Health : Bug Chasing (HIV)
So yesterday’s post on HIV got a lot of reactions and it gave me the idea to blog about bug chasing today. I’ve been thinking about blogging about it for quite a while, but I was scared that it would give the idea to some less informed guys to become bug chasers. I did a bit of research, watched documentaries and read blog posts about it and I have to see that I feel a bit dizzy right now and disturbed. Here is what I have to say about it.
Bug chasing is the practice of pursuing sexual activity with HIV-positive individuals in order to contract HIV. Individuals engaged in this activity are referred to as bugchasers. It is a form of self-harm. Bugchasers seek sexual partners who are HIV-positive for the purpose of having unprotected sex and becoming HIV-positive; giftgivers are HIV-positive individuals who comply with the bugchaser’s efforts to become infected with HIV. In some cases, people seek out AIDS in order to fit in, please a sexual partner, or simply for thrills.
In 2009, Rolling Stone Magazine published an article that suggested gay and bisexual men were actively seeking partners with HIV in order get the disease. The article described the practice as being “intensely erotic” and the “ultimate taboo and most extreme sex act left.” However, the same article has been criticized for glamorizing the subject.
Simon Prytherch, of the Elton John Aids Foundation has tried to educate people on bug chasing and said: “This practice is very scary and highly irresponsible. What we are seeing are cases of treatment failure and then rapid decline in health.” Despite the danger, people continue to seek AIDS in certain situations. A bug party is an event that involves a large collection of HIV-positive men having intercourse with one uninfected man, or a large collection of clean individuals and one HIV-positive man. Dr. Gerald Schoenewolf has said of bug chasers: “They want to feel accepted and a part of something.”
I had heard about the documentary The Gift but never seen it until today. I googled it and found it on YouTube. It’s available to view here if you have an hour or so, it’s worth watching if only as an introduction to the topic, but it is kinda old though.
I don’t get that someone would want to get infected. I personally think that some of these people have mental problems and should definitely be helped. Other bug chasers simply have misperceptions about what it means to get infected. They think they will take a pill and that’s it. Check out the little clip below that illustrates both.
There is nothing “cool”, “great” or “fabulous” about getting infected. Yes of course, infected people all over the world live longer and better than our brothers and sisters who caught it in the 80s, but taking strong medications surely has side effects and STILL can lead to death or other diseases when the virus becomes resistant to treatment. The virus sometimes mutates (changes form) and produces variations of itself. Variations of HIV that develop while a person is taking HIV medicines can lead to drug-resistant strains of HIV. You can read more about it here!
I was sad to go on Twitter to find MANY bug chasers even one young guy who is 18 years old and discovered what poz meant and was asking to be “converted” by poz guys. They really think they belong to a community and call themselves poz pigs, dirty pigs etc. Very sad. It is also sad for poz guys who are not like that, because they get this reputation of being dirty sluts.
Cover it up guys… And keep in mind, sex is not the only thing in life!
Dave
Whoever engages in this stupid practice of unsafe sex with poz people trying to get the disease is dumb as hell. You want to belong, how about being belonged to being healthy and happy. If that doesn’t work then guess what being gay is belonging to the LGBT group. Wish people who got the disease by accident can switch health roles with these idiots.
This is very unfortunate and very scary that someone would choose to get infected, especially young people who have so much life ahead and so much to offer humanity in the years ahead!
Although I do agree with Dave on the subject, I do have one correction…Being HIV positive is not having AIDS as suggested in the blog. Aids is the ultimate progression of HIV infection left untreated. Here again the stereotype that people who are positive have AIDS. This is NOT the case and just leads to further stereotyping of individuals with the chronic infection.
I’ve known a couple of guys who fall into this description and I agree, they need help in the way they lead their lives.
See what concerns me on this issue is I’ve also known people to do it so they can get disability and insurance. It’s a scary thing. There’s also the gift givers who lie about their status just to infect people. Fortunately HIV/AIDS isn’t what it used to be, but that’s also why people aren’t taking matters like this seriously. Bug chasing, like you said has become a taboo the ultimate fetish. But some things are better left fantasy.
