By Pendarvis Harshaw, Youth Radio

What's the new what?  Sex without a condom is the new engagement ring.

My generation has known the threat of HIV/AIDS our entire lives, and sex without a condom isn't something we enter into lightly.

For a lot of my friends, the transition from having sex with to sex without a condom, is seen as a symbolic "engagement."  It shows trust, commitment, and the prospect of a shared future; an engagement more practical than spending money on a piece of jewelry for a marriage that might not pass the test of time. 

Now close your eyes and envision that classic love story…

Engagement two point O goes something more like this, first a couple has an intense sit down, during which they decide if they're ready to trash those Trojans.  If things are right to take that plunge, they swap that trip down the aisle for a hand-n-hand down a health clinic hallway, where they get screened for STDs and choose a method for birth control - such as pills, patches, or shots. Loosing the latex doesn't mean that young folks are looking to have babies. On the contrary, the majority want to steer clear of children and disease while enjoying the pleasures of healthy sex.


Ayesha:
To have sex without a condom is to say that I trust you and I love you and I want to spend the rest of my life with you

Anyi:
If I make a decision to you know skip the condom process, then you know it's safe to say I love you, without me saying that.

Lauren:
You know a ring is very temporary and you can sort of just take that ring off.  Whereas you know if you don't use condoms and you get an STD, then it's sort of a much less temporary result of your engagement than a tan line on your finger.

Do you take this disease-free person to be your sexual partner?

I do

By the power vested in me, I now pronounce sex without a condom…the new engagement ring.

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