I know that the vast majority of bros here are responsible guys who suit up at all times, but for the one or two who don't, here's some reading from today's paper.  Remember, this is just talking about AIDS, and wearing a condom protects everyone from a host of other more common little STDs.  Don't want to explain spicy goo leaking from your little bro to your Mrs... wear a condom!

I'm not saying that we should stop playing, just that we should play (relatively) safely

The Standard

AIDS message targets clients of vice girls

Wednesday, December 01, 2010

Health authorities have been urged to focus on educating men who go with prostitutes to further reduce the spread of HIV/AIDS.
"HIV-positive carriers not only contract the disease themselves but are also at high risk of transmitting the infection to their spouse and other sex partners," said Joseph Lau Tak-fai, director of the Centre for Health Behaviours Research of the Chinese University.

"Therefore, both the quality and quantity of HIV prevention services focusing on male sex clients in Hong Kong need to be improved," Lau said yesterday.

He cited a study which shows 25 percent of men who go with prostitutes do not use condoms and more than half believe they will not contract HIV.

The findings were announced on the eve of World AIDS Day.

Commissioned by the Hong Kong AIDS Trust Fund, the survey studied 1,856 male clients of female sex workers over a nine- year period from 1998.

The study found that between 72 to 77 percent use condoms all the time with prostitutes, but a quarter have unprotected sex. Fewer than 20 percent have been tested for HIV, while only 6 percent who do not use condoms have been tested.

More than 51 percent of the men said they do not think they will be infected and 62 percent believe they will be safe without using a condom.

Around 190,000 males are currently patronizing female sex workers, based on census data.

Meanwhile, the number of AIDS cases soared in the third quarter of the year to 30 compared to 16 in the previous quarter and 19 in the first, said Wong Ka-hing, consultant at the Special Preventive Program of the Centre for Health Protection.

"Without treatment, about half of the infected people will progress to AIDS in 10 years," he said.

The number of AIDS cases since 1984 totals 1,171.

A total of 81 people were confirmed with HIV in the third quarter, bringing the cumulative total to 4,730 since 1984.

Some 22 were infected via heterosexual contact and 30 via homosexual or bisexual contact.