I am in a sero-opposite relationship. I’m Negative he’s positive. His health has declined in our years together. Bug chasers don’t really see this side or live with it day to day, or think it through and what it would mean to be infected. Just because it isn’t what it used to be doesn’t mean people aren’t still getting sick, dying, getting rare forms of cancer…. The list and factors go on. I could keep going and we can keep addressing the issue at hand… But unfortunately, bug chasers and gift givers are gonna do what they want…. Sad really, but that’s just a part of the underground sex scene. Just the tip of the iceberg.
I think someone has to be either depressed/self hating, crying out for help, or just plain stupid to want to intentionally contract HIV. These people need therapy. As for the person who is the “gift giver” shame on them. I cannot begin to stress that there are obviously people out there who are evil and are willing to take advantage of someone thinking “Well hey, this person’s healthy, and I can take that away from them.” They are preying on a person’s self loathing by jumping on the chance to take away the person’s health. It’s disgusting. People like that should be in jail. As for the bugchaser, that person needs therapy and to learn that even though HIV is no longer a death sentence, it is not just a thing where you can take the medicine and be all better. HIV is a life sentence with no chance of parole
Everyone, stay healthy.
First of all its almost impossible for an Undetectable man to give it to a neg..There have ben several studies on this and they all came to the same conclusion..There hasnt been a case of an Poz guy giving it to a neg… Now if a poz guy isnt diligent about taking his med and isnt undetectable then its a sure thing he will be giving it to somebody if unprotected sex.Thats why they call undetectable the “new negative”.
Now about the bug chasers….Plz dont do it ! Yes modern medical science has made having HIV manageable but there is no secret society,or fraturnity where being Poz is celebrated..Most guys just want to be healthy and live a normal life.Thank God they now can with the new drugs.Trust as soon as the “cure” comes out all the poz guys will be lining up to get it.
nojoke111: Yeah but these HIV men that we are talking about here, are NOT taking their medications, only to spread it.
I have never understood the idea of intentionally tying contract HIV. Not only is the person damaging their own health. But also contributing to an entire world-wide health crisis. And also it is one thing I hate about the “gay” stereotype/stigma. That we all have random, anonymous, unprotected sex. And that we all spread HIV. Helping to spread ANY infectious disease, especially HIV is irresponsible
I am glad you are trying to have straight talk on reality and being HIV infected. It seems with the net and all it information it offers, it is easier to get the wrong facts about a serious disease then to get the real truth out there. There are a lot of lonely men in our community, sex is a important part of us, but being loved is just as important if not more important to young men especially. I hope with your log here, more men will read more about the effects of HIV and think twice before imposing the death sentence to themselves. Even with all the drugs we have today to prolong life, they are not magic bullets for life.
I hope you write more blogs here concerning the miss information young men seem to be getting.
Joey, I will try, I am not an expert though. So if some of you guys are doctors or researchers hit me up here
Dave
I simply can not wrap my brain around this. Back in the late 80’s, I knew this guy who was bemoaning the fact that he didn’t have a boyfriend. (Maybe if he had not been so picky). So he purposely went out to have sex with several HIV+ guys so he could kill himself. He got what he wanted. Very sad. Bug Chasing ! Really guys?!
While I cannot condone bug chasing nor participate in it I can see why some might wish to do so. We live with the fear on a daily basis that we are going to contract this disease. The anxiety is pretty high and can be too much for some to deal. If you seek out and become infected you no longer have that anxiety giving ones self a sort of liberation.
Kyle: is it? I rather wear condom and be “scared” like you say (even though I’m not “scared” but simply conscious about it)than be “liberated” like you say.
I don’t consider myself a chaser but I don’t practice safe sex. I simply prefer barebacking. I also enjoy group fun and going to bath houses. We all have,are things we like and things that turn us on. Anon sex is a huge turnon for me. I know the risks. To me it is worth it.
Randy: Yeah a big turn on to swim in an ocean infested with sharks, but I wouldn’t do it. But know that when you catch it, it’s not easy sometimes. I have a friend who has to go to bed at 8pm max every night because he is soooooooo tired he can’t stay on his legs. Keep that in mind!
This gift giving is all in the past role play and lets face it some gay men have serious self-esteem issues. Just use PrEP and protect yourself. All bottoms should be using PrEP now. Times have changed and the reason people get postive is from someone that does not know their status! Look it up! This is the main reason for the numbers not dropping. Get educated people. A lot of serious ignorance on this issue. Get tested, Know your status! If your negative, use PrEP!
