Stick to my top dating tips, and you’ll find yourself bagging this season’s must have accessory…the summer boyfriend!
5 things you definitely need to do if you’re planning on a One Night Stand
When it comes to the traditional one night stand, or having sex with strangers, none of the honesty or rules of chivalry applies! In fact, you probably stand a better chance of pulling, if you employ full use of your carefree attitude. So guys, when you’re getting ready to go out tonight, make sure the last thing you put on, is your shagger swagger!
The beauty of having sex with a stranger is that it can be completely anonymous, and string free. The best part of a relationship, with the added bonus, that it only lasts one night! For those of you that have never slept with a stranger, are you starting to see the appeal yet?
My advice is to completely invent yourself a pseudonym, build up a whole alter ego, do whatever you like, be whoever you like and do it with whoever you want to do it with! You have to make sure though, that when you’re building up your night-time image, that you have to remember your story! Stick to the lies, you’ll thank me in the morning – never let your secret slip!
Experiment, it’s always fun to try new things! If one nighters aren’t your thing, then honey, pick up your Bible and tighten up your chastity belt, this clearly isn’t the year for you! If you’re thinking of trying it out, then do it – don’t think too much, you might change your mind! If you’re a more seasoned bed hopper though, why not embrace your adventurous side – my motto – if it’s comfortable and slow – you just aren’t doing it right!
In my experience, it’s for the best that you Never Swap Numbers, once you do, you run the risk of (a) if you rocked his world, gaining a stalker (b) having to admit you lied and (c) making awkward conversation because you’re too nice to tell him to leave you alone! If you don’t feel comfortable saying no to giving him your number, and can’t make one up off the top of your head – take his, tell him your phone is dead and discard on the way home!
When sleeping with strangers, it’s a good idea to make sure you watch your level of Intoxication, you don’t want to be so drunk you end up waking up face down in a ditch, with your trousers around your ankles, and all of your possessions gone with the stars! I am going to say though you don’t want to be sober either; you just won’t enjoy yourself if you are! Get yourself to that merry state, and voilà, you’re in for a night filled with filth.
And, as ever, we at THEGAYUK always promote Safer Sex, you can never be too careful! We know that in the heat of the moment, taking the time to roll down your condom is possibly the last thing on your list, but you have to be responsible!
I hope you enjoy your night, have fun, go wild but most importantly, think P.E.N.I.S. – Pseudonym, Experiment, Never Swap Numbers, Intoxication and Safer Sex.
As I always say, don’t be a fool – wrap that tool! If you need any advice, or for more information on sexual health visit: http://www.gmfa.org.uk/sex/ better to be safe, than sorry!
Want to meet some guys? Join our very own free social/dating network.
This article was first published in July 2012
The beauty of having sex with a stranger is that it can be completely anonymous, and string free. The best part of a relationship, with the added bonus, that it only lasts one night! For those of you that have never slept with a stranger, are you starting to see the appeal yet?
NOM DU PLUME
My advice is to completely invent yourself a pseudonym, build up a whole alter ego, do whatever you like, be whoever you like and do it with whoever you want to do it with! You have to make sure though, that when you’re building up your night-time image, that you have to remember your story! Stick to the lies, you’ll thank me in the morning – never let your secret slip!
TRY SOMETHING COMPLETELY NEW
Experiment, it’s always fun to try new things! If one nighters aren’t your thing, then honey, pick up your Bible and tighten up your chastity belt, 2017 isn’t the year for you! If you’re thinking of trying it out, then do it – don’t think too much, you might change your mind! If you’re a more seasoned bed hopper though, why not embrace your adventurous side – my motto – if it’s comfortable and slow – you just aren’t doing it right!
KEEP THE DEETS SECRET
In my experience, it’s for the best that you Never Swap Numbers, once you do, you run the risk of (a) if you rocked his world, gaining a stalker (b) having to admit you lied and (c) making awkward conversation because you’re too nice to tell him to leave you alone! If you don’t feel comfortable saying no to giving him your number, and can’t make one up off the top of your head – take his, tell him your phone is dead and discard on the way home!
DON’T BE A COMPLETE DRUNK
When sleeping with strangers, it’s a good idea to make sure you watch your level of Intoxication, you don’t want to be so drunk you end up waking up face down in a ditch, with your trousers around your ankles, and all of your possessions gone with the stars! I am going to say though you don’t want to be sober either; you just won’t enjoy yourself if you are! Get yourself to that merry state, and voilà, you’re in for a night filled with filth.
