Mahmoud came to the Netherlands and got tested at... a party?

Mahmoud came to the Netherlands five years ago. "To be honest, I knew very little about sexual health. During my pharmacy studies in Syria, I learned a bit about it, but not specifically for queer men. We didn’t learn about that in school." That changed when Mahmoud came to the Netherlands. "Here, there is much more sexual freedom. You can have as much sex as you want, but not without consequences."

"Due to my background, I was surprised that there is an event where you can dance and get tested for STDs and HIV."

"In Syria, I didn’t trust my GP to talk about sexual health. I would sometimes look things up on the internet, but that was all." When Mahmoud arrived in the Netherlands, he ended up in a refugee center with a space for queer refugees. "They told me about the event ‘Sexy Side of The Netherlands’." This party, organized by Soa Aids Nederland and the GGD Amsterdam at Club Church, offers queer refugees the chance to get tested and vaccinated, and to ask questions about sexual health.

"Due to my background, I was surprised that there was an event where you could dance and get tested for STDs and HIV. I thought it was a smart and creative idea." To make it accessible, train tickets to Amsterdam are offered to those interested. "That helped a lot. I was staying in a refugee center on the other side of the country, and otherwise, I wouldn’t have been able to afford to attend the event."

The visit to 'Sexy Side of The Netherlands' turned out to be incredibly valuable for Mahmoud and his friends. "One of the guys I went with turned out to have HIV. Thanks to the test at this event, he could immediately start his treatment. The virus is now undetectable in him, so he can't pass it on anymore." For Mahmoud, this was his first contact with the GGD. "It was a good introduction to Dutch sexual healthcare. I learned how important it is to get tested regularly. In the Netherlands, you have a lot of sexual freedom, but also responsibility towards yourself and your partners."

"I now have a much better understanding of my sexual health."

Mahmoud had never been tested and didn’t know what to expect. "Because of my studies, I didn’t find it scary to do a blood test. At the event, I also received my first free hepatitis B vaccination. Other asylum seekers had already told me about PrEP, and at this event, I received more information about it from professionals."

Since then, Mahmoud has started PrEP through the GGD and gets tested regularly. "Every four to five months, depending on how active I’ve been sexually. I now have a much better understanding of my sexual health. Getting an STD is unpleasant, but it’s not the end of the world. It’s especially important to inform your sexual partners if you contract something."

* This name is fictitious; the real name is known to the editorial team.

Editorial Note

Man tot Man regularly interviews men about how they protect themselves against HIV and STDs, as well as their sexual experiences. We believe it is important for people to be well-informed and able to think carefully about how they want to protect themselves. We hope that the various personal stories contribute to this. These stories do not necessarily represent the views of Man tot Man. This article was previously published on Winq.nl.

Because Mahmoud wishes to remain anonymous, we have used a stock photo in his story.
Stock photo: Freepik

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