About Men's Sexual Health

This Website

Men's Sexual Health offers a number of services to local gay and bisexual men and to local services and organisations, as well as producing a number of resources. This web site brings much of this information together, explaining the role of Men's Sexual Health, what it can offer you if you are in the Wiltshire area, and providing versions of our guides in a form that anyone on the Internet can read.

We believe that the Internet is a very important way to provide information, and one that will continue to become more widespread. Since one of our aims is to try and reach many people who may not otherwise hear about us (such as young gay men who have no contact with other gay people, or married bisexuals who find it necessary to be discreet about their sexuality), the Internet provides many with a safe way to find out more about us, to learn about the issues that matter to gay people (such as by providing our guides to coming out, sexually transmitted infections, and using condoms, which many people might not otherwise have access to), as well as details about how to contact us for more information or advice.

Language and imagery

This web site contains some strong language and occasional sexually explicit imagery. We do not wish to offend anyone, and suggest that anyone who is offended by such content, or who should not legally be viewing such content, does not read any further into this site.

With the threat of HIV and AIDS, it is necessary to use very blunt language and imagery that can be easily understood by all those who need to read it.

Fortunately, in many places, including the UK, the government understands this and is happy for health promotion groups to distribute literature which some feel to be pornographic. However, on the 'gay scene' especially, gay men are used to seeing bold and erotic imagery and in order to be noticed, safer sex literature has to be just as bold in many cases to stand out.

Many people who are unfamilar with the gay scene, or gay language generally (including many young gay men as they come out) are confused or offended by the bluntness of much of the language that is used every day in safer sex literature as well as in gay magazines and books. It is important to realise that in groups of gay men, words such as fucking are used as everyday language. Not because it is coarse, but because many do not know their activities by any other words ... fucking for example, means to most gay men, anal intercourse; not just sex, but anal sex specifically.

Also, not all people know the more polite, medical terms for their sexually activities; such as anal intercourse, and since it is vital that those providing safer sex information reach all who need it, it is necessary to use the language that is used in the street -- or the pubs, clubs, and parks.

Copyright and Linking to Us

Unless otherwise stated, all material on this site is copyright Wiltshire and Swindon Men's Sexual Health, and may not be reproduced in any form, electronic or otherwise, without prior consent.

Any other names or trademarks used on this site are recognised as being the property of their respective owners.

We are happy for most of our resources to be reproduced for use in certain circumstances (for example for use in an education environment), but please contact us for approval first.

We welcome other web sites linking to our front page (http://www.wsmsh.org.uk), or to other pages on this site, so long as it is not implied that material on this site is the work of anyone else. Do not reproduce this site or sections of it in any form on other web site. In rare cases, we may give permission for content to be reproduced elsewhere, but in most cases, we would ask you to link to our site instead.