I was raped by a man I met on Grindr
and was put on a course of PEP (post-exposure prophylaxis) to protect myself against contracting HIV. PEP is a treatment that can stop an HIV infection after the virus has entered a person’s body.
It must be taken within 72 hours of exposure. Each pill I took for the next 28 days was a painful reminder of what had happened on my trip to New York.After coming off PEP, I threw myself back into hook-ups, the occasional cruising club and getting with guys on nights out.
After a couple of months, I was back to my old self. I’m still on Grindr, but I try to take fewer risks by usually meeting a guy for a drink before hooking up.
The people committing these crimes must be held accountable and know that they will face the full force of the law if they break it In truth, for the last three years, I’ve buried the trauma – not telling some of my closest friends.But this March, when I read about the story of Jamie Wallis MP, I felt compelled to share my own experience.In a social media post, Conservative politician Jamie Wallis came out as trans and described a horrific ordeal whereby he was raped by a man he met online and blackmailed afterwards.I couldn’t begin to imagine what being born in the wrong body felt like, but I knew all about consensually letting someone into your personal space and then being raped by them.The following day I shared my experience on Twitter, but felt that there was more to discuss beyond a social media thread.
