Information AboutBarebacking |
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Barebacking is a term that originated in . This term is mostly used in first-world or developed countries with a strong Gay Subculture . Barebacking, compared to sex with a condom, carries increased risk for the transmission of Sexually Transmitted Infection s, most notably HIV . The term first became widespread in the mainstream in May 2001 when Village Voice columnist Michael Musto revealed that the British-American journalist Andrew Sullivan had anonymously posted advertisements for "bareback" sex on America Online and the now-defunct website barebackcity.com. Subsequently, Italian-American journalist and activist Michelangelo Signorile wrote about the scandal in a front-page article in a New York gay magazine, LGNY, igniting a storm of controversy. BAREBACKING AMONG GAY MEN Before the discovery of HIV/AIDS in the early 1980s , anal sex without condoms had long been the norm among Men Who Had Sex With Men (MSMs). When researchers encouraged condom usage as an effective way of reducing HIV transmission, the practice of unprotected anal sex quickly became Taboo among the gay population and the need for a term to describe unprotected sex arose. Barebacking as a practice became increasingly common again among MSMs in the mid- 1990s . This has been popularly attributed to the introduction of Protease Inhibitor s and other drugs for treating HIV infections, which changed the nature of HIV infection in first-world nations from an untreatable terminal illness to a treatable chronic malady. Another reason cited for the rise in barebacking is the decreasing effectiveness of health education messages in the gay community that promote condom use (see Condom Fatigue ). A third reason cited by some epidemiologists for the sharp rise in barebacking is the recently increased popularity of Methamphetamines amongst gay men. Some gay men who engage in barebacking report that they find the practice erotic or exciting because sex without a condom has become Moral Taboo amongst many in the mainstream gay community. The perceived moral transgression and risk increases its erotic charge for some. Barebacking by gay men is controversial both inside and outside the gay community. Some condemn barebacking and barebackers because they believe that the practice has caused upsurges in of STI and HIV infections among young people and has given bad publicity to the gay community. Other commentators say that the publicity that barebacking has received is disporportionate to its pervasiveness, and that any focus by news media or epidemiologists on barebacking has more to do with stereotypes of gay men as promiscuous and irresponsible, along with the larger culture's fear of gay male sexuality, instead of any real change in what gay men are doing. The latter group of commentators may also argue that adult men should be able to engage in the consensual acts of their choosing without permission or apology. Barebacking has become a fetish among some in the gay community. In addition to bareback pornography (see below), there are websites and discussion boards on the Internet devoted exclusively to barebacking that feature pictures of men engaged in bareback sex, personal advertisements of men seeking bareback sex with other men and erotic short stories involving barebacking. This subculture has developed its own slang terms, such as "breeding" (ejaculation inside the rectum of the receptive participant), "Russian Roulette party" (a group sex party attended by HIV positive persons and HIV negative persons, the latter taking the chance that they may become infected with HIV), "conversion party" (a group sex party where one or more HIV negative persons allow themselves to become infected by HIV positive persons) and "cumdump" (a person who takes loads of sperm from one or more persons in any orifice). Bareback.com is one website that not only embraces this community but also promotes bareback sex among the gay community. Other sites with explicit bareback content include Ultimatebareback.com, Barebackjack.com and BNSkin.com. As these sites and others like them grow in popularity, so does the number of active barebackers. The bareback trend seems to be reaching new heights with a younger audience on the Internet. Bareback Pornography has become popular among some gay men, including some bareback films that portray Ejaculation In The Rectum or on the anus of the models in the films. There are a number of gay pornography studios that produce bareback films. United States studios include SX Video , Hot Desert Knights , Treasure Island Media and Cobra Video . A number of Eastern European studios supply the increasing demand from homosexual men in North America and Western Europe for bareback pornography, including SEVP and Eurocreme (which markets bareback films under their “Bare”, “Raw”, “Punkz” and “Twinkz” brands) and Czech producers who supply footage to Hot Desert Knights for their "international line". These studios and the stars of their films have often come under heavy criticism for showing--and perhaps romaticising--bareback sex, particularly to young gay men. However, some proponents claim the films actually keep barebacking to a minimum in the gay community by providing men with a visual substitute for the actual act. Some bareback pornography studios say that they do not inquire whether their models are HIV positive, but assume that they are. Other bareback studios claim that they test their models for HIV antibodies and only hire models who are HIV negative. Bugchasers and gift givers ''Main article: Bugchaser '' Amongst the population of gay men who bareback, there are those who call themselves ''gift givers'' and ''bug chasers.'' A "gift giver" is an HIV positive person who seeks to infect others with HIV. A "bug chaser" is an HIV negative person who seeks to be infected with HIV. There are no statistics about how large the population of gift givers and bug chasers is, and there is some controversy about whether this group is large enough to be notable. Some have theorized that the practice of "bug chasing" is often done by those experiencing intense feelings of hopelessness and who therefore wish to relieve themselves of the fear and anxiety associated with anticipating an HIV infection, as it is "inevitable" in their eyes that they will someday be infected with the disease. It has also been described as creating a closer connection to a partner, as a parallel to a woman becoming impregnated. Others have observed that it is the indirect result of a misleading portrayal of "healthy" men in HIV drug cocktail advertisements, which they say downplay the seriousness of the disease. This practice has been widely reprimanded by HIV prevention and awareness advocates in the gay community as furthering the spread of HIV. With the widespread emphasis on HIV/AIDS prevention within the mainstream gay population, it is safe to assume that the average gay man does not engage in such activities and that the mainstream media merely focuses on this area as a matter of sensation. Nevertheless, some homosexual men fantasize about gift giving and bug chasing. For example, bareback websites like Barebackbug.net, Bugtales.net and BNSkin.com contain a large number of erotic short stories involving gift giving and bug chasing. HETEROSEXUAL BAREBACKING Condom use amongst straight people has dramatically increased during the last 20 years as groups respond to health messages about HIV/AIDS prevention. In some groups, the use of a condom has become the norm, and the use of the word "bareback" has gained utility as a way to describe sex without a condom, especially between anonymous or casual partners. Anonymous or casual heterosexual sex without a condom has not created the Moral Panic that gay barebacking has. This can be attributed to the fact that gay men have become more organized in STD awareness with the onset of the AIDS crisis during the 1980s and many have developed a strong moratorium on sex without a condom for matters of safety. BAREBACKING AND PROSTITUTION In the sex trade, the willingness to bareback is a selling point for Prostitutes to their clients. In heterosexual prostitution many experienced clients seek out a proverbial "girlfriend experience." Many prostitutes are willing to perform a bareback blowjob (BBBJ) under the belief that it is less risky than other forms of unprotected contact with body fluids. SEE ALSO EXTERNAL LINKS |
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