WRAP IT UP
And, as ever, we at THEGAYUK always promote Safer Sex, you can never be too careful! We know that in the heat of the moment, taking the time to roll down your condom is possibly the last thing on your list, but you have to be responsible!
I hope you enjoy your night, have fun, go wild but most importantly, think P.E.N.I.S. – Pseudonym, Experiment, Never Swap Numbers, Intoxication and Safer Sex.
As I always say, don’t be a fool – wrap that tool! If you need any advice, or for more information on sexual health visit: http://www.gmfa.org.uk/sex/ better to be safe, than sorry!
Well, where do I start with this one, pet? I’m no stranger to the comic genius that is Sarah Millican, I’ve seen her perform all over the North East, in various seedy back street comedy clubs that us Geordies love, and even in the City Hall. Our born and bred Sanddancer has now hit my DVD player.
Not one for the feint hearted, or the easily offended. The latest offering, Thoroughly Modern Millican is filled with more f***s than a Dutch brothel! I guarantee that Sarah’s script will have your stomach muscles aching, like you’ve just done 500 sit ups!
Sarah tackles the trivial, daily happenings with hilarious revelations. My favourite part of the set sees Sarah enlist the help of her audience to discuss what can be used when we’ve run out of toilet paper! Or the equally hilarious section of the show Sarah spends discussing the usefulness of carrying spare pairs of pants.
Delivered with her renowned Geordie manner, class and tact – or lack thereof, Sarah spends 90 minutes commanding the audience into fits of laughter and side splitting roars of hilarity.
Not wishing to give too much away, Sarah looks so comfortable on the stage, even with a mouth filled with childhood favourite popping candy!
Admittedly, I am slightly biased as us Geordies tend to stick together, but trust me, if you’re looking for a last minute Christmas gift, a stocking filler or even a treat for yourself, this is one festive purchase I promise you won’t regret.
I urge you, if you haven’t yet seen, bought, borrowed or even stolen Sarah’s DVD, make it the first thing you do tomorrow!
As always, once you’ve seen it let me know! You can tweet me at @NKMackley.
TheGayUK does not actually endorse you stealing a copy of the DVD, nor do we encourage you to practise
Available to buy / view on: Amazon | Amazon Prime
I spent ten minutes with the Steps Adonis himself, Lee Latchford-Evans, discussing the old Steps that we all love. Whether like me you’re an open fan, or like many of our readers they’re your guilty pleasure, this Christmas, Steps are promising to Light Up The World.
With their first original material and studio album since Buzz, Steps are crashing back on to the music scene with their amazing new album. I had the pleasure of asking the lovely Lee some of my own questions, and a few submitted by our fabulous readers.
So, Lee, you’re back with a brand new album and tour, how does it feel being all together again?
It’s been manic! We’ve just finished the reunion arena tour, and our TV show but our fans have been so amazing, we decided we needed to give them something back. The new album and tour has been so organic, and unexpected, Steps fans are probably the most loyal fans, and it’s those guys that have brought us back.
The reunion tour saw all of the music, cheese and camp staging that Steps are famous for. We also saw some of the old stuff modernised and reworked – can we expect this from the new tour?
Going on tour is always about showcasing yourselves, and our fans are always dancing the routines with us, and singing along. You have to be able to give them something new, so there will be some of the old stuff on the tour, as well as our new stuff. With the Light Up The World album, there are some songs that have a heavier influence of mine and H’s voices, but you’ll just have to wait and see!
Steps are known for their cheesy, camptastic tunes – can we expect this from the new album?
This album is a little bit more grown up, we’ve all matured, and our voices have grown. Steps wouldn’t be Steps, without the cheesy pop numbers, we’re still the same really.
So, from the last tour, we could all see when you did your solo performance you’re in great shape! [For those that don’t know, Lee sang a Rihanna/Maroon 5 mash up, in a very revealing costume] What were you up to whilst Steps took their break from music?
Well, I’ve always been big on fitness, when you sing, dance and act you have to stay in shape. I was performing in Theatres, at the Edinburgh Fringe Festival but I did spend a lot of time as a celebrity fitness trainer.
