HEALTH CLUBS DEADLY HIV HUBS?
Man claims he got HIV virus after having unprotected sex with other men in health clubs. Most clubs have gym, steam room & cafe, but men who go there don't use the facilities. They're there to look for sex partners
THEY are touted as health clubs for men. But what goes on inside the clubs is anything but healthy. By Joyce Lim
22 May 2006
http://newpaper.asia1.com.sg/printfr...107011,00.html
THEY are touted as health clubs for men. But what goes on inside the clubs is anything but healthy.
Gay men go there to hook up with other gays. And in doing so, they flirt with death. Just ask Andy.
The 30-something claimed he contracted the HIV virus after having unprotected sex in these health clubs.
In recent years, a number of men's clubs and bathhouses have sprouted across town. Some have turned into pick-up joints for gay men, and even made it to the list of places to visit on gay websites for visitors.
Andy, who asked not to be identified so as not to embarrass his parents, wants his bitter experience to be a cautionary tale for those who frequent these clubs.
He told The New Paper on Sunday: 'I don't want another person to fall victim to Aids.' Andy's nightmare began after he was invited to join a men's health club by his gay friends last year. 'I didn't really like the place during my first visit. It was on a week night. I remember everyone inside there was drunk and I was also too drunk to have sex,' he recalled.
'Most clubs would have a gym, steam room and cafe. But people who go there don't use the facilities. They are there to look for sex partners.'
Andy returned to the club a few days later and soon fell into sexual temptation. It was, to him, a good place to meet gay men.
Andy, who works in the health and fitness industry, said: 'Previously, we had to go to pubs and toilets of certain shopping malls to meet gays. You needed to chat first to find out about their sexual orientation.
'But at these clubs, the men are mostly gays or bisexuals.'
He added: 'The staff are good-looking, and once they are off-duty, they are allowed to hook up with the members.'
The club frequented by Andy is located in a single-storey shophouse in town. It's about four times the size of a five-room HDB flat and the lights are always dimmed, he said.
He claimed all sorts of men - tourists, singers, lecturers, professionals, businessmen, blue-collar workers, NSmen and even students - patronise the club. 'Though alcohol is not sold there, many patrons usually have had a few drinks elsewhere before showing up,' he said.
Andy claims to have seen groups of people having sex in the 12 private rooms. 'Those like myself who didn't want to wait to use the rooms just do it in dark corners,' he said.
'Many men had unprotected sex because there are no condoms available unless you are inside the rooms.' Andy also frequented two other men's clubs - up to three times a week.
He said different clubs offer different experiences. One catered to more of a foreign clientele while another was more kinky, with some patrons clad in leather. Andy believed he contracted the HIV virus from taking part in a orgy with four men last year. He admitted to having unprotected sex with at least two of them.
There was something different about that night, he recalled.
Usually, members are given a locker for their belongings and a towel to cover themselves. 'But as that night was a special night, we weren't given any towels,' he said. It was packed with 300 to 400 men, many of them naked.
Three months later, Andy went for an anonymous HIV test at the Department of Sexually Transmitted Infections Control at Kelantan Lane. When his test results showed he was HIV-positive, his world came crashing down.
'The bad news didn't hit me on the spot. It was only when I got home that I felt distressed. I never expected this to happen to me.' 'Later, I felt angry. Now, I'm resigned to fate,' lamented a forlorn-looking Andy.
After he got his test results, he and his partner stopped going to the men's clubs. Ironically, Andy had met his partner at the same club around the same time he took part in the orgy. His partner also took a HIV test but tested negative. Despite Andy's condition, they are still together.
Andy said they always use a condom. His partner said: 'I accept Andy as he is. I appreciate his honesty.' Andy has since come to terms with his condition. Today, the thought of unprotected sex with strangers sends shivers down his spine. And he wants to warn others of the dangers of visiting men's clubs.
He hopes the authorities can conduct more checks on these clubs.
'I don't want others to end up a victim like myself,' he said.
DNAT.. R u listening..
