The case of "riding bareback": sexual practices and the paradoxes of identity in the era of AIDS

Going Bareback: Time and Aging in a Gay-for-Pay Porn Career

This article explores a critical moment of going bareback in the career of arguably the biggest gay porn performer of the 2010s, Johnny Rapid. The analysis reveals a decidedly negative reception of Rapid, the promotion of bareback as event, and the quality of the bareback performance itself, all of which I read in accordance with what these narratives have to tell us about bareback at the time. Yet I also take the opportunity-writing several years after this critical moment in Rapid's career-to reflect on the success of the campaign. I read the case study in line with the concept of time, which has particular resonance with bareback. Through this reflection, I arrive at the conclusion that the time was right for an aging twink performer to be freshened-up by a transition to bareback-similar transitions of which have become widespread across the gay porn landscape in the intervening years between the 2015 Johnny Rapid Goes Bareback event and the present day, thanks in no small part to advancements in HIV prevention technologies.

Reflections on the history of bareback sex through ethnography: the works of subjectivity and PrEP

Throughout the history of bareback sex (condomless sex between men), 'subjects' have been created, particularly through scientific literature, to characterise the men who engage in the sexual practice. For example, a gay man who does not use a condom may be framed as a pathologised subject. This paper first presents this history. Afterwards, by relying upon ethnographic data such as interviews collected from fieldwork research done in Toronto in 2014 with young gay men who have bareback sex, it shows exactly how these young gay men related themselves to those subjects. Then, it focuses on the pre-exposure prophylaxis (PrEP) Truvada as a new HIV prevention technology. Although PrEP can allow condomless sex to occur while diminishing the risk of HIV transmission, at the time of the research, none of the young gay men were interested in using this tool despite being the subjects for whom the drug is tailored. This paper argues that PrEP and subjectivity are coproduced and can have conflicting meanings. This contradiction of meanings is a result of the various representations and symbols of bareback sex and the men who engage in the practice that have been produced throughout the history of bareback sex.

PrEP Whores and HIV Prevention: The Queer Communication of HIV Pre-Exposure Prophylaxis (PrEP)

HIV pre-exposure prophylaxis (PrEP) has been introduced as another biomedical tool in HIV prevention. Whereas other such tools-including post-exposure prophylaxis (PEP) and interruption of perinatal transmission-have been embraced by those impacted by HIV, PrEP has been met with more conflict, especially within the gay community and HIV organizations. The "PrEP whore" has come to designate the social value and personal practices of those taking PrEP. This study examines the "PrEP whore" discourse by using queer theory and quare theory. Within these theoretical vantage points, the study explicates four discursive areas: slut shaming, dirty/clean binaries, mourning the loss of condoms, and reclaiming the inner whore. The study illuminates possible discursive strategies that lie outside of the domains of public health and within the individual and community.

HIV/AIDS in Asian and Pacific Islander Communities in the United States: A Follow-up Review and Analysis with Recommendations for Researchers and Practitioners

A steady increase in the spread of HIV in Asian and Pacific Islander (API) communities in the United States has been reported in the new millennium. This article provides an update on Yep's earlier synthesis of research on HIV/AIDS in API communities in the United States [1], and offers recommendations for further theoretical work and community interventions. First, the AIDS Risk Reduction Model (ARRM) is introduced and described. Second, using ARRM as an organizing framework, behavioral research on API HIV/AIDS published since 1992–93 is reviewed and synthesized. Third, the ARRM is examined for its appropriateness for API communities. Finally, recommendations are offered for researchers and practitioners doing HIV education and prevention work in U.S. API communities in the coming decade.

AIDS in any community of color involves a thorough discourse on AIDSphobia, racism, homophobia, sex(uality), sexism, classism, and other social diseases that compose the total realities of the pandemic…. The AIDS crisis in Asian America is riddled with complexities [2, pp. 201–202].