Are you all as close as we remember?
Yes, we all stayed quite close anyway, but we’re having as much fun as ever! We’ve all grown up, and have our families – we’ve definitely matured but Steps will always be Steps.
Do you have a venue you’re looking forward to in particular? I should add here Lee; I’m devastated you’re not returning to Newcastle!
[Laughing] I’m not looking forward to a single venue; I’m looking forward to them all! Steps fans are the best fans EVER! They’re wild! They know all of our routines, they sing and dance as much as we do, and it’s an incredible feeling being on stage in front of them. We do say, though, the further North we go, the louder the audience gets!
I want to know, what are your favourite songs to perform?
Old material:
One for Sorrow and Deeper Shade of Blue are massive Steps anthems! Our fans absolutely adore them, and then, of course, there’s Tragedy – everyone knows the lyrics and the routine! It’s as popular now as it ever was.
New material:
There’s a track on our new album, called: “History is made at night”, and personally, I think that’s where the future of Steps lies.
And now Lee, I’ve got some questions from our readers…
When will you do an album with Xenomania?I think it’s important that we deliver our Light Up The World album to our fans first, we want them to enjoy it, and I can’t wait to interact with the fans again, but who knows what the future holds?
Where do you see yourselves in two years time?
We’re focused totally on this album and the tour. Once we’ve given it all to our fans, then we’ll decide what happens next! Watch this space…
What is the material like on the new album, are all of the songs Christmas?
No, it’s a festive themed album, but it’s not all Christmas Carols, there are songs on there that we think are Christmassy, you’ll have to wait and see!
What does the ‘H’ stand for in Ian ‘H’ Watkins?
His mother gave him the H, but I know what you’d all like it to stand for…Horny?
You know our readers too well Lee! And finally… Do you think Steps are ready to take on the world?
The world? Who knows! What I do know is Steps are totally committed to our fans, we wouldn’t be who we are or where we are without the support they’ve given us over the last fifteen years. It was the fans that brought us back together, so if the world is ready for us, we’re ready to give it 100%!
Steps will be taking their Light Up The World tour to six UK cities; they will be visiting Plymouth, Sheffield, London, Manchester, Glasgow and Wolverhampton. For more information on the tour, dates and to purchase tickets, visit: http://www.stepsofficial.co.uk
Light Up The World is on sale from 12th November 2012. Don’t forget to go out and grab yourself a copy! Perfect as a Christmas gift, or a little treat for yourself Let us know if you’re going to one of the tour dates, or what you think of the new album! You can tweet me direct @NKMackley or with the hash tag #TGUKSteps
TheGayUK wishes the guys at Steps the best of luck with the tour and their new material, stay tuned for our Steps album review coming to you very soon…
When it comes to the traditional one night stand, or having sex with strangers, none of the honesty or rules of chivalry apply! In fact, you probably stand a better chance of pulling, if you employ full use of your carefree attitude. So guys, when you’re getting ready to go out tonight, make sure the last thing you put on, is your shagger swagger!
The beauty of having sex with a stranger is that it can be completely anonymous, and string free. The best part of a relationship, with the added bonus, that it only lasts one night! For those of you that have never slept with a stranger, are you starting to see the appeal yet?
My advice is to completely invent yourself a pseudonym, build up a whole alter ego, do whatever you like, be whoever you like and do it with whoever you want to do it with! You have to make sure though, that when you’re building up your night-time image, that you have to remember your story! Stick to the lies, you’ll thank me in the morning – never let your secret slip!
Experiment, it’s always fun to try new things! If one nighters aren’t your thing, then honey, pick up your Bible and tighten up your chastity belt, 2012 isn’t the year for you! If you’re thinking of trying it out, then do it – don’t think too much, you might change your mind! If you’re a more seasoned bed hopper though, why not embrace your adventurous side – my motto – if it’s comfortable and slow – you just aren’t doing it right!
In my experience, it’s for the best that you Never Swap Numbers, once you do, you run the risk of (a) if you rocked his world, gaining a stalker (b) having to admit you lied and (c) making awkward conversation because you’re too nice to tell him to leave you alone! If you don’t feel comfortable saying no to giving him your number, and can’t make one up off the top of your head – take his, tell him your phone is dead and discard on the way home!