I know someone who basically uses sex as an escape often times. When they get into their depressed mode, they just go out do do whataver and dont even care about the consequences. They’re not intentionally trying to get the virus, but they just dont care what happens to them at that point.
This just breaks my heart and my mind is boggled that this is being practiced. I know people want to be want to be included but its only for sex. Look at the long term effects that u would be doing to yourself. I know a guy that is HIV+. Although he has came to grips that he has it, if he could go back and do it all over again he would practice safe sex. Matter fact he tells me he more safe now then he was even before having HIV and that he still practice safe sex with other HIV+ men because there are different strains of this diease. If anyone reads this i hope they think twice before practicing this or having unprotected sex. Its not worth it. YOUR LIfE MATTERS
To knowing give someone this dreaded disease is a felony. I still believe to this day that HIV could have and still can be eradicated if everyone is made to get tested once a year. Anyone coming up infected by law should only be able to have sex with other infected individuals. The disease would literally be stopped in it’s tracks.
I have a couple friends that live with HIV every day I’ve even stopped one of them from pulling the trigger of the gun when it was held his head. Hiv is not something you Chase HIV is a deadly disease that can kill you and I feel like people who want to get it need to have a reality check yes we are getting close to a cure for HIV tested in human trials right now but still your if negative always get checked always practice safe sex and do everything in your power to prevent from getting HIV or any other STDs
I think this is a bit of a red herring. I don’t believe there are significant numbers of gay men who are trying to get infected. There are always a few people on the fringes of every group who behave questionably. The last thing the bug chasers deserve is attention which is probably the main thing they are after. People commit suicide slowly or quickly everyday. I would rather keep my eye on the big picture, a cure, mandatory testing and good health care for anyone who tests poz. This is the formula for getting to a net no new infection rate. I see no point in spending energy on sensationalizing an arguably very rare disorder.
I find it disgusting. If you want to kill yourself, do it quick. Get a gun, or jump off a roof, or take a load of drugs. Don’t do it in a way that can kill other people too.
At least there’s an upside.. These idiots are gay. No chance of them creating another generation of their stupidity..
intensely Insane to me, someone purposely want to draw Death in his body is mind blowing.
Let’s talk about BBBH and The Temple of Cum and their cult of stealth breeders. It seems even when you try to protect yourself you can get infected by some creep who’s obsessed with ‘the gift’ of breeding a clean individual with hopes that they’ll be infecting them. It’s some really scary sketchy stuff.
“I personally think that some of these people have mental problems and should definitely be helped”….need more be said!!!
It’s not your life.
Who are you to judge?
Hey Todd, hopefully we will never live in your police state. And, how about this…negative people being responsible for their own actions if they wish to remain negative.
And, yes, I am positive. I have had sex with willing negative men that have been informed of my status. Just as when I was once negative and willingly had sex with positive men.
I’ve said this in another blog…but, what kind of partner would some of you be when your partner happens to suddenly have cancer, MS or some other sickness?
Sometimes people see people.
Everything isn’t about being positive or negative.
And, as Randy said above…he simply prefers bareback. If most men are honest… I’m sure they would have to admit they too, at best would “prefer” it. And, how many of you claim to have safe sex, yet put a penis in your mouth or vice versa.
And, how many of you aren’t afraid of the risks of cigarette smoking, while being so frightened of HIV.
While enrolled in a study at NIH, I was sitting in DC at Annie’s Steakhouse. I always hoped I’d meet a nice guy to sit across from me there. Well, this particular time there happened to be two great looking guys sitting next to me. As they were both so good looking in my mind I thought neither of them could possibly be positive as I saw none of the tell tale signs. Well, after beginning a conversation with them I found that I was completely wrong. One of them had been married to a woman and negative while the other was positive when they met. They were now both positive and a couple. Now I do not think it’s great that the negative guy converted…but, what I do find great is that he just knew he wanted to be with that guy.
Many things can, do, and will happen to each of us in our lifetimes. Some will be bad, some good and some great. This is life.
Live your life, do what’s right for you. We all take risks…in fact if you are aware….people literally do swim with sharks, even climb Everest knowing full well the risks. Are these people mentally ill?
