Barebacking is anal sex without the use of condoms. It has become more and more common on dating and hookups for guys to ask for BB sex, as the availability of anti-HIV medications has risen.
You may see “Negative on PreP” on a person’s profile to indicate that they are potentially up for condomless sex.
The rise of BB could also be linked to the rise in bareback porn being filmed by studios.
After the rise of AIDs and HIV in the gay community during the 80s and 90s condomed sex was advocated by community leaders and health professionals as a way to combat the spread of HIV.
In recent years, however, with the availability of PrEP for “at-risk” communities, condom use is no longer seen, by some, as entirely necessary, particularly in the fight of ending new HIV infections.
Previously BB sex was seen as extremely risky, however, due to the invention and availability of PrEP, bareback sex is safer from becoming infected with HIV, however, BB sex can lead to other sexually transmitted diseases, such as chlamydia, gonorrhoea and syphilis.
A recent study from China has found that lonely gay men are most likely to have condomless sex. Of the 507 men that took part in the study, those “who reported feeling lonely were more likely to have had condomless receptive anal intercourse in the past 6 months.”
The same men also said that they felt “hopeless for the future” and reports of higher levels of internalised homophobia.
The study showed that gay and bi men in China are suffering from high rates of depression and loneliness, of the 507 who took part, 26.8 and 35.5% reported moderate-to-severe symptoms of depression and feeling lonely, respectively. Despite homosexuality not being illegal in China LGBT people are subject to severe societal pressures.
The aim of the study was to help demonstrate that gay/bi and queer men with negative mental health in high-income countries were at risk of HIV infection. “We sought to describe depression and loneliness and identify their correlates among Chinese MSM”.
Without protection, like condoms or access to PrEP, men who have bareback sex are more at risk of contracting HIV than those who use condoms or who are on PrEP and who test regularly.
(C) BIGSTOCK
Chances of passing on HIV are Zero if you’re on effective treatment
The PARTNER 2 study results found no cases of HIV transmission between men when one partner had HIV but was on effective treatment. This finding offers further confirmation that an undetectable viral load prevents sexual transmission of HIV. This understanding is frequently expressed as Undetectable equals Untransmittable, or U=U.
The 14-country study found no transmissions between gay couples where the HIV-positive partner had a viral load under 200 – even though there were nearly 77,000 acts of condomless sex between them.
China’s LGBT rights
China has a chequered history in LGBT rights – same-sex sexual activity has only been legal since 1997, whilst the country does not recognise gay relationships or marriages. Same-sex couples are not permitted to adopt and there is no legal statute to protect gays from discrimination. However, trans people are legally permitted to change their legal gender.
Homosexuality was removed from the Ministry Of Health’s list of mental illnesses in 2001.
Did I miss something? Has there been some enormous breakthrough while I wasn’t looking? Are HIV and Hep C now as easy to deal with as gonorrhoea or chlamydia? I ask because it seems everyone is barebacking these days. Honestly, it’s the new black. How do I know this? Well these days I find I have to brace myself for the inevitable look of disappointment when I bring out a condom, or even mention safe sex. Do they all know something I don’t?
