Mint Male Magazine

Meet Gui from Sao Paulo, Brazil

Meet Gui from S

I am 22, raised in South Bend, Indiana and currently work in Chicago, IL as a fashion photographer. I've always had an interest in photo since I was a small child and got my first Kodak camera. I like to think of myself as a creative visionary who strives to think outside the box and use my art to share with the world what I see in whatever I'm shooting. I spend a great deal of my time perfecting my craft, learning as much as possible and hoping to soon land some awesome opportunities in the fashion industry. Please check out some of my photography HERE. I also have an interest in computers being self-taught in Apple and Windows, but I am a huge Apple nerd.

Music means the world to me. I listen to all types of genres but I love Electronic and Dance. I'm a people person who loves socializing, trying new things and laughing because it keeps you young! I enjoy going out to eat and experiencing new foods. I'm a great cook and I like cooking for myself and others, my specialty is Italian! As far as my "type" goes, I'm a very opened minded person with just the essentials in mind. As long as you are energetic, love yourself, enjoy living and the simple things in life, we will get along just fine. I'd like to meet others who share some of my interests or at least appreciates them and is able to hold intelligent conversations but also have a great sense of humor. Don't be afraid to talk to me, I love talking and I'm always glad to meet new people! Check me out on Facebook too!

To contact Dexter, email him HERE

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Meet Joey from Montreal, Quebec

Featured on /www.gaybachelorblog.com/

A blog for singles looking to meet other singles. You can post some info and pictures and the blog is willing to email you responses in complete privacy. They look for high quality profiles, witty bios and my favorite no Bitches allowed.

This is such a great way to meet new gay singles. Its a different a fresh approach from these already dated dating sites. They also feature a bachelor on their blog and facebook page.

http://www.gaybachelorblog.com/become/

(from their website)

The Anatomy of Love

Michael E. Bricker, PhD, LCP

You'd be hard-pressed to find a topic that evokes such strong emotion as that of love.? Even the most rational of persons seems to be affected by it.? As evidence, our infatuation with it as a society seems hard to escape; it's infused into the music we listen to, the deeper conversations we have, and the countless poems and writings by authors attempting to give some definition of its elusive qualities.? So what is this thing called '"love'" and why does it seem to carry such power over us?? ??Until recently, we've largely been forced to rely on history, mainly through literature and philosophy, as a way to make sense of the mystery surrounding it.? However, recent research in neuropsychology has offered us a different, and perhaps more precise, glimpse at what '"love'" is all about.

The Chemistry of Love

Advances in science have given us our first chance to peer into the human mind and to understand the physiology of what is occurring when we experience love. ?Research on the brain shows that a powerful, euphoric effect occurs when we begin to explore a new love interest.? When artists and poets describe love as intoxicating, they are onto something.? Scientists have learned that what happens during this time is a [naturally-occurring]?addictive process.? More specifically, once we meet someone and start our pursuit, this contact stimulates the release of natural opiates in the brain.? If you are unfamiliar with the term opiates, you may recognize them in some other forms: opium, narcotics, pain killers, heroin. ?is it sounding more familiar now?? So, as we experience love, the brain releases these chemicals in a mad rush that causes us to have some really intense feelings.? ?This is the phase in a new relationship when we become intensely focused on our new romance that other things take the back burner (work, friends, etc.).? During this time, we are also likely to feel periods of both intense joys (about imagining a life together, getting to know them, etc.) and intense fears (if it doesn't work out, being overly concerned with how much they like us and in making a good impression, etc.), and it's common to feel a bit like we are not our usual self.

Read the rest of this entry »

Risky Business

I had a patient last night who was depressed because he converted to HIV positive.? What impressed me most was his perception that he'd NEVER engaged in anything but "safe" sex.
He was a man in a "monogamous" relationship with one boyfriend.? He admitted to having a few buddies with whom he did various things we probably consider "having sex" in one form or another.? But only with his boyfriend did he have actual anal intercourse.? He was the receiver in that situation, but insisted his boyfriend didn't have any other partners in that particular activity.

Upon further questioning, it became clear he did not realize that even masturbation, if one gets the other's semen on his fingers, and then touches himself, can potentially transmit HIV and the things that move along the same routes, syphilis and hepatitis.

So I decided to remind you that, while sex is FUN FUN FUN (this is, of course, what I am told by my patients), you can only practice SAFER sex.? No sex is completely risk free, unless you are in a monogamous relationship, or a closed group, and you know everyone is negative AND you can honestly trust they are not dipping outside the circle.