And, then there are those that just like to talk about/judge others and perhaps just unhappy with their own lives.
We want the right to be ourselves…and, then there’s Todd that wants to tell you with whom you should be having sex because you have a disease.
Mental illness comes in all forms.
When negative…I had been a bartender and had a customer one night that I thought was cute, nice and had a nice head of hair. We did end up on a date and at some point he said he needed to tell me something…I’m thinking here it comes(having heard it once or twice before)…he then proceeded to tell me that he actually had a weave. I would’ve rather he told me what I thought he was going to…that he was positive. Which he was not.
A big THANK YOU to every negative man that didn’t make me feel like I was something he needed to fear.
And, Dave…why does everyone have to cover it up. There are still people that feel just being gay is wrong, let alone having the right to marry or adopt children. And, still there are those gays that want to tell other gays how to live. How about this…BE RESPONSIBLE FOR YOURSELF AND BE HAPPY.
Scott : Yeah don’t cover it up if you don’t want to man! I’m just suggesting other members to cover it up, that’s all!
I am HIV positive;I would do anything to reverse my status.
The idea of knowingly wanting to be infected is extremely disturbing and reckless. I am thankful for life, but I am very aware that one day the virus will ultimately end my life and that is a very harsh reality. I go about my daily business doing the best that I can.
I avoid thinking or talking about my status, as I find it easier to cope with avoidance. Those individually who feel that it îs trendy to be HIV need to think again.
WoW! This is some new kinda crazy. I’ve heard about the Gift givers but the chasers? OMG! You’ve got to hate your self and life so much to do that.
There are also guys who aren’t really chasers but who just don’t care or who may fall in love with a poz guy and have his judgement clouded by love and or infatuation. I was in this situation, I fell for a guy who was positive and over time as the infatuation grew I became less concerned with safety of our sexual behavior.
There were a few times I was so tempted to say fuck it, and go raw, because I wanted us to be that close, that connected but luckily he would stop us before we crossed that line.
What is this? 1994? I think that was when I first heard of this phenomenon. It was only 2 years later when I treated my first “bugchaser”-patient.
Bugchasing is so 1990’s…
Michael: Yeah, you mean very 2015
look it up man
And to think I do the opposite. When a guy tells me he’s HIV+, I run the other way. There are only a few bugs I tolerate in my life, and this ain’t one of them…
As for these bug chasers, they should be locked up in an asylum.
Steven : HIV + guys are not all gift givers by the way. Undetectable viral load cannot transmit the virus at 96%
And what’s even worse, is that some guys actually infect someone by lying to them saying that, “I’m negative.”
It’s such a cruel world that people these days will unwilling infect someone for their sexual pleasure. And if they do wear a condom, they would forcefully break it without their partner knowing to cum inside them; which is known as stealthing. No offense to anybody, but there are times when I’m afraid to be gay. Always hearing news, people, etc, saying that homosexuals are on top of the chart to get infected by HIV.
Gree: “Judge”? If you saw a child standing in traffic, would you refrain from “judging” and leave them there? If you saw someone about to jump from a tall building, would you turn your back? If you saw a large man beating up a smaller man, would you walk away? Stopping destructive and self-destructive behavior is not “judging.”
Despite the medical advances of the past 20 years since HAART (if you do not know what the acronym means, look it up) was developed, HIV remains a very serious illness with potentially fatal consequences. The meds are not a cure, and they do not work for everyone. Any so-called “bugchaser” is gambling that the meds will work for him. If they do not he will die an ugly death.
“Bugchasing” is nothing more than suicide in ultra-slow-motion.
And here we go with that word “clean” again.
Well I’m sure we all appreciate the effort you’re trying to make with this article because the shot yourself in the foot by using a quote but once again implies that there something “dirty” about having HIV.
Well it seems like people in general have become desensitized with sex and the spread of HIV and other venerial diseases. When you look at porn advertising it shows plenty of guys Bare Backing and swallow ing cum it like a new norm Even Adam’s advertising is mostly showing guys bare backing so are we not getting a confusing message here? I like all these guys taking prep meds and have listed anything goes in their profile, which they are HIV meds that they will now have to take the rest of their lives. At least that’s what my doctor said when I was involved in tge hiv vaccine studies. In the study They had to start over because people were having un protected sex in the control group and were testing positive for a higher rate than they antisapated with a vaccine that obviously wasn’t working. At that time, my doctor said they would provide truvada as a prep for free. I decided not to take it because I was not sick. Maybe we as responsible adults need to start promoting a more holistic view that goes beyond the blog and in our lives with everyone we share it with stressing the need to allways wear a condom male female, gay,lesbian, straight, and bi. Advertising causes bad judgment; why do you think they pulled all the cigarette ads ?