When sleeping with strangers, it’s a good idea to make sure you watch your level of Intoxication, you don’t want to be so drunk you end up waking up face down in a ditch, with your trousers around your ankles, and all of your possessions gone with the stars! I am going to say though you don’t want to be sober either; you just won’t enjoy yourself if you are! Get yourself to that merry state, and voilà, you’re in for a night filled with filth.
And, as ever, we at TheGayUK always promote Safer Sex, you can never be too careful! We know that in the heat of the moment, taking the time to roll down your condom is possibly the last thing on your list, but you have to be responsible!
I hope you enjoy your night, have fun, go wild but most importantly, think P.E.N.I.S. – Pseudonym, Experiment, Never Swap Numbers, Intoxication and Safer Sex.
As I always say, don’t be a fool – wrap that tool! If you need any advice, or for more information on sexual health visit: http://www.gmfa.org.uk/sex/ better to be safe, than sorry!
56 Dean Street has been open for just over three years.
Based in the centre of London, this stylish, chic and modern clinic embraces state of the art equipment, and over 60 experienced, and highly professional members of staff, ranging from Doctors and Nurses, to Psychosexual therapists and the invaluable help of volunteers.
Although 56 Dean Street has had various names, and changed location (previously known as The Victoria Clinic) they have remained part of Chelsea and Westminster Hospital NHS Foundation Trust, and rely heavily upon donations and volunteer support, to be able to continue with the hard work and support they provide to their patients.
Shortly before we embarked upon the Double Bank Holiday, I met up with Nurse Specialist Jake Jenkins RN Bsc (Hons) and we discussed everything from what you can expect in your local sexual health clinic, right up to what you can expect from your examination.
As we always stress at TheGayUK, safer sex should always be practiced, and Jake tells us that: “We would always recommend safer sex using condoms. Part of a healthy sex life is getting regular screening, so it would be a good idea to get yourself tested regardless or if you use condoms or not. We can also give you some advice to help make sex safer. If you have been at risk in the last 72 hours then you may need to think about PEPSE (post exposure prophylaxis for HIV following sexual exposure). It’s best to take PEP as soon as you can. You can get it from a sexual health clinic or A+E department.
We believe that in the future, there is likely to be a large clinical trial amongst gay men looking at the use of Pre-Exposure Prophylaxis (PREP) i.e. taking medication before sex to prevent HIV transmission for gay men who do participate in high-risk sexual practices.”
Most of our readers know what services are offered from a sexual health clinic, for those that don’t what is available at 56 Dean Street?
• Free HIV testing with immediate results – support either way
• Screening and Vaccinations for Hepatitis B
• Sexual Health Screening (with or without symptoms) by appointment
• Emergency patients seen without an appointment after being assessed by one of our nurses
• Post Exposure Prophylaxis (for people who have been exposed to HIV) within 72hrs.
• Free Condoms and lube
• Health Advisor support
• Contraception
• Support for sexual dysfunction, such as problems with erections, premature ejaculation etc)
• HIV Care (for people living with HIV)
• Specialist clinics (C.O.D.E for men into harder sex, SWISH for people who sell sex, Hepatitis B clinic, Anoscopy, Contact for young people, outreach at G-A-Y and Sweatbox Sauna in addition to our events such as world aids day).
• We work with Antidote to provide drug-counselling support in relation to risky sexual behaviour at CODE clinic.
Perhaps most famous for the 60 minute HIV Test, what else makes 56 Dean Street stand out from the other sexual health clinics?
We put good patient experience as a top priority in the clinic. We know that life is complicated, and it can be difficult to take time out of a busy life to attend the clinic. We do everything we can to keep the waiting times down and make the experience as painless as possible. We are really lucky to have a really nice facility and a kind, friendly, non-judgemental team of experts to look after our patients.
56 Dean Street is renowned for it’s stylish and modern environment, and that it is nowhere near the class of a typical ‘clinic’, what else is done to make sure that patients feel relaxed and at ease?
You can book an appointment online, over the phone, in person or walk-in for certain services. We offer free Wi-Fi in the waiting room and have a friendly team of receptionists to greet you. Starbucks kindly donates coffee, which is available when our volunteers are working to make the visit more comfortable.
Our doctors and nurses are really friendly, but most importantly they are all non judgemental and discrete. Our team are really good at making people who are anxious more relaxed and able to talk openly and honestly about the sex they have. Everyone should enjoy a happy, healthy sex life. We will work with you to improve it.
