POZ Community Forums
Main Forums => Living With HIV => Topic started by: thepostergirl on May 20, 2013, 05:29:38 am
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Recently I attended a woman's HIV group for support and one of the professionals that was holding the meeting got onto the topic that there's this issue going around and she called it "Bug chasers" and "Gift Givers". I had never heard of this. Apparently (and I'm not singling out homosexuals so don't think I judge).. What she was saying was that there would be these parties where homosexuals would have sex with people they KNEW had HIV trying to contract the virus and the people with HIV were only too happy to oblige and called themselves Gift Givers.
What in the world would anyone contract the virus on purpose. I, personally, take HIV/AIDS very seriously and can't understand why someone would want to make themselves sick. Does anyone have any insight on this? I am truly perplexed. Thanks.. (and sorry if this post doesn't belong here) - Thanks for reading!
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Best to google the internet for information if interested in this issue
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It was more of a controversy in the early 2000's. I guess it was more of a phenomenon then. As your reaction is pretty standard, you can imagine the scandal, anger, bewilderment and sadness this topic can cause.
You claim to take HIV very seriously. The people who supposedly did this (do this?) take HIV very very seriously as well. They are obsessed with it and have a fetishised relationship to both the HIV virus, and the status of being an HIV+ person.
Its a fetish. I agree with frisky guy. If you want to learn about it, google some articles. Everyone has done writing about it. Gay publications, science journals, etc etc. Even the wiki entry about it lays out the basic parameters:
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Bugchasing
Getting insight into ANY fetish or outrageous behavior does not require the observer to accept it or condone it. But it does require an open mind, to listen to and consider the reasons people give for what they do. Actions most people would consider bizarre, repulsive, pathological, criminal, suicidal, whatever.... With that in mind, it won't be so "perplexing". Though maybe many such human behaviours stay, looking for the deepest rationale, mysteries; I agree there.
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We don't have a I want to be living with HIV forum but this topic didn't fit off topic , so I put it here .
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We don't have a I want to be living with HIV forum
Now that I think of it this oversight by our governing committee is rather discriminatory. Bug chasers are people too, you know -- with needs.
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Clearly the giver of the seminar was there in person, so can attest to the truth of this phenomenon on at least 1 occasion.
- matt
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I'm hoping that in this day and age those two personas would have all but disappeared, especially since treat seems to be able to prevent passing HIV on to a partner.
My impression (and feel free to correct me).......
The bug chaser feels a sense of hopelessness and assumes he will eventually become infected with HIV. So rather than waiting for it to happen, he actively seeks it out.
The gift giver is resentful about the fact he became infected and as "revenge against the world" he infects unsuspecting (or maybe completely willing) negative people.
That's the way I understand this thing to work. Again, please correct me if I've given wrong or incomplete information.
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I heard about this bug chaser behavior several years ago. So, it's still happening apparently.
Talk about the "gift that keeps on giving".
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Thanks for all your comments. I WILL go check this out on wikipedia and other links that might bring some insight but I think
I'm hoping that in this day and age those two personas would have all but disappeared, especially since treat seems to be able to prevent passing HIV on to a partner.
My impression (and feel free to correct me).......
The bug chaser feels a sense of hopelessness and assumes he will eventually become infected with HIV. So rather than waiting for it to happen, he actively seeks it out.
The gift giver is resentful about the fact he became infected and as "revenge against the world" he infects unsuspecting (or maybe completely willing) negative people.
That's the way I understand this thing to work. Again, please correct me if I've given wrong or incomplete information.
This made the most sense to me and I have a better understanding regardless of my own personal feelings or beliefs. I need to keep an open mind. Thanks!
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I suggest you watch "The Gift" (link below) which is a documentary that helps to explain the whole bug chaser mentality and not in ways you might expect. With something as complicated as seeking to become HIV, there is never an easy answer and some reasons, are beyond the comprehension of most folks.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=oKCcr_ayvMo
Joe
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I refuse the persistent invitations to join Entomologists against condoms at yahoo groups .
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I suggest you watch "The Gift" (link below) which is a documentary that helps to explain the whole bug chaser mentality and not in ways you might expect. With something as complicated as seeking to become HIV, there is never an easy answer and some reasons, are beyond the comprehension of most folks.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=oKCcr_ayvMo
Joe
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Thank, Joe! I was thinking the exact same thing and trying to hunt down that link when you posted.
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I remember seeing this documentary on HBO, or some station. When watching on youtube, just avoid the comments.
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Hey Postergirl,
A family I knew in L.A. had 3 suicides in 3 years, each on Valentines Day. Chrissy took an overdose of sleeping pills after showing me his Marilyn Monroe memorabilia. We planned a fund raiser memorial with Suicide Prevention as benefactor. Suicide Prevention of Southern California did not send a representative but...
Our friend Jack who was the son of a Producer at Desilu Studios brought a really young and really cute guy. My BF picked him up at the Funeral. Over the next few months his Mom, her BF and his straight brother would hang out at all the gay bars. They were looking for a man with means to take care of their cute gay boy who wasn't very bright... He asked me one night if I would fuck him because he wanted to die. That was 14 years ago and I'm not dead and do not have a BF who would pick up someone at a funeral. 8) Have the best day
Michael
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Apparently (and I'm not singling out homosexuals so don't think I judge).. What she was saying was that there would be these parties where homosexuals would have sex with people they KNEW had HIV trying to contract the virus and the people with HIV were only too happy to oblige and called themselves Gift Givers.
What in the world would anyone contract the virus on purpose. I, personally, take HIV/AIDS very seriously and can't understand why someone would want to make themselves sick. Does anyone have any insight on this? I am truly perplexed. Thanks.. (and sorry if this post doesn't belong here) - Thanks for reading!
Oh, I think some of us have some insights into that. This isn't the appropriate forum. ;)
But, yes, Virginia, there is such a thing as a bug chaser. I doubt most of us/them/whoever understand you any more than you understand us/them/whoever.
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The conversation so far has been thoughtful and civilised. Seems an appropriate forum to me.
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The conversation so far has been thoughtful and civilised. Seems an appropriate forum to me.
It was originally posted in Off Topic.
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Thanks for all the insightful information. I appreciate you all.
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Apparently (and I'm not singling out homosexuals so don't think I judge).. What she was saying was that there would be these parties where homosexuals
Why would you need to judge with an introduction like that? Unless she said that there were also "these parties where heterosexuals," she's singled out the homosexuals for you.
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I suggest you watch "The Gift" (link below) which is a documentary that helps to explain the whole bug chaser mentality and not in ways you might expect. With something as complicated as seeking to become HIV, there is never an easy answer and some reasons, are beyond the comprehension of most folks.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=oKCcr_ayvMo
Joe
thanks for the link -