This is a very scary and ongoing thing…. I have to share my story so hopefully I can change the someone’s life…. I got infected when I was 16 so ten years ago… Currently I take antiretroviral medication and I have been successfully undetectable for 6 years. My experience as an HIV positive it’s been awful people judge me all the time. Many gay guys can’t look pass my status and never give me an opportunity to love or be loved. I been bullied, black mailed and all because my status again. I’m very open about my health. I have to say that that has not stopped me from been a good man and I have grown and become stronger because of it. If I have had the choice to don’t be positive I would take it, reason why is that I can finally have the relationship I always dreamed of, I won’t take my one a day pill and no more 2 a year one litter of blood drawn off my body. I’m not ashamed of my status but I don’t prize the fact that mentally sick people want to become poz…. I hope for me and others for a cure….. We all deserve a second opportunity in life…… Peace all,our world is becoming inhospitable…. Hate and violence everywhere…..
Its nit judging but our tax dollars are eventually going toady for these idiots medical care for something that could have been avoided by using a .50cent condom. Why should the rest of society have to keep up a person that does this crap to themselves on purpose.
I think that the whole bug chaser thing is blown way out of proportion every time the media covers it. Guys who write about it as fantasy and then post it don’t always label it as such so it gets picked up by some reporter searching for salatious story online. I doubt there are that many people wanting to get a disease like HIV purposely.
seaguy : Yeah do some research you’ll find websites with hundreds of thousands of members
Please stop equating HIV negative with “clean.” It implies that being HIV+ equals “dirty,” and further divides the community. Rather than encouraging an open, non-judgmental dialogue, differentiating between “clean” and its opposite, “dirty,” only serves to hinder honesty and openness about HIV status. Perhaps if this type of blatantly judgmental terminology were eliminated, the protective measures you are all decrying as futile might be more effective when those HIV+ individuals aren’t made to feel like filth.
Gree, when I state that it is irrational and irresponsible to willfully seek infection by a potentially deadly virus, I am not judging the person who engages in this behavior. I am making an informed observation. At best, living with HIV is the ultimate inconvenience; the poz guy can never allow himself to forget to take his meds, which in turn, drain his energy and possibly his bank account. Not complying with a steady medication regime opens a poz guy to numerous other infections which may lead to misery or death. Choosing that kind of life is irrational. This pursuit is irresponsible because it places a burden on everyone in one way or another. For instance, when a poz guy is fortunate enough to have his expensive meds covered by health insurance, the cost of those meds is shifted to all of us who carry health insurance in the form of higher premiums. We can – and we do – appraise a behavior as detrimental without judging the guy who practices the unwise behavior as a bad person. In fact, a bug chaser is most likely a good person with a serious psychological disorder who needs our love and encouragement to seek treatment.
Odd I thought it was the thing of the past. I knew a couple of guys who done that so they can get public assistance and insurance they also got placed at the “HIV poz housing” . Both said they will live maybe a year or 5 less but they be taken care off till the day they drop dead. So lazy morons. It was in early 2000s … Now I guess guys do it for same or other reasons but I think society decriminalized HIV so even on this site you see young guys saying “anything goes” left and right … Maybe they are on prep maybe they are just think of HIV as another treatable chronic disease, hell one guy said hypertension kills more people a year than HIV
So, by all means, if you don’t agree, just start shaming them. Gays are so judgmental nowadays.
Matt: It’s not about being judgemental, it’s about being human, that’s all.
I wouldn’t like my sister to catch HIV because a “gift giver” would want to see her. It’s just common sense.
It’s really upsetting when someone finds out your HIV positive and then this very conversation happens. I think there’s some psychological problems with people who glamouraize and sensationalize HIV. I know it’s treatable and people can live with it but it’s not something you should go looking for. It’s the most self-destructive mindset to be in; just giving up and feeling like “well, we’re all going to get it anyway” – and we aren’t. There are plenty of people who don’t have HIV, and that’s fine.
