Bug chasing is a practice that puts people's health at risk. Here's what it is and how it affects society.
We have repeatedly mentioned the importance of using condoms during sexual intercourse to prevent the transmission of sexually transmitted infections (STIs), such as gonorrhea , syphilis , and HIV . However, some practices put people's health at risk . Some of these activities have become more prevalent, especially among young people, such as barebacking , stealthing , and bugchasing . Below, we explain what the latter is and the risks it entails.
A deliberate practice
The term " bugchasing " was first used by scientists DeAnn Gauthier and Craig Forsyth in 1999. Their research involved studying unprotected sex within the gay community. They discovered that some people were having unprotected sex despite being HIV-positive , while others were HIV-negative but actively seeking to acquire the virus. They termed this activity "bugchasing ."
Individuals who deliberately seek to acquire HIV through unprotected sex with strangers are known as bugchasers . Those living with the virus who wish to transmit it are called giftgivers . But why "bug"? Because that's the common term for HIV.
Why would anyone want to live with HIV?
According to researchers, people have various reasons (paraphilias) for wanting to acquire the virus. One of these reasons states that these individuals experience adrenaline and pleasure from the mere thought of exposing themselves to HIV transmission . For them, 'normal' sex is not pleasurable, so they resort to sexual encounters with people who have the virus.
Another line of research suggests that people who engage in bugchasing seek to identify with a social group . In other words, they don't feel like they belong to society or are excluded from it, so they turn to people with HIV to identify with and belong to this group. It is also believed that bugchasers seek to acquire HIV because they feel they will eventually contract it, and therefore prefer to seek it out voluntarily .
It's worth mentioning that social media groups exist for people who deliberately seek to transmit or acquire the virus . Furthermore, "parties" (orgies) are organized where all attendees, some of whom are HIV-positive, engage in unprotected sex with the same goal.
Risks of bugchasing
People are not only exposed to HIV transmission, but also to other sexually transmitted infections. These practices have contributed to the increase in HIV cases registered in our country . According to data from Censida, in the first quarter of 2019 , 1,758 new people were registered with HIV and 1,162 with AIDS .
If HIV is left untreated, opportunistic infections can lead to serious health problems . Unfortunately, our country's healthcare system has proven incapable of providing adequate antiretroviral treatment to all patients . Therefore, those who acquire HIV will not be able to receive appropriate antiretroviral therapy.
In addition, having sex with different people who have HIV can cause mutations in the virus, making it develop resistance to medications.
From: https://www.homosensual.com/sexualidad/salud-sexual/que-es-el-bugchasing-y-cuales-son-sus-riesgos