As mentioned, some of our reader’s aren’t familiar with sexual health clinics, for those that have never received a check up, how important is it that they do so?
It’s really important to get checked regularly. Sexually transmitted infections (STIs) are quite common and can be easily picked up. People often do not get any symptoms with some STIs.
Chlamydia and Gonorrhoea can be easily treated. The number of cases of syphilis is on the rise and this can also be easily treated, but can be a problem if it’s left untreated.
HIV is a manageable chronic condition, knowing your status can save your life. Accessing care is important to ensure your health is monitored and improved. Having more time to get used to living with HIV before starting treatment is easier than if you get diagnosed, and need to start treatment more urgently.
We recommend that all gay men should also get vaccinated against Hepatitis B, as this virus is 100 times more infectious (easier to get) than HIV and Hep B is more prevalent amongst men who have sex with men.
If you have been at risk for Hepatitis C we can test you for this and also advise on ways to reduce your risk.
What about those that are members of the LGBT Community?
For men who have sex with men, Chlamydia and Gonorrhoea are quite common. Syphilis and HIV is on the increase. In London 1 in 7 gay men have HIV and one third of them don’t know they have it. Becoming aware of HIV and sexually transmitted infections is good to ensure you enjoy a happy, healthy sex life. It’s also good to get vaccinated against Hep B.
We have recently opened a new walk in sexual health and well-being service for all trans people, partners and friends that runs every Wednesday from 5.30-7pm called CliniQ. The service also offers Liver function testing, drug and Alcohol support and advice and advocacy services.
How regularly should our readers be going for check ups?
It depends on risk. As a guide the government recommend HIV testing for gay men once a year. If you have lots of partners you may want to do this every six months. It’s important to screen for the other infections, as they are more common. So between 6-12 months is good depending on risk. It’s important that people do not become too worried about infections and test too frequently. You should enjoy a safe, healthy sex life and be tested to look after your body.
What can be expected from a sexual health check up?
You will be asked some questions about your sex life. You will then be offered tests based on the answers you give. You can pick and choose the tests you want based on these recommendations.
If you are a gay man and you have no symptoms it’s usually a finger prick test, a blood test, a urine sample and swabs from your throat and bottom (you can do the swab from your bum yourself).
If you are a heterosexual man with no symptoms it’s usually a urine test and blood tests. For heterosexual Women it’s a self-taken swab from your vagina and some blood tests.
If you have symptoms we will need to do some more tests, for a man this usually would mean having a small swab taken from the eye of the penis, for a woman it would be some swabs taken and a speculum examination.
As we are constantly reminded by the press and news coverage, our lifestyles are a lot more ‘fun fuelled’ now, with the rise of binge drinking and party going – would you say that this figure has altered the rise in the number of people coming for check ups – due to unprotected sex, or alcohol related ‘experiences’?
Yes, we do see lots of people who have been in situations they would normally avoid due to alcohol or drugs. Our team are non-judgemental and understand this can happen and will be supportive and helpful.
If for example, you got drunk and had sex without a condom and you think you may need PEPSE, we would like to see you as soon as we can.
We also run CODE clinic, which is for men into harder sex and drugs or alcohol. We work with Antidote to help people who want help with drugs and who take risks when high or drunk.
Leading on from that point, are men more open to asking for advice, and coming in for testing?
We do think that gay men are more exposed to health promotion messages about sexual health and we believe that gay men are good at coming forward for testing.
However, we know that 1 in 4 gay men in the UK have never tested for HIV and despite the advice to HIV test every 12 months, less than 1 in 3 gay men have done so. This is something we’d really like to tackle. The community campaign is one of the ways we are trying to do this. Check out the Facebook page http://facebook.com/TheCommunityCampaign (Currently, we are asking for visitors to the page to submit art and videos to be entered into a competition, the winner will be used as our next big campaign)
Is the contraction of the HIV virus on the rise?
Yes, each year the numbers of people getting HIV is increasing. The good news is that more people are accessing testing, but still not enough to help reduce the spread.
It seems there is a lot more information readily available now, do you think the public perception of the infection has changed since the early 80s?
