The research blog
Research Without the Boring Shit
Queer sex, HIV, harm reduction, politics, and pleasure — explained by a nurse who actually likes sex. Research summaries and my own opinions, clearly labeled as we go.
The Study Didn't Even Ask About Meth
Last week I wrote about a San Francisco study that looked at how MSM and trans women perceive risk from substance use. It covered needle sharing, opioids, sex while under the influence. Solid research. But the researchers themselves flagged something I haven't been able to stop thinking about.
“I Know My Limits” Is Not a Safety Plan
Many people partake in "risky" behavior with or without mind-altering substances, but things get much cloudier when attraction, sleep deprivation, loneliness, and a very large, hard c*ck enter the room.
Clubs and Bathhouses Can Be Part of Public Health
A bowl of condoms does not create an orgy, just like a fire extinguisher does not create a kitchen fire.
Chemsex Harm Reduction Needs to Sound Like Real Life
Telling somebody to 'just stop using drugs' before sex isn't harm reduction. It's a sentence people say when they want the conversation to end.
Home HIV Tests Are Great — But Do Not Ghost the Follow-Up
Testing at home can feel much easier than a clinic visit. A reactive result is the beginning of a conversation, not the final diagnosis.
The Part Nobody Warns You About Loving More Than One Person (copy)
When you love more than one person, everyone assumes the math protects you — like love is a redundancy system, and having someone still here means you don't get to fall apart. That's not how it works. It never was. This is what it actually feels like to grieve one love while showing up, whole, for another — and the quiet, ordinary work of loving well while you're broken.
Testing Your Ass Might Get Easier — and Less Awkward
Some people avoid STI testing because clinics feel judgmental. Self-collection can mean testing the parts you use, on your own terms.
The Part Nobody Warns You About Loving More Than One Person
When you love more than one person, everyone assumes the math protects you — like love is a redundancy system, and having someone still here means you don't get to fall apart. That's not how it works. It never was. This is what it actually feels like to grieve one love while showing up, whole, for another — and the quiet, ordinary work of loving well while you're broken.
DoxyPEP: The Morning-After Pill for Certain STIs
DoxyPEP has become one of the hottest topics in queer sexual health — and for once, 'hot' doesn't involve a rash.
PrEP Twice a Year? Science Finally Understands That Sluts Are Busy
One pill a day sounds simple until you remember humans are chaotic. Lenacapavir's twice-yearly PrEP data says forgetting a dose was never a character flaw.