From: [email-masked] (Victoria Edwards)
Date: Fri, 9 Sep 1994 13:10:11 -0400 (EDT)

Women & Aids

You may have noticed that AIDS educators make it sound so easy to
start using condoms.

Well, it not.

Using condoms is not the hard part. Sex using condoms can be
great sex. It the starting that the hard part. The good news
is that more & more people are bringing condoms into their sex
lives.

being ready

Your partner may be informed and ready to practice safer sex. He
may just be embarrassed and waiting for you to bring it up

getting ready

Other men still believe false information about AIDS. If your
partner doesn yet understand that AIDS is his problem, your
problem and everyone problem, he may not be willing to use
condoms. You may have to teach him about AIDS, so it a good
idea to be prepared.

safer is sexy

Condoms don ruin the mood. Worrying about AIDS does.

people everywhere are using condoms

If your partner believes only certain people get AIDS, he may
think you are accusing him of being something he isn. If you or
your partner are in groups that have been blamed for AIDS, he may
think using condoms supports people prejudices.

We know that there are people within all communities using
condoms. Find the community and church leaders who have come to
terms with AIDS, and who will support you in using condoms.

pregnancy

We have to add AIDS to the list of things we think about when we
plan to have children and when wee pregnant. Remember two basic
facts:

*preventing AIDS doesn mean you can have children
*if you have AIDS it doesn mean you will automatically pass it
on to your child. Between 50-75% of babies born to women with
AIDS don develop the virus.

Safer sex with a male partner means that he must wear a latex
condom for vaginal and anal intercourse. Putting a little lube on
the tip of the condom will make it feel good for him; lube on the
outside of the condom feel good for you. Use only lube like KY or
Muko and Astroglide. 

what about love? what about trust?

You may have heard that insisting a man wears a condom means you
don trust, love or want to get really close to him. Wee heard
those things in our own lives, and for us, love, trust and
sexiness mean listening to each other.

Remember: it okay if you or your partner have difficulty
getting used to condoms. Keep working on it, and start using
condoms as soon as possible.

It not okay if he uses your concern about AIDS to hurt you. It
is never okay if he hurts you.

If he:
*hits or pushes you
*insults or humiliates you
*forces you to have sex when you don want to, or in ways you    
don like

Then safety from AIDS might not be your most urgent need, but
safety from him might be.

If you need more information and support about using condoms,
getting tested, pregnancy, or how to care for yourself or for
someone else who has contracted HIV call your local AIDS
committee or a knowledgeable health care worker.

because women are living with AIDS

Women Project
c/o The AIDS Committee of Ottawa
207 Queen St. 4th floor
Ottawa, Ont K1P 6E5   (613)238-5014