The development of Asian American responses to the HIV/AIDS epidemic has been a struggle for visibility and particularity within an epidemic in which Asians and Pacific Islanders were first invisible and then seen as monocultural by dominant institutions [3, p. 63].

Fetishizing the health sciences: Queer theory as an intervention

Queer theory often falls impotent in its palatability across disciplinary lines. I offer a conceptual paper that interrogates the disease and divide when considering queer theory in and for the health sciences. In so doing, I look to foster a process of making queer theory more tenable to applied practice - and to make practice in social work, at least, more queer. The exemplar of HIV is deconstructed as a preeminent discourse and health disparity. In the end, it is argued that queer theory may be an essential intervention in the arsenal of the helping professions.

A cibersexualidade e a pesquisa online: algumas reflexões sobre o conceito de barebacking

Este artigo é decorrente de uma pesquisa online sobre aspectos da sexualidade masculina, mais precisamente sobre as interações masculinas em novos contextos da epidemia de HIV/Aids. Busca discutir as possibilidades da internet como campo de pesquisa, considerando os aspectos socioculturais abertos pelas novas tecnologias de informação. Este é o caso das práticas de barebacking, geralmente definido como sexo anal desprotegido de forma intencional. Mais especificamente, neste artigo, serão problematizadas algumas tensões e ambiguidades conceituais do barebacking, sobretudo no que diz respeito ao sexo desprotegido entre parceiros fixos e entre parceiros ocasionais, de acordo com a discussão desenvolvida por alguns usuários das comunidades do Orkut, no contexto brasileiro. Finalmente, destaca-se que os atores que se dizem barebackers não são, necessariamente, mais os mesmos, tampouco entendem o conceito da mesma forma, o que exige uma reflexão mais ampla sobre seus distintos usuários e contextos de uso.

Barebacking: a review of the literature

This article synthesizes the peer-reviewed literature about barebacking, an HIV risk behavior that is generally understood as intentional unprotected anal intercourse between men where HIV transmission is a possibility. Of the 42 academic reports identified in the Anglophone literature, the greatest attention is given to U.S. publications and empirical projects. The variable nomenclature about barebacking is recognized and it is concluded that although epidemiological data suggest prevalence of barebacking varies across regions, time, and serostatus, the majority of men who have sex with men (MSM) do not intentionally seek out condomless anal sex. Findings show that macro-, meso-, interpersonal-, and intrapersonal level factors, such as homonegativity, community norms, partner intimacy, and drug use, converge to influence the likelihood that an individual will bareback. A conceptual framework to examine the reciprocal and dynamic relationships sustaining barebacking is proposed. In examining the theoretical and methodological limitations of the research about barebacking, the atheoretical nature of the studies, failure to report analyses conducted, and suboptimal measures are included among the study constraints. Furthermore, in research to date, the majority of participants have been white, urban, and gay-identified; thus, more research is needed to capture the viewpoints of diverse MSM communities. There has also been an overly individualistic focus on barebacking which needs to be tempered by greater consideration of the impact of macro- and meso-level factors upon MSM's behavior. With respect to programmatic responses, more culturally bound strategies are called for.

Is 'bareback' a useful construct in primary HIV-prevention? Definitions, identity and research

The terms bareback and bareback identity are increasingly being used in academic discourse on HIV/AIDS without clear operationalization. Using in-depth, face-to-face interviews with an ethnically diverse sample of 120 HIV-infected and -uninfected men, mainly gay-identifying and recruited online in New York City, this study explored respondents' definitions of bareback sex, the role that intentionality and risk played in those definitions, and whether respondents identified as 'barebackers'. Results showed overall agreement with a basic definition of bareback sex as condomless anal intercourse, but considerable variation on other elements. Any identification as barebacker appeared too loose to be of use from a public health prevention perspective. To help focus HIV-prevention efforts, we propose a re-conceptualization that contextualises risky condomless anal intercourse and distinguishes between behaviours that are intentional and may result in HIV-primary transmission from those that are not.

