Bugchasing (or Bug chasing) is a term, invented in the 1990s, stemming out of a subculture of gay men wanting (Chasing) to become infected with HIV. Bug chasers "chase" the bug by seeking sexual partners who are HIV positive for the purpose of having unprotected sex and having the partner change their seroconversion status. See also 1990s, the band Germans dancing on the Berlin Wall in late 1989, the symbol of the cold war divide falls down as the world unites in the 1990s. ... For other articles with similar names, see Gay (disambiguation). ... Human immunodeficiency virus or HIV is a retrovirus that causes Acquired Immunodeficiency Syndrome (AIDS), a condition in which the immune system begins to fail, leading to life-threatening opportunistic infections. ...

Bug chasing as activity

Though the practice of bug chasing seems incredibly risky and, in a worst case scenario, tantamount to suicide, interviews with "chasers" have identified recurring motivations for participating in the activity. Among these motivations:

• Some couples see infecting the other partner as the deepest level of intimacy.
• Some men report that the element of danger in sexual encounters of this kind (including the "Russian roulette" activity) adds to the "rush" of arousal.
• There are men who, once infected, feel like they finally "belong" to a "fraternity" of infected men.

Bugchasing has largely been viewed with disdain from the gay community as a self-destructive activity. Leaders of the gay community at large are concerned that the behaviors of bugchasers may contribute to a public perception that the practice is common or encouraged by all gay people.

Press

Although "bug chasing" has been occurring for several years, the phenomenon gained press coverage - and notoriety - after Rolling Stone magazine printed an article in 2003 by a freelance journalist, Gregory Freeman, entitled "Bug Chasers: The men who long to be HIV+". The article provoked a storm of controversy, primarily because based on the statistics in the article, it suggested that the practice might be relatively common. The reliability of that article has been questioned, as it cited only two sources. One, who claimed that as many as 25% of HIV+ men had contracted it on purpose, gave his information anonymously. The other source was a doctor who, when confronted, denied the quotes attributed to him in the article. Rolling Stone is an American magazine devoted to music, politics and popular culture. ... 2003 (MMIII) was a common year starting on Wednesday of the Gregorian calendar. ...

Writer Daniel Hill outlined a scenario where such behavior might occur: "In private sex clubs across the U.S. men gather for a chance to participate in what is called Russian Roulette. Ten men are invited, nine are HIV-, one is HIV+. The men have agreed to not speak of AIDS, nor HIV. They participate in as many unsafe sexual encounters with each other as possible, thus increasing their chances to receive "the bug." These are the men known as 'Bug Chasers.'" [1]

Writer/director Daniel Bort made a 2003 short film called Bugchaser, which premièred at the 16th Annual Austin Gay and Lesbian Film Festival, on the subject, shot mainly in New York sex clubs. In an interview with the Austin Chronicle, he explained: "The matter-of-fact declarations of a string of articulate, apparently nonsensical people … affected me tremendously. I had to find out the reasons why such individuals will seek suicide in this almost symbolic way." At the Austin G&L Film Festival, the film was shown with an accompanying documentary The Gift by Louise Hogarth. The film director, on the right, gives last minute direction to the cast and crew, whilst filming a costume drama on location in London. ... // February 24 - The Pianist, directed by Roman Polanski, wins 7 Cesar Awards: Best Film, Best Director, Best Actor, Best Sound, Best Production Design, Best Music and Best Cinematography. ... Nickname: Live Music Capital of the World Location in the state of Texas Coordinates: Country United States State Texas County Travis County Mayor Will Wynn Area    - City 669. ... Nickname: Big Apple, City that never Sleeps Location in the state of New York Coordinates: Country United States State New York Boroughs Bronx (The Bronx) New York (Manhattan) Queens (Queens) Kings (Brooklyn) Richmond (Staten Island) Mayor Michael Bloomberg (R) Area    - City 1,214. ... Sex clubs are clubs where people can have sexual intercourse with one another, either in private rooms or in public areas. ... The Austin Chronicle is an alternative weekly newspaper published every Thursday in Austin, Texas, United States. ... To meet Wikipedias quality standards, this article or section may require cleanup. ...

