This Is One Fetish I Just Dont Get...

[Lee]

Bug chasers/chasing.

Last night we were talking to this guy who turned around and told us he liked having sex with HIV+ men even though he was negative and he actually *wanted* to get HIV himself.

I just dont understand that mentality at all its kinda creepy actually.

He then went on to explain that the reason he wanted to was because he wanted to 'share' something special with the person he was fucking and *hopefully* (so it might not even happen) build a lasting relationship with them.

Does anyone else find this odd?

Regards,

Lee

[Sana Chan]

Sounds like a strange form of suicide to me. Sorta like someone taking small amounts of arsenic or cyinide for a few years to see when it will kill them.

[gaystoryman]

Nope, I don't get it, but then I don't get 'people' anymore either.. :kickcan:

[gaybucks_chip]

There was a big article in Rolling Stone sometime back about this. Basically, these guys have serious mental problems; they are royally screwed up people who are seeking attention and somehow have the misguided notion that they will be part of an "in crowd" if they catch HIV.

The Rolling Stone article included interviews with guys who had caught "the bug" and now realized how foolish they had been, because of the health complications, medication regimen, etc. that they had to follow.

I wish good quality counseling/therapy was available for everyone who needed it, because I think a lot of the people who get HIV and don't intend to are people who have esteem problems and don't feel assertive enough to ask their partner to use a condom, or are the "bug chaser" types. Some are just simply playing the odds, and perhaps that's their choice, but I really wish the ones who are making those decisions because of not feeling good about themselves could have access to the assistance they need to be able to make healthy decisons.

[HotMaleVideos]

Yeah, it's a real binding experience... for all of the 10 seconds the orgasm lasts.

I met someone like this once also, and he equated it to getting bred/pregnant by his partner.

I wanted to tell him to just get a puppy, but it was sort of an awkward silent moment after that. :hmm:

It's really sad.

[Madame0120]

Bug chasers/chasing.

Does anyone else find this odd?

Regards,

Lee

Odd? That's not even close. What bothers me the most.. is that someone like that, will want to share himself when he does contract some sexual illness, without reguard to anyone else.

For 25 years I've been watching gay men do the stupidest things. This about take the cake.

[chubbs]

Wow, just when I thought I had seen it all. No, I have not heard of "bug chasing". Sad if you ask me.

--Chubbs

[JamesXR]

Isn't there a strong movement to help empower and bring HIV positive people together. Perhaps that sense of support and community is attractive to some people. People love to play the victim, perhaps bug chasing is voluntary victimhood. It seems like there are programs in place to catch you and take care of you the moment you take the plunge into being positive. Maybe I'm ill-informed, but then I'm sure that many bug chasers are too. Perhaps aids has been destigmatized to the point where it's not scary enough to outweigh the community and support for the members.
It would seem that being gay would be enough of a minority to belong to, but the grass is always greener on the other side.

[Richard Craver]

Nope, I don't get it, but then I don't get 'people' anymore either.. :kickcan:

how true!

bug chasers are mentally ill and need help fast!
if someone tells you that they are bugchaser then you've got to treat them like you would anyone else who tells you that they thinking seriously about committing suicide.

ie be proactive: get them help yourself... tell everyone they know that the person needs help... parents, friends, lovers etc.

if you stand by and do nothing then you are aiding and abetting their (slow)suicide.

[IdolKnights]

somehow have the misguided notion that they will be part of an "in crowd" if they catch HIV.

The brotherhood aspect is the number one thing people talk about.

When I lived in St. Pete I had a chance to meet a few Chasers as well as someone who went to a bug party and did contract hiv.

His pride was not in the brotherhood but something that "bugged" me out...

The party had 2 guys from a bb studio and the guy was the proud owner of the "model name" strain.

I'm not going to say the model or the studio but it kind of takes celebrity worship to a new level.

[Marc]

On the straight side, when Lara Roxx got infected from doing an internal scene I remember straight men saying that they would want to see it. That it would be kind of hot to watch her get infected as it's happening.

I remember one straight webmaster who made an std site, about how hot it is to play with girls who have herped and other stds. And hiv was sexy.
So its not just the gay side.

[Marc]

told us he liked having sex with HIV+ men even though he was negative

not for long

Eh...he's living in a fantasy. Either he's talking about it to have something to jack off thinking about, or he's caught it by now and living in a fantasy that he's neg so he can keep his fantasy going. It doesnt take that long to get it.

This is from a profile from someone who is positive. I think its fantastic he wrote this:
for you bug hunters its about 2,800.00 + A month to live with HIV I pay 33% of that out of pocket every month.
think long and hard before you ask for it or go looking for it. and if you think getting it makes you cool HAHA guess what your not

[DonMike]

There was a time in my life when I had just graduated college and was really lonely and depressed and would have done anything to "fit in" with almost any subculture. I think, in a lot of ways, this is what draws people to religious cults, gangs, and the bug chasing culture. It's wanting to belong. The sad thing is that there are a lot of predators who look for people like this because they know they can exploit their weakness. I don't know how one attains the feeling of belonging once they catch the bug, maybe they graduate into being a gift giver. I don't know. I can't say anyone is stupid for doing anything if they have their own reasons, I just wish people would make more informed decisions or that there were more options available to them. Maybe a support group for people who are into bug chasing so they can find alternate means of acceptance, love, maybe even hot sex. Then again, there are people who like to get tied up by people they don't know because the fear of death excites them. And there are people who like to swim in shark infested waters, jump out of planes on boogie boards and all manner of crazy things.

[JamesXR]

Should health insurance and medicare be able to ban someone who was proven to be a bug chaser? It would be a lot less attractive of a community if the main topic of conversation was, "How will I get ahold of the money that I need to stay alive?"
That's harsh, but right now the fact that you don't have to pay any portion of the costs is essentially endorsing it as a lifestyle. You should be able to put people on the list the moment they mention the interest so that they know they're on their own if they go through with it.

[JamesXR]

I actually understand the attraction to being a part of something. I think that this is a huge part of human behavior and bug seekers are simply one manifestation of it. Plenty of people give up their free will to their church every day. They have a way out, but their not thinking about the way out when they get in.
Are HIV positive people compensating for the stigma with an extra dose of confidence? If someone is confident in themselves and conveys a mastery of the world around them, whatever they're doing is immediately attractive to those around them. Salesmen do this. They fake success and happiness to get people to follow them.
Bug chasing doesn't seem to be that unusual for the human condition. I think instead of viewing bug chasers as crazy, you need to look at what makes it attractive and break down those aspects. "You're a crazy person." doesn't focus on the reasons that the person took it up in the first place, and seems easy to brush aside.