely available in the United States?  I’m thinking it was about 2015 or 2016 but not sure.

[Riobard]

3 hours ago, Novarunner said:

You seem to know a lot about this and I am curious, so…

1. PrEP has been available to “high risk” groups in Brazil since 2018 for free (5 years)

2. PrEP has been available to anyone that wants it in Colombia since December 2021 (2 years)

Would you happen to know when PrEP became widely available in the United States?  I’m thinking it was about 2015 or 2016 but not sure.

I’m not American but apparently Truvada for PrEP was authorized by FDA in 2012. I cannot speak authoritatively about ease of access and historical trajectory of less expensive generic options.

Not authorized in Canada until 2016, but in Canada also approved several years back for on-demand 2-1-1 use.

I think there is unevenness across provinces in public health system coverage. For example, in Quebec I receive generic PrEP but an arbitrary mandatory annual drug plan cost of about $700 on my provincial income tax bill (the maximum for anyone irrespective of high income) and one-third of PrEP cost (or any drug cost) to a maximum of $1,200 annually that applies to all medications and is broken down monthly so that recipients aren’t burdened by it in one go if med costs are high.

In Ontario the government coverage is geared to income, sliding scale, and none of my PrEP costs or costs of any prescription drugs would be covered until it or my total medication costs exceeded far more than the max $1,900 co-pay in Quebec described above because the Ontario deductible would be high owing to my income. However, my total income tax is about 5% higher in La Belle Province.

[Latbear4blk]

3 hours ago, Novarunner said:

I’m thinking it was about 2015 or 2016 but not sure.

You may be correct. It's been available for me for free since 2017, for belonging to the risk population category Runaway Homo Slut. 

[Novarunner]

58 minutes ago, Latbear4blk said:

You may be correct. It's been available for me for free since 2017, for belonging to the risk population category Runaway Homo Slut. 

@Latbear4blk it is important to accept yourself for who you truly are.  I’m glad you’ve reached that point in your life.

@Riobard I feel like there is an equation somewhere in this thread.  Variables would include time, condom usage when meeting new friends on Grindr and the degree at which gay boys become comfortable without using condoms regularly with random or semi-random partners.  It would seem that it is possible to calculate the rate at which a certain population accepts risk.  The data you provided from Canada could also be used to actually put a price tag on sem camisinha.  I’m fascinated by these ideas and perhaps in another life I will get paid to study stuff like this but since I am very much aware that the purpose of this board is not, well, unusual applications of economic theory, I’ll stop now.  Thank you for confirming my hypothesis.

In other news, I’m floored by the fact that any drug - let alone one prescribed to allow gay boys to more safely exchange bodily fluids with each other - is somehow free here in America but moderately expensive in Canada.  Everything I know says it should be the other way around.

[Riobard]

East of Saskatchewan, except for PEI, Canadians not on government welfare/disability benefits pay out-of-pocket towards PrEP. All 3 northern territories follow suit with western Canada.

The financial incentive of protected sex is an interesting idea. Newly HIV-diagnosed Canadians, east of Saskatchewan anyway, are usually taken aback by the reality of antiretroviral medication costs they incur if not privately insured through employment. Stunned even, as young people don’t usually think about budgeting thousands of dollars for health care while grappling with the crisis of a chronic disease. 

——-
My paternal ancestors arrived in 1641 in what is now Quebec. I have in my possession the generation tree. I pay out of pocket for my primary care physician and urologist; in Quebec the rates for practitioners opted out of the insurance system and often being the ones you can access without incredible hassle, are unregulated. My medical costs including PrEP are equivalent to at least one trip abroad annually. I’m not in a solid position for grousing because I have more than adequate means to pay and I can take that additional trip if desired anyway. 

[frazzle]

I just got back from Colombia and yes there is a strong preference for condoms in Bogota and Medellin. Maybe a third of the guys I contacted lost interest or wanted some exorbitant price (1 million pesos) to fuck without one. A few others were mollified once I showed them my PREP / DoxyPEP bottles. 

One guy I met up with on Grindr said that it's very difficult for Colombians to access PREP and he said it was unusual to meet Colombian guys who were taking it. 

[maump]

On 3/20/2024 at 1:59 PM, frazzle said:

I just got back from Colombia and yes there is a strong preference for condoms in Bogota and Medellin. Maybe a third of the guys I contacted lost interest or wanted some exorbitant price (1 million pesos) to fuck without one. A few others were mollified once I showed them my PREP / DoxyPEP bottles. 

One guy I met up with on Grindr said that it's very difficult for Colombians to access PREP and he said it was unusual to meet Colombian guys who were taking it. 

I experienced no problem having bareback sex in Medellin (december thru february).  of the 30 + men I had sex with only 3 insisted on condom.  Many said they were on PrEP but I think most lied.  I included in my grindr that I was on prep and preferred BB sex.  I always let the men contact me and very rarely tagged any men for sex.  lowest rate (besides freebies who wanted to fuck an old white guy)  50 COP highest 200.

venezuelans said that prep was not free for them and was expensive 60 usd for 90 pills

colombians said it was free if you had insurance.

sInce my 2022 visit 3 men i still was in contact with had seroconverted.  they had complained in 2022 I was too preachy about prep.