Barebacking among MSM Internet users

This theory-driven study explored the phenomenon barebacking among Men who have Sex with Men (MSM) Internet users. Two hundred and forty men were recruited online and asked to complete a web-based survey. Forty percent of men in this geographically diverse sample reported engaging in bareback sex. Consistent with other research, findings demonstrate that compared with non-barebackers, men who engage in bareback sex are more likely to use alcohol in sexual contexts, use the Internet to meet sex partners, engage in any unsafe sex, and report higher degree of sexual sensation seeking. They are also more likely to report lower perception of safer sex social norms and lower self-efficacy for limiting HIV risk. Lack of concept discrimination between unprotected anal intercourse and barebacking suggests barebacking is a neologism that serves as a manifestation of the changing nature of sexual risk taking among some MSM. Opportunities for reducing the rate of HIV transmission among MSM are suggested.

Intentional seroconversion in the gay community: the social work role in assessment and intervention

There is a reported increase of intentional seroconversion in the United States over the past several years in the gay community (Crossley, 2004; Trinufol, 2003). This article reports on a sample (n = 24) of men who identify their motivations behind their pursuit of seroconversion. Respondents were asked to identify what motivations were connected to their attempt to become seropositive. Three general variables emerged as potential indicators: (1) seeking relief from emotional HIV fatigue, (2) the wish to be closer with one's HIV positive partner, and (3) the expectation to become HIV positive. By identifying these possible motivations (both psychological and sociocultural), sex educators and therapists providing counseling to the gay male community may be better equipped to more effectively identify clients at high risk for intentional seroconversion. Recommendations for assessment and intervention with those at high risk for such behaviors are provided by the authors.

Bareback sex and the law: the difficult issue of HIV status disclosure

1. Unsafe anal intercourse (bareback sex) is on the rise within the gay community. 2. Barebacking constitutes a sexual practice with strong HIV-related legal implications. Nurses need to be aware of public health laws to be able to protect clients from undue legal prosecution. 3. Nurses need to be aware of the components of HIV pretest counseling. 4. Adopting a nonjudgmental, matter-of-fact approach is essential in establishing effective therapeutic relationships with clients who engage in bareback sex.

Cybercartography of popular internet sites used by New York City men who have sex with men interested in bareback sex

A systematic method was used to elicit the names of the six most popular free Internet sites used by gay men and other men who have sex with men in New York City, to meet partners for "bareback" sex. An analysis of the sites characteristics shows that men can use mainstream Internet sites, gay-specific sites, and sex-focused sites free of charge to search for bareback sex partners, selecting by location, physical attributes, sexual mode, HIV-serostatus, and other characteristics. Many individuals use these sites, producing the impression that bareback sex is not an oddity confined to just a few. The official language of the bareback sites associates bareback sex with masculinity and courage, prioritizing pleasure, freedom, choice, and intimacy over HIV-transmission prevention. The sites facilitate sexual experimentation and the expansion of bareback networks. Although some consider bareback sex to represent a failure of HIV prevention, this study suggests that harm reduction strategies may be viable within bareback networks.

The urban environment and sexual risk behavior among men who have sex with men

Increasingly, studies show that characteristics of the urban environment influence a wide variety of health behaviors and disease outcomes, yet few studies have focused on the sexual risk behaviors of men who have sex with men (MSM). This focus is important as many gay men reside in or move to urban areas, and sexual risk behaviors and associated outcomes have increased among some urban MSM in recent years. As interventions aimed at changing individual-level risk behaviors have shown mainly short-term effects, consideration of broader environmental influences is needed. Previous efforts to assess the influence of environmental characteristics on sexual behaviors and related health outcomes among the general population have generally applied three theories as explanatory models: physical disorder, social disorganization and social norms theories. In these models, the intervening mechanisms specified to link environmental characteristics to individual-level outcomes include stress, collective efficacy, and social influence processes, respectively. Whether these models can be empirically supported in generating inferences about the sexual behavior of urban MSM is underdeveloped. Conceptualizing sexual risk among MSM to include social and physical environmental characteristics provides a basis for generating novel and holistic disease prevention and health promotion interventions.