One correction, though. I cringed when you said “clean” – this term bothers me and a lot of other poz guys. I’m clean; I shower and use deodorant and buy some expensive fragrances to make sure I smell good and look good. To suggest that someone who is poz is “dirty” is insulting. I know it probably doesn’t seem like a big thing but words are powerful. Finding out I have HIV and then telling me you’d rather be with someone who is “clean” is like a slap in the face. I know plenty of HIV negative guys who are filthy.
Wow…lots and lots of opinions out there on this. Has anyone walked a mile in the shoes of a “bug chaser? I giggle (respectfully) at those comments about these guys having mental issues and need help. I mean really? kinda late for that isn’t it? What can be done to make that determination prior to the risky engagement? Everyone has an opinion and believe they have the right one. I doubt that is the case. I would suggest there are many variables that brings a person to a precipice like this, not one single or major reason. I think it’s much more complex than we are commenting, and, I would suggest I haven’t a clue how to appoach the marginalized members of our society, the thrill seekers, those in need of mental health attention, those suffering so much that they prefer to take this way out….but a conversation like this is a good start, thank you.
I would never let peep pressure. Get the best of me. This is my health we talking. To me no condom,no sex. Their be said “I’m allergic to condom”. If their said this to me. I won’t even bother. At the best of day. I am the one. Who take care of me not them.
as a guy whose been + for a few years now, I have heard this rumor, and I think I might have even seen a documentary on it, but I have never ever met anyone nor have I ever seen a personal in CL or any public electronic dating boards. I wonder where the media comes up with these topics. There may be a few unstable people who thinks this state of being is cool, it is not, not at all, only a fool would do this to himself on purpose, and then maybe a fool deserves it.
It’s your responsibility to protect yourself, not anyone else’s to do it for you.
If you’re a dedicated safer, good for you. Don’t let anyone try to talk you into changing your ways.
If you’re a barebacker, get your tests done at least twice a year, and be honest when asked about your results.
If you’re poz and you lie about your status, whether for purposes of seduction or not, shame on you.
I diagnosed with HIV 25 years ago. Not spreading this disease became paramount in my mind. Being in a monogamous relationship in which my partner had was negative I knew I had it 6 years prior to diagnosis. We split almost immediately,it scared him too much. 5 years later I met my current partner, he is negative. We have maintained an open relationship, we play around a bit, I simply will not have risky sex… No one wants this disease, no one in their right mind. I worked 18 more years somehow balancing the meds and work. Today the only thing easier is the one pill a day… it combines 4 drugs into one. Why oh why anyone would want to infect themselves when I have worked diligently for the past 25 years in the field of prevention seems insane to me. The first time a younger guy wanted me to “seed” him, I lost it and slapped his head brutally and repeatedly, 17 years later he remains neg, and in touch, and admits that at age 18 when I met him he was confused, in our little town with no gay bar, no activities, he just wanted to feel a part… Often it is just a need to be a part… But there are many other things to be a part of, and I lead him to groups in nearby larger towns… Still baffles me today that anyone would want this disease… I make sure my friends know my struggles .. it helps with the reality of it all… we all need to focus on instilling self esteem in gay youth.. we can end this disease… we should have already…
we all judge people everyday whether we want to own it or not. its not necessarily the type of judgement that causes harm to others, but serves many other purposes. so, judging just is as it is. as for this issue, I don’t buy the excuse, “its not your life”, because another person infected with HIV is OUR issue. Keeping the rate of infections low is important to all of us who want to not contract a strain of HIV. Its important for people not to seek out costly infections unless they have the resources to pay for their care and treatment; if debilitated, then to pay for their home, food and entertainment. For those who do get a strain of HIV requiring treatment, it is our obligation to assure they get the care they deserve. This is OUR world and we all are a part of OUR whether we want to share that responsibility or not, it just is as it is. Sometimes I think it is quite an entitled attitude to think you want to get a strain of HIV; meanwhile millions of people around the globe suffer and die without an option of whether to get it or not. so the act of staying negative is a gift to all of us; as is providing care to those who have HIV. If someone wants to belong to a group, then join a running group, social advocacy group, sexual addicts anonymous group, meditation group, anarchist group and etc. There are many ways to belong to a group who will support your health and well being in return.