Medical response

The issue is, more recently, being taken seriously by medical health promotion bodies, such as the Centers for Disease Control, which hosted a workshop by Dr Michael Graydon of Carleton University, Ottawa, on the topic at the 2004 National STD Prevention Conference. The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) in Atlanta is recognized as the lead United States agency for protecting the public health and safety of people by providing credible information to enhance health decisions, and promoting health through strong partnerships with state health departments and other organizations. ... Carleton University is a co-educational, international university in Ottawa, Ontario, Canada. ... Motto: Advance Ottawa/Ottawa en avant Coordinates: Country Canada Province Ontario County Established 1850 as Bytown City Mayor Bob Chiarelli Governing body Ottawa City Council MPs / MPPs Members of Parliament (MPs) Mauril Bélanger (LPC), Paul Dewar (NDP), John Baird (CPC), Royal Galipeau (CPC), David McGuinty (LPC),Pierre Lemieux (CPC... Sexually transmitted diseases (STDs) — also known as sexually transmissible diseases, sexually transmitted infections (STIs) or (infrequently) venereal diseases (VD) or social disease — are diseases or infections that have a significant probability of transmission between humans by means of sexual contact, vaginal intercourse, oral sex, and/or anal sex. ...

See also

• Barebacking
• Alan Bowne whose play Beirut features a character willing to be infected with HIV.
• Matthew Perpetua, a blogger who is one of the few "out" bugchasers in the media industry

This article or section does not cite its references or sources. ... Alan Bowne (1945-1989) was an American playwright and author. ... M-m-m-matthew Perpetua is the creator of Fluxblog, and is considered by many to be a pioneer of the mp3 blog format. ...

Video

• Documentary 62': "THE GIFT" The Phenomenon of deliberate HIV infection

External links

Peer-reviewed journal article:

• Clatts MC, Goldsamt LA, Yi H. An emerging HIV risk environment: a preliminary epidemiological profile of an MSM POZ Party in New York City. Sex Transm Infect. 2005 Oct;81(5):373-6.

General press coverage:

• Bug Chasers and Gift Giver Parties from About.com
• Russian Roulette, an article by CBC, first broadcast on November 20, 2001
• Bugchasers — myth or reality? from Positive Nation magazine, September 10, 2003
• Times Online article: HIV sex parties 'spread disease', September 29, 2005
• Bug Chasers: The men who long to be HIV+ — the Rolling Stone article
• MTV.com on the Rolling Stone article
• PlanetOut.com on the Rolling Stone article
• Media Life magazine on the Rolling Stone article, January 24, 2003
• Salon.com article on the Rolling Stone article, by Andrew Sullivan
• FreeRepublic.com article about the documentary The Gift
• CinematicVerses.com review of documentary The Gift
• AIDS Health.org interview with the creator of the documentary The Gift
• Poll and commentary on The Advocate's website
• Abstracts for the 2004 National STD Prevention Conference, including Dr Graydon's workshop

Fictional movie: The Canadian Broadcasting Corporation (CBC), a Canadian crown corporation, is the country’s national public radio and television broadcaster. ... November 20 is the 324th day of the year (325th in leap years) in the Gregorian Calendar. ... 2001: A Space Odyssey. ... September 10 is the 253rd day of the year (254th in leap years). ... 2003 (MMIII) was a common year starting on Wednesday of the Gregorian calendar. ... January 24 is the 24th day of the year in the Gregorian calendar. ... 2003 (MMIII) was a common year starting on Wednesday of the Gregorian calendar. ... Andrew Sullivan Andrew Michael Sullivan (born August 10, 1963) is a journalist and political commentator, known for his popular and provocative style of political journalism. ... The Advocate is a national LGBT biweekly news magazine. ...

• Bugchaser at the Internet Movie Database