Franz and Manuel like fisting. If their hand is up their arse, they often have hepatitis C in their head. This is because being HIV-positive makes it easier for them to get a co-infection. Here they explain how they enjoy their sex sessions with caution.
Franz doesn't like it when it's completely dark during sex. "I want to have enough light to see if there's a noticeable trace of blood on my glove." Franz is 56 years old, HIV-positive, a leather fan and Franz likes to fist. "I've become a few per cent more careful recently," says the man from Augsburg. Within three months, he learnt from four good friends that they had contracted hepatitis C. "After that, I also went for a check-up as a precaution - out of turn." Franz has himself tested for sexually transmitted diseases twice a year anyway, including a hepatitis C test. "But it was nothing," says Franz with relief.
Gay men with HIV are infected with hepatitis C more frequently than HIV-negative men. One possible transmission route: sex parties where the partners change frequently. Franz's impression: "It's a mixture of fist and fuck scene. If it goes on all night, it often doesn't stop at a fist. And minor injuries always happen during fisting."
Safety belt during the fist session
Manuel (30) from Berlin also likes to fist. He usually meets up with three fuckbuddies for a "session". He caught it in 2011: hepatitis C - a typical co-infection, as Manuel is also HIV-positive. The treatment lasted a year. It had severe side effects, but was effective: the viruses are gone, Manuel's doctor has just confirmed that he has "liver values to show off" again. But the intense experience remains in his mind. "Sex after hep is different to before," says the journalist. "When I start playing with new people now, I first see how they act," he reports.
"Fisting is a sexual game where relaxation in the mind is important," says Manuel. "Fisting is about the deep penetration of your partner and being filled up inside," explains Manuel. "Whether the hand inside me is wearing a glove or not is not so important." The glove even creates a little extra moment of security - and helps you to relax.
"Hardly anyone feels affected by hepatitis C"
Manuel made no secret of his hepatitis C infection. The information was even written in his Gayromeo-profile. "The reactions were neutral," he recalls. "In the worst cases, my enquiries were kindly moderated." Only once was there a user who bombarded him with messages: "You are irresponsible! You're damaging the solidarity system! "But I wasn't the only victim," says Manuel. "There are always a few crazy people online."
Overall, the gay fetish community reacts rather indifferently to the increased risk of hepatitis C, as Franz has also observed. "Hardly anyone feels affected by hepatitis C. People say to themselves: I've got nothing to do with fisting anyway," says Franz. And unlike HIV, hepatitis C can be cured. "You have to deal with HIV for the rest of your life," says Franz, who has been living with HIV for over 20 years. "As an HIV carrier, you're still more discriminated against in the scene."
No open discrimination, but polite distancing - this is how most men react when they find out about hepatitis C. However, Manuel believes that retreating is a crucial mistake. "You never find out how the infection happened and how you can protect yourself." And the other person misses out on the chance to tell you what they are going through. "Hepatitis C treatment is no walk in the park," emphasises Manuel. "Everyone has moments when they're struggling and need a hug or a listener." That's why Manuel urges: "Relax! Talk to each other. Educate yourselves." The exchange can enrich both sides. "Knowing what's going on gives you a sense of security. And this good feeling also helps you to have better sex."
If you want to know what else to look out for when fisting so that it stays "safer", you can find out more on the I KNOW WHAT I DO campaign website. Here you will also find information on BDSM, group sex and pissing: www.iwwit.de/fetisch
More about Hepatitis C on I KNOW WHAT I AM DOING.