I haven’t heard the term bug chaser in years. At the time, the reason so many of these people were trying to get HIV is that they felt it was inevitable, so rather than stress about getting HIV for most of their lives *until in their mind, they eventually became infected* or go ahead and “get it over with” and get infected now..
That being said.. These days, when you see profiles where a HIV negative person is seeking an HIV positive person, it’s typically that they are searching for HIV+ person who is being treated and has undetectable status. You know up front that you are with someone who is healthy and whose likelihood of infecting you is much less than someone who is HIV+ (but doesn’t know and therefore isn’t being treated and is therefore much more contagious).
You see so many profiles where the person proudly posts they are HIV- as of such and such date. Guess what? Unless that person stopped having sex 2 weeks prior to that test and as been celibate or practiced flawless protected sex since then, that HIV- result means nothing.
By the way, if you haven’t done your research on PrEP.. Do so.. Taking daily Truvada protects you from becoming HIV+. Granted it’s expensive, even with insurance, but to me, it’s worth it to have that worry removed from my life.
So the bug chaser thing.. Where someone is trying to become infected is something of the past I think.. where becoming positive seemed like an inevitability to some.. Seeking positive partners these days (or at least being open to a positive partner) isn’t about becoming infected, it’s about being open to all, not ruling out someone because of a virus.
I think it’s kinda hot actually.
I remember a few years ago I was chatting with someone who told me something about this. He that there were group of men wanting the HIV just so they can get better benefits. They would host like parties or join orgies to hope to get HIV. Basically he said that the guy that wanted HIV didn’t have insurance and seeing how he’s gay with HIV, he would be covered with no exceptions or anything like that. And he also said from what I see (AND I’M NOT TRYING TO MEAN OR JUDGMENTAL WHEN I PUT THIS SO PLEASE DO NOT TAKE IT THE WRONG WAY OR SAY I SAID IT) guys that are HIV+ get looked at quicker than an HIV- person.
I am a total bottom and prefer NOT to “cover it up” when hooking up with a guy. I am not a bug chaser; I prefer the feel of bareback sex.
I protect myself by taking prEP (Truvada) EVERYDAY and getting tested every three months. This is my definition of safer sex.
BTW, I get my prEP for FREE. There are programs to help guys get prEP if they are interested. Just do a little research.
1. If your sister wanted it, who the hell are you to tell her what to do?
2. I noticed you moderated your own McDonald’s comment. Was it hard to pretend you weren’t being judgmental when you were making fun of the obese?
Matt: What do you want man? Why would someone want to deliberately become sick if he/she is healthy?
Hey guys, so I know this is unrelated to this blog but I have a question. I was just talking to a guy and told him I am undetectable a d he said that he doesn’t hook up with positive guys. The problem?? I know for a fact that he has been having sex with a friend of mine who is poz/undetectable. So, it sounds like either he is lying or my friend did not disclose his status. My question: should I tell him?? I became positive after dati g a guy that didn’t disclose to me so I know I would prefer if someone had told me. Also, we live in Ohio where it is a felony to not disclose. I am honestly not trying to start shit but feel fucked up by letting someone possibly go through the same thing I did.
I have been chasing the bug and hope I will get it soon
jacob: You should see a psychologist
Paragraph 4– “clean individuals…” please stop using this terminology for hiv- people. People living with hiv are not dirty.
OK my thing is everybody has their own specific flavor some like to wrap it up some don’t some thinking that the stress of worrying about getting HIV will be over once they getting some rather have the stress the thing that you really need to do is to think don’t go by the how the other person is reacting to medications another types of treatments you don’t know what your body will do your body might be extra sensitive to medications you may not be able to take one pill a day or get on it on a regimen and your body will be good you may start out with a really really bad complications or you may get really really bad complications later on you really don’t know it’s all going to be a risk so just be safe and just think about what you’re doing before you do it .
I’ve been living with aids for 20 years now. I’ve been through hell and back on meds, I can’t comprehend why somebody would want to get themselves infected. It’s not a glamorous disease.
All you neg whiners dream of having the kind of sex we poz guys have; dream on, you’ll never have it. You wanna fuck me raw, like most guys do?