Yes, we are 31 years on and so much has changed. Being diagnosed with HIV is no longer a death sentence. The treatment is good and continues to improve. The fear and stigma hasn’t changed much but the quality of life is always improving. HIV is a manageable condition and this means we are no longer losing so many of our dear friends.
A recent NAT report showed that 1-in-5 people they interviewed did not know that HIV was transmitted through sex (compared to 5% who did not know that HIV was transmitted through sex 30 years ago).
The problem is that although things are really moving forward this can make people complacent. It’s important to remember that although things are improving, life can be more complicated if you are living with HIV and people report experiencing stigma, rejection, isolation and sometimes issues at work and when travelling.
Stigma is definitely a big issue for people living with HIV. As hard as we campaign, as much as we educate, changing attitudes of society takes a long time. But significant progress has been made, in changing views and we must continue to push for this.
AT 56DS part of our strategy is to make testing more normal, easy and convenient to help people come forward. Knowing your status can save your life!
What are the current statistics for HIV cases both diagnosed and undiagnosed in gay men?
2880 Gay men tested HIV positive in the UK in 2010, the equal highest since records began. Around a quarter of people with HIV in the UK are undiagnosed. Over half of people in the UK are diagnosed late (after the time they should have already started treatment). Statistics show that a 20 year old who is diagnosed very late with HIV is thought to have a life expectancy at least 10 years shorter than someone who starts treatment at the recommended time.
56 Dean Street diagnoses more HIV than any other clinic in the UK, why do you think this is?
We want to make HIV testing easier, friendly, fast and convenient. People’s HIV status can change so we look to build a relationship with patients which makes them feel comfortable to come back and retest regularly (at least once a year ideally). We know that early diagnosis of HIV makes a big difference, so don’t be frightened. We will give support to either help reduce risks and stay negative, or look after you and work with you to ensure you have good health if you do have HIV.
56 Dean Street offers numerous other services, to help with raising the awareness of HIV and trying to reduce the spread of infection – what can you tell me about the work that is being done to change these statistics?
We are marching at London pride to promote the ease of HIV testing, we also have regular events using our health bus to help increase testing, and we did this at pride last year and outside G-A-Y bar.
We are currently setting up a new service for gay women.
Our work with G-A-Y and 90ten to set the world record for most HIV tests in 8 hours recently won the ‘healthcare communication campaign’ award from the British Medical Journal.
We are also running several other media campaigns. The Community Campaignhttp://facebook.com/TheCommunityCampaign is a competition for people to create the next generation HIV awareness campaign. We are looking for short videos, posters and art that will get the message across. Should it be bold and daring, or soft and subtle? We have teamed up with Stephen Fry to help promote the campaign. Visit the page to find out more!
What would you suggest to someone that is worried they have been with someone, that may have had an infection?
Come in get tested and get treated as soon as you can. We have emergency appointments available and will try and fit you in as soon as we can. Please note these appointments are limited. Remember if you have been exposed to an STI, it may not show up on tests if you come too early. 4 weeks after possible exposure is an optimal time to test for most things. If you have definitely been exposed to an STI, we would normally treat you if you know what infection you have been exposed to
Can we ever be 100% Safe?
It’s tricky! The reality is that no matter how hard we try to protect ourselves we can never be 100% safe. The best thing to do to look after your health is to use condoms and get yourself checked regularly.
So, after the ‘test’, what happens next – how long do we have to wait for results?
HIV tests that we use give results in about 2 minutes. For everything else it can take up to 10 days. If you do have an infection we are usually in touch a lot sooner.
In this day and age, people are always on the move – what methods of delivering results does 56 Dean Street employ?
Text Message Delivery, is the most ‘popular’ method of giving a patient their results, alternatively you can contact our results line, or come in to the clinic in person, and receive your results face to face (appointment is necessary).
What happens if an infection is detected, is the patient called back in?
Yes, if the patient has agreed to be contacted by text we would send you a text advising you to contact us at your convenience, and then we’d make an appointment for treatment and a short chat with one of our health advisors.
What about if it’s more serious than a case of antibiotics?
If your HIV test is positive we will give you loads of support on the day. We will take some additional blood tests, and talk you through what happens next. We provide HIV Care in the clinic, so if you want to keep coming to 56DS you can. We are part of the largest HIV service in Europe and our friendly, expert HIV Care team will help you to maintain your health and support you in coming to terms with your diagnosis.