Gay subculture? bug chasing and gift giving... really??? (2013, community, document)

[F2BBS]

Here is the manuscript:

Frederick, B.J. (2013). 'Bug chasing' and 'gift giving' as HIV-related transgression [Manuscript in preparation]. University of Kent at Canterbury. | Brian J. Frederick - Academia.edu

I find this hard to believe. I am bi (total top when with guys and always safe) and I've never heard of this ever. Can someone shed some light on this?

[hammertime33]

Originally Posted by F2BBS

Here is the manuscript:

Frederick, B.J. (2013). 'Bug chasing' and 'gift giving' as HIV-related transgression [Manuscript in preparation]. University of Kent at Canterbury. | Brian J. Frederick - Academia.edu

I find this hard to believe. I am bi (total top when with guys and always safe) and I've never heard of this ever. Can someone shed some light on this?

Here's you're explanation: a small portion of people are extremely crazy.

[Chimuelojones]

Originally Posted by F2BBS

Here is the manuscript:

Frederick, B.J. (2013). 'Bug chasing' and 'gift giving' as HIV-related transgression [Manuscript in preparation]. University of Kent at Canterbury. | Brian J. Frederick - Academia.edu

I find this hard to believe. I am bi (total top when with guys and always safe) and I've never heard of this ever. Can someone shed some light on this?

Purchase the Cliff's notes.

[hammertime33]

Originally Posted by Chimuelojones

Purchase the Cliff's notes.

Or perhaps the OP should just read the journal article he linked to.

[F2BBS]

Originally Posted by hammertime33

Or perhaps the OP should just read the journal article he linked to.

I skimmed it but I get the point. A google search can net a lot of this wacky info:

Google

[hammertime33]

Originally Posted by F2BBS

I skimmed it but I get the point. A google search can net a lot of this wacky info:

Google

I actually have a very good friend (known her since we were 5) who is a clinical psychologist and once had a 17 year old client who was a "bug chaser" (I asked her about the phenomenon after I came across and watched a documentary called "The Gift" about bug chasing). If I recall our conversations about this (this was many years ago), she said that, in general, these people have one of two pathologies.

1) A severe anxiety disorder. They have convinced themselves that they will get HIV and are so debilitating anxious about it it's easier in their minds to just get HIV and not have to worry about whether they will contract it anymore.

2) A severe sense of rejection and not being about to be part of a community. They feel that becoming HIV positive will connect them to a community, and more specifically a community that shares their experience of feeling rejection and of being ostracized.

In either case, very sick people.