GayBombay × Impulse Mumbai

7 December 2025, Sunday

GayBombay, in collaboration with Impulse Mumbai, hosted a dedicated HIV–AIDS awareness meet on Sunday, 7 December 2025 — our first event in a new venue created specifically to hold community-centred conversations on queer health and wellbeing. Around 35 people attended, filling the space with curiosity, openness, and a genuine desire to learn.

The panel brought together a blend of medical expertise and long-standing community voices:

Savio Mascarenhas from Color Positive,

Mihir Maher from Impulse,

Harpreet, Jayesh and Anand from GayBombay, and

Dr Chandra Shekhar, a practising clinician from KEM Hospital.

The discussion began with the basics — what HIV is, how it functions, and what living with the virus means today. From there, the conversation moved organically into one of the most pressing aspects of prevention: PrEP (pre-exposure prophylaxis) and PEP (post-exposure prophylaxis). Without referencing specific drug names, the panel explained the regimens, their benefits, their limitations, and emphasised that these medications must be taken only under medical guidance after proper consultation.

Testing formed the next major theme. Attendees were guided through the differences between available tests, what viral load signifies, and why U = U (Undetectable = Untransmittable) is a landmark principle in both science and stigma reduction. The link between responsible testing and responsible sexual health was reinforced throughout.

Questions from participants were steady and thoughtful — covering concerns about PrEP and PEP, testing timelines, myths surrounding transmission, and clarifications about viral load. Both Savio and Mihir enriched the conversation with their experience in community outreach, while Dr Shekhar addressed medical misconceptions with clarity and compassion.

Towards the end, the panel turned to a broader understanding of sexual health, discussing STDs beyond HIV, including Hepatitis B, its high transmissibility, and why HIV prevention alone does not cover protection from other infections. This segment widened the focus from single-issue awareness to a more holistic approach to sexual wellbeing.

As is tradition in community meets, anonymous questions were encouraged. Chits and pens were handed out so participants could write queries privately. At 7:30 pm, after the main discussion concluded, these questions were read aloud and answered by the panel — leading to an engaging final round of interactions, demonstrating just how invested the audience was in understanding every aspect of the subject.

The evening was not only informative but warm and communal. Impulse Mumbai brought condoms for distribution, reinforcing the practical side of safer sex, and GayBombay kept tradition alive with samosas and tea, grounding the event in the familiar comfort that has defined GB meets for decades.

The feedback from attendees was overwhelmingly positive. Many expressed gratitude for the clarity, openness, and friendliness of the session, as well as the effort taken by GayBombay and Impulse Mumbai to create a safe, stigma-free space for learning.

The meet stands as another step in our twenty-seven-year journey of fostering awareness, conversation, and care within the queer community — and the success of this first gathering in the new venue promises many more to come.