Due to the overwhelming response to our Bug Chaser cover story from Watermark‘s last issue, we’ve compiled a round-up of reader reactions.
Read them all after the jump:
READER MAIL
Chasing more than a bug
What an interesting article on ‘bug chasers’ [Issue 20.24]. I am a peer counselor at Trinity Charities Inc. an AIDS Service Organization in Sarasota/Bradenton and have been HIV+ for nearly 30 years. We were talking about this very topic at group not a couple of weeks ago. Some of the group had no idea what a bug chaser was.
Others among us have a hard time understanding how anyone could be so caviler about taking medications the rest of your life because that is a simple fact of HIV for a majority of the infected population. Of course there’s also the blood work, doctor visits, the fatigue, the changes emotionally that a positive person goes through, financial burden that co-pays and deductibles entail and the change in lifestyle that comes with needing to be healthier with your life choices. Bug chasers come from a place of self-loathing and no self-respect for themselves. One can only imagine what respect they will have for the next unsuspecting person they have unprotected sex with.
I also understand the need of personal choices and accountability among the HIV-positive community. In the one place in our community you would think would want to stop the spread of this preventable disease, there is no unanimous agreement either. Many people figure “buyer beware.” They will wear a condom if the other guy insists but they would rather not.
Another aspect is the younger population around us sees pharmaceutical advertising that tout one pill a day, and a photo of a hot young man or woman. The thinking is “it’s just a pill a day, no big deal.” They have no idea if these drugs will work with their strain, or the side-effects these medications can cause that can become problematic. I know first-hand.
Again, well done Watermark! Special thanks to editor Steve Blanchard for writing the article.
Bruce Fournier
Program Coordinator
Trinity Charities Inc
Sarasota
Disturbing article
What a fascinating, sad, disturbing, thought provoking and incredibly well-written story on bug chasing [Issue 20.24]. I’m not a psychotherapist (yet), but I would venture to guess that what “Brandon” and “Travis” really want is a life in which they can experience pleasure without so many barriers and fears. I want that, too, and in this regard I can relate and understand how sero-converting might be perceived as liberating.
I do worry that the two young men aren’t surrounded by strong mentors who affirm them as young men who just happen to be gay. Low self-esteem and magazine covers that limit our subculture’s perception of what is attractive/needed if one is to have a fulfilling sex life are also issues that need to be considered when discussing this very complex issue.
This article strikes me as an extremely valuable contribution to a topic for which many more conversations and advocacy is needed.
Justin Callahan
Charlotte, N.C.
Bug chasing is not cool
I know there are guys out there that just want to get HIV thinking that they can play without protection and then and not have to worry about it. They don’t know that not all people accept the new meds all that well and there are still people dying from this virus.
I think some think it’s cool to be poz. But it’s not cool when you go out searching for it. Be wise and stay as healthy as you can.
I know what the loss of a loved one from this virus is like. I lost my soul mate 15 years ago and it still bothers me.
Rick Harmon
St. Petersburg
Those seeking infection need mental help
Anyone wanting to contract HIV needs a mental evaluation. If they had any knowledge of those close to us who have passed due to this infection, they would think twice before participating in risky behavior.
I have had friends who couldn’t take any of the medicine. He was my tennis partner and now he is no longer with us. I pray we have a cure before long for all of those infected. May God bless them all and keep them safe from harm.
Henry Earnhardt
Seminole
Praying for education
What a remarkable story on the bug chasing community in the recent issue of Watermark [Issue 20.24]. I had never heard of this practice before now, and am amazed that anyone could be so cavalier about such a serious disease!
I am fortunate that I survived the 1980s and 1990s without becoming infected, and I’m thankful every day for that. Did I miss out on some wild sexual experiences by being safe? Probably so. But I wouldn’t trade my health for anything.
I wonder if the young men interviewed by Steve Blanchard for this piece know many HIV-positive people outside of this strange “gift-giver” community referenced in the piece. The positive people I know would rather be uninfected and would not miss their daily medication practices. While these young men seek infection, positive people seek a way to live a fully healthy life without the assistance of pharmaceuticals.
I pray that those seeking out HIV get the education they need before becoming positive. And I pray further that this disease will become a thing of the past within my lifetime.
David Johannes
Orlando
It’s their decision
Your recent story on bug-chasing ignited an evening of discussion and debate among my friends shortly before Thanksgiving. The article, while well researched and well-written by Steve Blanchard, didn’t address the “personal choice” angle of the debate.
While many of my friends just couldn’t comprehend the reasons why someone would choose to become infected with HIV, many agreed that practicing safe-sex is a personal choice”much like choosing to wear a seatbelt or to put down a cell phone while driving. What we do with our own free will, and its consequences, are ultimately decisions we must make ourselves.
This story was not about endangering others. It was about contracting a manageable yet serious disease. As long as these young men don’t try to pass along the infection by not disclosing their true HIV status, then their decision to live as members of the positive community falls squarely within their realm of responsibility.
Kudos on a thought provoking article. I am sure the debate around this topic is far from over.
Chelsea Hendricks
Tampa
TOP WEB COMMENTS
“[Bug-chasing] doesn’t account in any meaningful way for the HIV epidemic in our country. It may make for a juicy, sensational story but as several experts in your piece testify it is extraordinarily rare.” Jim Pickett
“For the record, both exist out there and it’s more common than you my realize. Why? is the $64,000 question. Maybe a death wish, low self esteem on the chaser side, maybe a power play on the giver side. I’ve run into it on more than one occasion. I have seen sites that have chaser looking for more than HIV now that’s really scary. Just because you haven’t heard of it, or don’t know someone who does it, doesn’t mean it’s not happening. They come in all shapes and sizes and I’m sure they don’t walk around in public with a sign asking to get pozzed.
The young generation never watched friends and lovers die a horrible death. They never took AZT in doses that would kill an elephant or take 40-plus pills a day with horrible side effects. Those of us who are lucky enough to be here after 20 or more years have few if any friends from those early days. It’s now of the belief ‘One pill once a day, no big deal.’ Yeah, It’s a big deal.” ajbroome
“Yes this article is BS. No factual evidence of this even happening!”AJ
“As a certified HIV educator, I can say, yes this happens. It’s been going on for years. Yes, the belief you just pop some pills doesn’t help. There are groups that are hoping to get services, but not that many. Burn out, confusing information, belonging, survivors guilt all play a role. Look at the info on cross-infection, that’s confusing enough to give up. The reality is too much information is driven by ‘moral’ conservatives attempting to scare men straight. You won’t believe the crap educators were required to distribute during the Bush years. While I regret saying it. I understand why men chase HIV. The most intimate part of our lives mangled with the potential fear. You swallow the bitter pill and move on instead of fear holding back intimacy.” Dale Boggs
FACEBOOK COMMENTS… coming soon.