For those of you who are willing to accept a small risk, I'm going to set out the relative risk of various behaviors for the transmission of the HIV virus, as we know it to be as of this time.? But regardless, please remember this : It's considerably safer to use a condom during any contact with a penis, and the patience to use protection disappears quickly when you are in a hurry or under the influence of alcohol or drugs.? Guys should also be wary of the temptation to compromise to try to keep the other guy interested in the relationship – if he loves you, he wouldn't want to cause you harm, okay?

The risk is there.? The incidence of HIV positivity is rising in gay communities in the last two ro three years, and many are unaware.? While the risk of converting to HIV positive is about 4% when serving as the recipient of anal intercourse with an HIV-positive "top" in just ONE ENCOUNTER, according to the University of Illinois at Chicago's leading HIV vaccine researcher, Dr, Richard M. Novak, young people, especially, are still putting themselves at risk.? Many, when interviewed, don't seem to understand the risk.? Part of this is due to the success of medicines we use to treat HIV infected patients.? We can make them seem healthy for long periods of time and, thankfully, help them have relatively normal lives.

"But they still have to take the medicine," says Novak.? It's a task every day, costs a lot of money, and has unpleasant side effects.

"HIV should not be a rite of passage for young gay and bisexual men," said Dr. Jonathan Mermin, Director, Division of HIV/AIDS Prevention, National Center for HIV/AIDS, Viral Hepatitis, STD, and TB Prevention Centers for Disease Control and Prevention on the occasion of NATIONAL GAY MENS HIV/AIDS AWARENESS DAY September 27, 2009.? Although the community was hit hard during the early years of the epidemic, men who have sex with men still account for nearly half of the more than 1 million people living with HIV in the United States.

Here's the scoop, according to the latest I can find in http://www.gmfa.org.uk/sex/howriskyis/index

FISTING
There is a risk of HIV transmission from fisting if the fister (the guy doing the fisting) has cuts or sores on his hand or wrist.
If the guy getting fisted is HIV-positive, HIV in his anal mucus (stuff that lines the anus) or any blood inside his rectum could get into the bloodstream of the fister through the cuts or sores on his hand.
If the fister has HIV, infected blood from the cuts could be absorbed into the bloodstream of the guy getting fisted through the lining of his rectum. However, the likelihood of this happening is very low.
If more than one person is being fisted, HIV could be passed from one fistee (the guy getting fisted) to another, via anal mucus or blood carried on the fist.
Hepatatis A, which is more infectious than HIV, can be transmitted to either the fister or the fistee and fisting has been identified as a possible route of hepatitis C infection. It is also possible to acquire a variety of gut infections, if traces of feces get passed to the mouth.
When fisting, sharing a pot of lube with a partner can also lead to the transmission of HIV and other sexually-transmitted diseases (STDs) as the pot of lube can become contaminated with blood or anal mucus.
Using gloves, such as Marigold extra thins or surgical gloves, can cut the risk of most infections if a new pair is used with each sexual partner.
It is easy to damage the lining of the rectum when fisting so if fisting is followed by having anal sex without a condom then transmission of HIV to either partner is more likely.
Using oil based lube for fisting (such as Crisco) will create additional risks if you then choose to have anal sex afterwards, as the oil in the lube will damage most condoms. If you think it is likely that you will "fist and fuck", use water-based lubricant to fist or use a nonlatex condom which will not be damaged by oil (like polyurethane condoms).

Frottage is when you rub yourself against each other to the point of orgasm. Like wanking, it's very low risk. If you're unlucky, you could pick up crabs or scabies or, if you're extremely unlucky, it's possible to catch warts, herpes or syphilis from skin to skin contact.
kissing?
No one has ever been shown to catch HIV from kissing, no matter how hard they went for it, so allow yourself to get passionate and smoochy. Although very small quantities of HIV have been detected in saliva, your spit also has properties that disable HIV so it would be impossible to swallow enough saliva to become infected with HIV. And anyway, when people talk about the potential risk of catching HIV from saliva they say that you'd have to drink pints of it, which would be extremely hard to do (see how long it takes you to fill even a small glass if you don't believe us).
You can pick up herpes and oher STDs from kissing though, so it's probably best to avoid snogging anyone with visible cold sores around their mouth.

