Denver bathhouse gay

Jim Clarke is no stranger to change.

Boundaries are respected without question or pressure. In 2016, the total amount of cases for all three STDs increased. Currently,  he is re-tiling the wet area, transforming it into a mid-century-modern-inspired area of the spa.

Today, even with new drugs that prevent the spread of HIV, pre-exposure prophylaxis (or PrEp), and the knowledge that those with an undetectable viral load cannot transmit the virus, Midtowne is still riddled with the association of being a place where diseases are spread.

For instance, in 2010, the DPHE reported 19,447 cases of chlamydia, 2,787 cases of gonorrhea, and 138 cases of syphilis.

“I’m working hard to make the next project updating the rooms,” Clarke said. “That’s a really, really big deal to us.”

Stanning Safe Sex
Midtowne Spa has a zero-tolerance policy for bareback sex.

All of the gay men were on one side, and all the females and their partners were on the other,” Clarke said. But people accepted the idea, as the line to get into the spa was around the block, literally. After moving to Denver from Chicago, Alex was looking for a bathhouse to replace the Windy City’s Steamworks Baths.

“I’ve contracted a few things over the years.

I don’t feel judgment from the person testing me; I don’t feel judgment from the staff, and I feel safer when I leave the testing room.”

In August, at the biennial National STD Prevention Conference, the Center for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) presented preliminary data from 2013 to 2017 showing trends in STDs. His time bartending there was short, and it wasn’t long before a regular customer offered him a job outside of the bar.

We take it very seriously—we want all our guests to feel safe and comfortable here.”

Changing With the Times
The changes didn’t end with the clientele and policies.

Midtowne currently works with both Denver Public Health and HeyDenver! We’ve seen them before, and you’re not going to get away with anything in here,” he said.

As long as gay bathhouses have been around, they have been filled with gay and bisexual men looking to get laid and fueled the stigma that surrounds gay sex.

You see a lot of different types of people in here.”

Midtowne Spa prides itself on being inclusive to all gay and bisexual men, no matter their appearance. “I’m hoping we can start next year once the wet room is all finished. Again, after sleeping on the decision, he decided it was too good of money to pass up.

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