The Bare Facts

Bare backing is on the rise again, especially amongst young people and it seems the Porn producers and the internet are fueling the fire.

It's been part of gay culture long before HIV/AIDS began burning it's trail through the community in the early 80's. Men who have sex with other men without a condom. Some are "chasers", guys seeking out infection. Most are simply uneducated.

HIV infection in our community is on the increase especially amongst young men and the increase in Barebacking porn and websites is partly to blame.

Many young people do have the fore thought to ask their partners if they are "clean" and nowadays many websites are required to ask users to disclose their HIV status just as many do not. Many young people take what their partners say at face value. If the guy doesn't look sick then there is no problem. But in a world where there are no rules and where people who appear healthy may already have progressed to full blown AIDS or may not even know their HIV status, these men are taking their lives into their hands every time they hook up.

Damien remembers feeling invincible when he came out of the closet at the age of 19. Damien who had been raised in a Catholic family had never discussed sex with his parents or got the safe sex talk at school. Any information he had about sex had come from friends and the media and was in limited supply.

Damien's first boyfriend was 11 years older than him and a bottom. His boyfriend was only into barebacking and convinced him that it was rare for a top to contract AIDS. Even though this is not true. Damien tried it and over the course of his next few relationships applied this rule of thumb to each of his partners.

By the time he turned 21 Damien had contracted HIV.

Damien will now spend the rest of his life on Meds some of which have aweful side effects like liver damage and constant diarrhea, that he would not wish on his worst enemy.

Nearly 30% of all newly reported AIDS cases are under the age of 25 and more than 90% of those contracted the disease through unsafe sex.

How good does bare-backing feel now?