Today we are going to talk about something important, and that is how long HIV can live in sperm and outside of the body. But, to do this we want to remember one of the greatest LGBTQ singers in the English speaking world.
The singer’s name is George Michael, and before you click away from this page – give us as chance to show you how he is relevant to this story, and how what happened to him could happen to anyone and despite George Michael doing something that is considered obscene and taboo, how the reaction of the public could have been due to a lack of knowledge regarding HIV and its transmission.
What exactly happened to George Michael?
George Michael’s music resonated deeply with the LGBTQ+ community. But beyond the melodies, George’s life was marked by personal challenges, including his battle with AIDS.
His experiences serve as a reminder of the importance of HIV awareness and education within our community. We intend to keep that legacy alive with this post.
George Michael’s life included moments in the world of cruising—an aspect of gay culture that many of us can relate to. Cruising, whether in public places or private settings, has been a part of our community’s history, filled with excitement and hidden fears.
If you’re curious to learn more about why gay people go cruising, we suggest learning about the historical significance of cruising in they gay community.
Many younger gay people today are failing to see how this is a necessary part of our culture, and it’s apparent because they are allowing heterosexuals to call us names, and try to prevent events such as the Folsom Street Fair from occurring.
Which generation is most likely to support these viewpoints? It’s gen z. They are undergoing a puritan revolution, and it’s happening worldwide. Gen-Z is becoming so puritan, according to many online sources, they are being called ‘puriteens.’
If you are reading this, let us know in the comments if you agree with this or not. We would love to know your opinion.
How is George Michael and HIV living outside of the body related?
Many people, both hetero and homosexual, have a misconception about the risk of contracting a life changing virus such as HIV in a public place. Widely this is called fear of the unknown.
George Michael was jailed for performing a lewd act in public in 1988. Fair, perhaps. Judtified, maybe. We can all agree that performing sexual acts in public, although exhilarating, is something that should not be commonplace practice.
Our community has historically created places where this is acceptable, such as bath houses, gay cruising bars and sex theaters in gayborhoods around the world.
But, were the police jailing George Michael only for the lewd act? It’s highly unlikely, especially given this was the 1980s. Remember, during this time there was a lot of uncertainty regarding HIV and its spread. During this time people were dying left and right, being ostracized, and treated as lepers.
People just didn’t understand how HIV was spread, and in most instances they couldn’t give a “shit.” Pardon, the language, but the impact of the situation during the 1980’s would fall on deaf ears if we were simply keeping everything PG.
The truth is, George Michael’s situation and was likely nuanced and riddled with misunderstandings of the HIV virus, such as whether or not HIV can live outside the body or in sperm for a certain amount of time.
It’s likely the police were reacting more harshly on George Michaels (who we know shouldn’t have been cottaging) because of his HIV status. So, let’s talk about the facts of HIV living outside of the body.
We have covered the following:
If you want to learn more about these topics, you can click the links above. if you are an older member of the LGBTQ community, please don’t view these links as unnecessary. There is a whole generation of gay people that will not be exposed to content such as this. Remember, in their minds the HIV epdicemic is a distant past. There is no relation of this to their lives, and unless we continue to educate on HIV, how it impacted our community and provide answers, they will forget what occurred and why it’s important for us to fight the Puritanism they are accepting so openly.
Let’s answer the question for good.
How long can HIV live outside of the body?
Circling back to George Michael’s who was jailed for lewd acts in public… you are unlikely to catch anything from his fluids in a restroom. But, the reality is the time HIV can live outside of the body depends on multiple factors.
HIV has the potential to remain viable outside of the human body for a few hours to a few days, depending on various factors. However, it’s crucial to clarify that encountering semen, blood, or other bodily fluids on surfaces like toilet seats, toothbrushes, countertops, or discarded needles does not pose a significant risk of HIV transmission.
In fact, there have been no documented cases of HIV transmission through such incidental contact to date.
What does HIV need to survive outside your balls?
HIV typically has a short lifespan once it exits the human body, often perishing within minutes. The virus is highly susceptible to environmental factors due to its outer shell, known as the viral envelope, which consists of two layers of lipid (fat) molecules. These layers are vulnerable to factors such as heat, UV radiation, and other environmental elements, which can quickly render the virus inactive.
However, under specific conditions, HIV can live outside of the body for extended periods:
- Colder Temperatures: Lower temperatures create a more favorable environment for HIV survival. Research indicates that the virus remains stable for longer durations as temperatures drop.
- Neutral pH: HIV thrives in conditions where pH levels are neutral, typically around 7.0. Outside of this narrow pH range, the virus cannot survive for extended periods.
- UV Exposure: Ultraviolet (UV) radiation is highly effective in breaking down the viral envelope of HIV. Even if the virus were to survive UV exposure, any damage to its lipid shell would render it incapable of attaching to host cells for infection.
- Dried Blood: In dried blood, HIV can remain viable at room temperature for up to six days. However, it’s important to note that the concentration of the virus in dried blood is typically low, and the virus itself may be damaged and nonviable for causing infection.
While it is technically possible for HIV to survive outside of the body under these conditions, the actual risk of transmission is extremely low.
Should you sweat it if you see two guys getting it on in a public toilet?
No. If anything, we recommend (if it suits your fancy) that you ask if you can join in. Just be sure to stay safe. If you decide not to, then rest assured you’re highly unlikely to catch HIV from what those two are enjoying together.
Does that mean you can’t catch anything else? No, so we recommend you get vaccinated against other gay diseases.
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