Getting your rectum penetrated without a condom
Most gay men who have HIV caught it from receiving anal sex without a condom. As far as gay sex goes, being a "bottom" without a condom, and having your partner cum inside you, is the riskiest thing you can do. This is because the lining of the rectum can absorb liquids directly into your bloodstream. If there's HIV in his cum, and his cum goes in your rectum, that will be absorbed too. Being penetrated without him cumming inside you is lower risk but, as there is HIV in pre-cum too, there is still a risk of HIV transmission.
In group sex it's theoretically possible to catch HIV from having your rectum penetrated even if your partner is HIV negative, if he has penetrated someone who is HIV positive and then does you afterwards. This is because there could be traces of HIV infected anal mucus or blood on his cock.
Receiving anal sex is also high risk for most other STDs, including chlamydia, gonorrhoea, herpes, syphilis, warts, hepatitis B and for HIV positive men it is thought that you can catch hepatitis C as well. Condoms provide an effective barrier against most STDs, including HIV, although some STDs, such as syphilis and warts can still be transmitted if the condom does not cover the entire infected area, such as the base of the cock. If you are infected with an STD in your rectum, it will increase the chances of you being infected with HIV if you are HIV negative. If you are HIV positive and have an STD, it is likely that there will be higher concentrations of HIV in all of your body fluids, including blood and anal mucus, and so you will be more infectious.
While there are ways of reducing the risks if you get penetrateded without condoms, they will only make it less likely that HIV will be transmitted, they will not prevent HIV from being transmitted altogether. We do not recommend the use of these methods as a strategy for ensuring that you remain HIV negative.
Anal sex without a condom
Anal sex without a condom is less risky for the top than the bottom, but it is still one of the riskiest sexual practises that gay men do. 1 If you are HIV negative, doing someone bareback is more likely to lead to infection than sucking cock. This is because the mucus that lines the rectum (we all have it) can contain a very high concentration of HIV. The mucous membrane just inside the tip of the penis and the foreskin can absorb liquids, like anal mucus, directly into the bloodstream. HIV experts used to think that infection from the receptive partner (bottom) to the insertive partner (the top) was as a result of bleeding in the anus or rectum. Although it's possible that blood is responsible for transmission in some cases, we now think that anal mucus is the body fluid that enables the top to become infected.
Other infections in or around his rectum, such as chlamydia, gonorrhoea, herpes, syphilis, warts and hepatitis B can be passed to the top partner through his urethra (piss hole). Condoms can prevent most of the infections that you can get from anal sex as a top, although it's worth remembering that some STDs can be transmitted even if you use condoms.
While there are ways of reducing the risks if you bottom without condoms, they will only make it less likely that HIV will be transmitted, they will not prevent HIV from being transmitted. We do not recommend the use of these methods as a strategy for ensuring that you remain HIV negative.
Anal sex with condoms
While it is rare, condoms can break during anal sex, and this could make it possible for HIV or other STIs to be transmitted. Condom breaks usually occur because condoms are used incorrectly or are used for long sessions without changing them. If you use condoms correctly with plenty of water based lube, it will greatly reduce the chances of it breaking.
If you are having group sex, it's also important to change condoms for each partner. This is because it's theoretically possible that traces of HIV infected anal mucus or blood could remain on a condom after a guy with HIV bottoms. If someone else is then penetrated using the same condom, HIV could be transmitted.
While condoms offer protection against HIV and most STDs, they cannot prevent them all.

Giving Oral Sex
It is possible to get HIV from giving oral sex but the likelihood of this occurring is very low. No one knows exactly how risky giving oral sex is, partly because most men who do this will also engage inn anal sex as well and it is impossible to know which sexual act is responsible for the transmission of HIV. Very few men whose only reported risk is from oral sex have caught HIV, which leads us to believe that the risk is relatively low but also indicates that there is some risk. Oral sex is the most frequent kind of gay sex , so it says a lot that so few men have caught HIV from oral sex. We do know that well over 95% of HIV infections in gay men are due to anal sex.
The reason that oral sex is so much safer than anal is that the throat is not as vulnerable to infection as the rectum is. Saliva has properties that can disable some infections, including HIV, and so there needs to be quite a lot of HIV present for infection to take place.? Also, the mouth and throat are not as efficient at absorbing liquids into the bloodstream as the lining of the arse is. Even if you swallow cum, any HIV that may be there will usually be killed by the strong acids in your stomach.
Although the HIV risk from sucking cock is relatively low, there are ways that you can reduce the risk further. It's extremely unlikely that you could catch HIV from giving someone a blowjob if they don't cum in your mouth. Although there is HIV in the pre-cum of a man with HIV, there is less than there is in his cum. This is because a man will generally produce more cum than he does pre-cum, and because cum has a higher concentration of HIV than pre-cum. The protective properties in saliva would usually be able to disable the amount of HIV that there is in pre-cum. A condom, used correctly, will prevent either cum or pre-cum getting in the mouth, although few gay men in the UK currently use condoms for oral sex.
You will be more vulnerable to infections if you have bleeding, scratched or damaged gums, mouth ulcers or a sore throat. People with gum disease or ulcers will be more likely to catch HIV or other infections from oral sex. It may be wise to avoid brushing your teeth just before giving someone a blowjob, particularly if you want him to cum in your mouth. Using a mouthwash before or immediately after oral sex will remove the protective properties that saliva contains and so may increase the risk of transmission.
Although the risk of HIV infection is fairly low, some other STIs can be easily passed via oral sex, such as chlamydia, gonorrhoea, herpes or syphilis. These risks can be avoided by using a condom for oral sex, although many men prefer to take the risk than taste the rubber. There is a small risk of picking up hepatitis B through oral sex, if you have not been vaccinated. If you have an existing STI in your throat you will be more vulnerable to infection and the chances of picking up HIV or Hep B are increased.
Receiving oral sex
No one has ever caught HIV from having their cock sucked. However, you may be vulnerable to other STIs this way, such as chlamydia, gonorrhoea, herpes and syphilis. This is because all of these STIs are much more infectious than HIV. If you wanted to prevent the small risk of getting an STI you should wear a condom for oral sex. As many men choose not to do this, it's advisable to have a regular sexual health check-up to ensure that any infections you may pick up can be detected and treated quickly.