Hell no. I can’t be bothered with the paranoia and self-hatred. Yours, that is. Most of us don’t bother, and guess what? We’re the hot guys you jack off to.
What do I want? I want you to admit you’re judgmental, against people who think differently than you, and people who are obese apparently. I want you to admit you’re just talking out of your ass. And then I want you to shut up. For good. I mean, you can’t even trust yourself not to say things you may regret later (McDonald’s comment), so why say anything at all? Stop concerning yourself with things that don’t affect you.
While I’m quite sure that chasers exist I think most guys are in the don’t care or don’t believe the statistics categories. I’ve lost count of the number of different guys I’ve fucked bareback but in the last 15 years I’ve been barebacking I’ve caught no STDs of any kind.
@ Mark R—You have been barebacking for 15 years and never had an STD?
Tell me more! What is your strategy? How did you do it or not do it? Please spill the beans!
This is stupid…WWWWWHHHHHYYYYY????
ALL THE WORK TO STOP IT AND FIND A CURE…OR AT LEAST A VACCINE….MY ex has hiv, he blamed me but i was neg…I would gladly give him the gift of taking it away from him and giving it to whoever wants it. I Love him that much. But he shuns me. He’s the one that cheated. He didn’t want HIV… sickens me. …people. Every time i get sick I think I have it…ugh
Not to be contrued wrong, but it’s astoundingly funny finding the gay population being just as judgmental as the religious and political zealots that seek to suppress a minority population.
Then you have those in the ridiculous long line of fairly basic comments, that conform with the status quo of the thread and society making assumptions on these people being mentally ill; again blindly attributing the very persecution views that the US used to tell gays and lesbias are “mentally ill”. Do you “get-off” on perpetuating very ignorant connections between ones actions, one’s fetishes, one’s own decision making process any less better than your own when you decided to half-assedly come to the conclusion that these people are mentally ill?
What is wrong with people. I’m sorry but not but here’s the reality we live in: everyone is different. People immediately apply their “godly” morally structure to those of others without taking a step back and fully assessing whether or not it’s a good idea. Someone’s right may be someone’s wrong, and vice-versa. Someone’s turn-off is another’s turn-on, vice-versa.
Y’all make these judgments on people who you do not know, all because you don’t understand or because you are utterly disgusted, which is fine because you have processed it in your mind why it doesn’t sit well with you. Yet immediately when you see someone who appears to not be with the reasoning ability, rationality, ideologies of the Status quo, you assume that they have not processed that same information as you just had.
I don’t understand how people sit on their pedal stools and say/interpret/assume “I’m better because I live a healthy life. You aren’t healthy because you are not doing the things I am doing and what society wants you to do”. Why is it that every on must follow the same pathway that everyone else does?
That being said, maybe I might just want to be with the norm of a given society because “it never cool being in the out-group” or because the world just works 100% better when we are android like beings and have no sense of individuality because we have no differences.
Yes what they do may be unsafe it may have pros and cons, but the bottom line is that is their lives, that is their decision, that is up to them to process for themselves. It’s flat out ridiculous for people to make fucked up judgments about people just to make yourself a better person, and then metaphorically wish to do away with the unfavorable population because you as individuals have voiced that you disagree with another’s actions. Flat out pathetic, disgraceful to the human race and further progressing the rate of college time human intelligence by failure to understand, “why might someone perform an action I myself can’t readily comprehend or understand?”
Use your god given brain (you obviously proven to everyone on here that you can make a rational decision for a subjective health related reason) and take on a perspective you may not understand and think. You make old people look stupid by simply saying we young folk don’t know any better, that we must be guided and spoon fed information and put faith into it 100%, as if the information will never be corrupted or poisoned in a manner that promotes hate (aka the ever changing bible). We have just the same brain as everyone else does. I, a younger person, can use it just as, and even more so effectively without still imposing any judgments, that these people are right/wrong, good/bad, etc… and they tell us respect our elders. No different than a police officer who had their feelings hurt because they felt that their authority/dominance was threatened by someone they exercised all the rights.
Enjoy all of your lives, I other find another way to make themselves feel better about themselves, before shunning someone, I remind you, that is just different.
Blog: how do you know that the people on those sites are really true bug chasers? Many of them may just be role playing for fantasy.