**Peg**
Jan 9, 2009, 8:55 AM
http://tinyurl.com/8829ab
Mindy (the author) entitled this article "A twisted homosexual world" :
Growing numbers of gay men are having unprotected sex and some of them are either deliberately transmitting HIV to other men or are trying to get infected, says an alarmed academic.
So-called bug-chasers are HIV-negative men who are either unopposed to getting infected or are actively pursuing it, says Kevin Alderson, an associate professor of counselling psychology at the University of Calgary.
In turn, gift-givers -- what a terrible misnomer -- are gay men who are willing to infect others. Some of them will tell their HIV-negative partners of their plans -- attracting the bug-chasers. Other gift-givers, however, don't let on, says Alderson.
They may have a warped sense of altruism by wanting to pass something on to others or they may simply be "the worst kind of hedonistic psychopaths" who don't care about others, he says.
"It is twisted. I can barely understand it," says Alderson, who gave a presentation on the increase in unprotected gay sex, known as barebacking, at a sexual health conference in Edmonton last year.
There are several reasons why bug-chasers try to get infected, he says. Some are so fed up with the constant worry about catching HIV that they seek it out. "Once they're infected, then their anxiety's over because they've created their own self-fulfilling prophecy."
Others are sexual risk-takers or want HIV out of loneliness or as an odd testament to group solidarity. "I'd rather belong to a different group," says an incredulous Alderson. "Why belong to the HIV-positive group?"
Deliberately acquiring HIV is also seen as a political activity, a deranged backlash against the stigmatization of homosexuals. To these determined bug-chasers, getting infected is "empowering," says Alderson.
http://www.edmontonsun.com/News/Columnists/Jacobs_Mindelle/2009/01/09/7964761-sun.html
A twisted homosexual world
No scientific studies have been done on gay men who are either trying to infect others or become infected. But in 2004, U.S. researchers looked at 24,000 Internet profiles on a website that targets barebackers. Of those, 1,600 said they were either bug-chasers or gift-givers.
Sexual connections over the Internet, party drugs, which reduce inhibitions, and condom fatigue have contributed to the increase in barebacking, says Alderson.
Researchers estimate that up to 45% of gay men are engaging in unprotected sex, he adds.
"To be fair, the majority of HIV-positive people do tell their partners before they involve themselves in any sexual activity. But there are those who don't."
And barebacking can mean dire consequences even for those who are already sick, he says, because they can get another strain of HIV that's resistant to drugs.
A larger problem is that most gay men don't know if they're infected, says Alderson. A 2005 U.S. study found that 77% of young gay males who tested positive for HIV incorrectly believed they were uninfected.
BAREBACKING
A paper published last year in the journal AIDS Behaviour also expressed concern about the barebacking phenomenon. Not only has the Internet been instrumental in linking bareback partners, it may be increasing the social pressure on some in the gay community to view unprotected sex as normal, the authors warn.
Furthermore, 18% of the barebackers surveyed for the study said they'd had unprotected sex with a woman in the past two months, indicating a "cross-over" HIV risk between gay males and the larger community.
"There's nothing cool about becoming HIV-positive," says Alderson. "Realize there is no cure for HIV. The virus is still there and it's on the increase. Protect yourself by wearing condoms."
Mindy (the author) entitled this article "A twisted homosexual world" :
Growing numbers of gay men are having unprotected sex and some of them are either deliberately transmitting HIV to other men or are trying to get infected, says an alarmed academic.
So-called bug-chasers are HIV-negative men who are either unopposed to getting infected or are actively pursuing it, says Kevin Alderson, an associate professor of counselling psychology at the University of Calgary.
In turn, gift-givers -- what a terrible misnomer -- are gay men who are willing to infect others. Some of them will tell their HIV-negative partners of their plans -- attracting the bug-chasers. Other gift-givers, however, don't let on, says Alderson.
They may have a warped sense of altruism by wanting to pass something on to others or they may simply be "the worst kind of hedonistic psychopaths" who don't care about others, he says.
"It is twisted. I can barely understand it," says Alderson, who gave a presentation on the increase in unprotected gay sex, known as barebacking, at a sexual health conference in Edmonton last year.
There are several reasons why bug-chasers try to get infected, he says. Some are so fed up with the constant worry about catching HIV that they seek it out. "Once they're infected, then their anxiety's over because they've created their own self-fulfilling prophecy."
Others are sexual risk-takers or want HIV out of loneliness or as an odd testament to group solidarity. "I'd rather belong to a different group," says an incredulous Alderson. "Why belong to the HIV-positive group?"
Deliberately acquiring HIV is also seen as a political activity, a deranged backlash against the stigmatization of homosexuals. To these determined bug-chasers, getting infected is "empowering," says Alderson.
http://www.edmontonsun.com/News/Columnists/Jacobs_Mindelle/2009/01/09/7964761-sun.html
A twisted homosexual world
No scientific studies have been done on gay men who are either trying to infect others or become infected. But in 2004, U.S. researchers looked at 24,000 Internet profiles on a website that targets barebackers. Of those, 1,600 said they were either bug-chasers or gift-givers.
Sexual connections over the Internet, party drugs, which reduce inhibitions, and condom fatigue have contributed to the increase in barebacking, says Alderson.
Researchers estimate that up to 45% of gay men are engaging in unprotected sex, he adds.
"To be fair, the majority of HIV-positive people do tell their partners before they involve themselves in any sexual activity. But there are those who don't."
And barebacking can mean dire consequences even for those who are already sick, he says, because they can get another strain of HIV that's resistant to drugs.
A larger problem is that most gay men don't know if they're infected, says Alderson. A 2005 U.S. study found that 77% of young gay males who tested positive for HIV incorrectly believed they were uninfected.
BAREBACKING
A paper published last year in the journal AIDS Behaviour also expressed concern about the barebacking phenomenon. Not only has the Internet been instrumental in linking bareback partners, it may be increasing the social pressure on some in the gay community to view unprotected sex as normal, the authors warn.
Furthermore, 18% of the barebackers surveyed for the study said they'd had unprotected sex with a woman in the past two months, indicating a "cross-over" HIV risk between gay males and the larger community.
"There's nothing cool about becoming HIV-positive," says Alderson. "Realize there is no cure for HIV. The virus is still there and it's on the increase. Protect yourself by wearing condoms."