How to Have Sex in an Epidemic Many gay men were simply glad for any concrete advice in the midst of such confusion, particularly advice that did not present celibacy as the only safe option. As expected, "How to Have Sex" did receive significant criticism from other gay men and gay organizations for its critical take on promiscuity. Callen and Berkowitz had attempted to tone down their critical tone from their first major publication, "We Know Who We Are: Two Gay Men Declare War on Promiscuity" in a 1982 issue of the New York Native, which had harshly condemned the "excessiveness" and "pigging out" that was occurring
How to Have Sex in an Epidemic interfere with medical practitioners' primary commitment to take care of their patients and was becoming a public health issue. Callen even applauded the negative responses to their advocacy published in the New York Native, because it ended up causing debate and dramatically widening the audience and popularity of "How to Have Sex" in an Epidemic. "It turns out historically to have been one of the advantages of our status as heretics," he was quoted saying in "How to Survive a Plague." Callen and Berkowitz do address the personal and political implications of their safe sex advice, specifically the loss of