Rimming
Rimming is licking someone's asshole. There is no data to suggest that anyone has caught HIV from rimming, although there are other risks to getting even a small bit of shit in your mouth. Hepatitis A is most often caught from rimming and both gonorrhoea and Hepatitis B can also be passed on this way. There are also a number of gut infections you can get from rimming. Even a recently washed arsehole may carry some extremely infectious, microscopic organisms, but there is an even greater risk if you rim someone who hasn't washed beforehand, or who is suffering from diarrhoea. These risks can be prevented by using a dental dam, although not many guys use them. You can get a vaccination against Hepatitis A and B from your GUM clinic.

Sex Toys
Dildos and buttplugs can be involved in the transmission of HIV, Hepatitis A, B & C, STIs, and a variety of gut infections. Anal mucus or blood from a person on sex toys could lead to infections if the same toys are then used on someone else. The easiest way to avoid the risk is not to share sex toys. You can also use a condom to cover the dildo, and change it between partners if using it on more than one person. Washing sex toys thoroughly after use, using warm soapy water or a sterilising fluid designed for baby bottles, should prevent any infection remaining on the toy.
Using toys may cause damage to the lining of the arse. This damage can be microscopic, removing just the surface layer of the arse's lining so it won't necessarily be sever or cause bleeding. If your arse play is followed by unprotected fucking, this damage means there is a greater chance of HIV transmission.
Cock toys like Fleshlites and sheaths should be cleaned between users to avoid passing on HIV or other STIs. If a guy with HIV cums inside a Fleshlite and a negative guy uses it afterwards, he could catch HIV through his foreskin, the head of his cock or his urethra (the opening you wee through). The same is true of wanking sheaths. You could also catch other STIs in this way. Again washing sex toys thoroughly after use, using warm soapy water or a sterilising fluid designed for baby bottles, should prevent any infection remaining on the toy.
If you're going to improvise and create your own sex toys (and we seriously recommend that you don't), avoid anything with sharp edges or anything that may break inside you. If your sex toy doesn't have a base, be careful not to let it go too deep inside you, or there is a risk that it may get lost up there and you'll have to make an embarrassing visit to the local A&E department.

Jack Off
Having a wank by yourself is about as risk free as sex can get. Wanking with a friend (shag, lover, partner, whatever) isn't much riskier. There are no records of anyone catching HIV from wanking.
STDs can be transmitted if you rub someone else's cum on the head of your cock. In theory HIV in cum can enter your bloodstream through your foreskin, the head of your cock or your urethra (the opening you pee through). If you have been wanking for a while and your cock is tender and a little bit sore, this could make it easier for HIV to enter your bloodstream.
Another risk is if you or your friend get a little over-eager and pull too hard (or too often) which can damage your urethra (the pipe in your cock where urine and semen come out) and lead to NSU.

Water sports

Urinating on someone carries no risk of HIV transmission. Urine does not contain infectious HIV so you can't catch it this way. There is no risk at all from urinatinging on healthy, unbroken skin but there is a risk of other infections, such as CMV (a virus in the herpes family) or salmonella if urine gets in the mouth or eyes. These infections may be more serious for HIV positive people.

So, the answer is, "There's no completely safe sex," other than flying solo.? But none of us is going to do that, so, as my scientists and interview subjects all agree, we should "Have fun" but "Be careful."