The trouble with "MSM" and "WSW": erasure of the sexual-minority person in public health discourse

Men who have sex with men (MSM) and women who have sex with women (WSW) are purportedly neutral terms commonly used in public health discourse. However, they are problematic because they obscure social dimensions of sexuality; undermine the self-labeling of lesbian, gay, and bisexual people; and do not sufficiently describe variations in sexual behavior.MSM and WSW often imply a lack of lesbian or gay identity and an absence of community, networks, and relationships in which same-gender pairings mean more than merely sexual behavior. Overuse of the terms MSM and WSW adds to a history of scientific labeling of sexual minorities that reflects, and inadvertently advances, heterosexist notions. Public health professionals should adopt more nuanced and culturally relevant language in discussing members of sexual-minority groups.

Need fulfillment in the sexual relationships of HIV-infected men who have sex with men

This article explores the associations among sexual need fulfillment, partner selection, and risky sexual behavior, using a functional/motivational perspective. The authors suggest that sexual needs influence partner selection (e.g., steady versus nonsteady), and engaging in UAI is influenced by sexual needs and partner selection. A sample of 108 HIV-positive gay men completed measures of sexual frequency, sexual risk-taking behaviors, and sexual need fulfillment. Results indicated support for both objectives. These men were more likely to choose a steady partner when they possessed greater relationship needs, whereas while men with higher substitution and pleasure needs were more likely to select nonsteady partners. In addition, only men who reported greater substitution needs were more likely to engage in UAI. The results suggest that certain sexual needs influence partner selection, but that sexual needs also influence what activities occur in the encounter.

Barebacking identity among HIV-positive gay and bisexual men: demographic, psychological, and behavioral correlates

OBJECTIVES

To determine the correlates associated with barebacking identity among HIV-positive gay and bisexual men.

DESIGN

An analysis of data from the baseline quantitative assessment of a randomized controlled intervention study of 1168 HIV-positive gay and bisexual men from New York City and San Francisco.

METHODS

Participants were actively and passively recruited from mainstream gay venues, AIDS service organizations, and public and commercial sex environments. Participants completed a computerized quantitative questionnaire assessing their identity as a barebacker, sexual behavior, demographic factors, psychosocial states, perceptions of health risks, and substance use.

RESULTS

Men of color were less likely to identify themselves as barebackers. Men who did identify themselves as barebackers were slightly younger. They were more likely to miss a dose of medication; report drug use (non-injection and injection); exhibit higher levels of sexual compulsivity and lower personal responsibility for safer sex; and report higher rates of unprotected insertive anal intercourse, unprotected receptive anal intercourse, and unprotected insertive oral intercourse with all partners, regardless of their HIV serostatus.

CONCLUSION

Barebacking and its corresponding behaviors pose immediate public health risks for HIV-positive gay and bisexual men. Further work is needed to understand this phenomenon more fully in relation to the psychological, sociological, biomedical, and cultural realities.

The violence of heteronormativity in communication studies: notes on injury, healing, and queer world-making

Heteronormativity is everywhere. It is always already present in our individual and collective psyches, social institutions, cultural practices, and knowledge systems. In this essay, I provide some sketches for a critical analysis of heteronormativity in the communication discipline. More specifically, I examine the symbolic, discursive, psychological, and material violence of heteronormativity, and begin exploring ways to heal, grow, transform, and contemplate new possibilities in our social world. To accomplish this, this essay is divided into live sections. First, I discuss the study of sexuality in Communication. Next, through the notion of injury, I focus on the violence of heteronormativity. Third, using the concept of healing, I discuss ways of unpacking heteronormativity through a critique of hegemonic heterosexuality. Further, I offer potential ways for queer world-making through the lens of queer theory. I conclude by exploring the need for more sexuality research in the discipline by engaging the productive tensions between constructive and deconstructive impulses.