Did you know that since the late 1990’s there have been gay men who actually fetishize and fantasize about getting HIV?
When I stumbled upon this in the early 2000’s, the men who transmitted HIV to willing men were called “gift-givers.” The men that wanted to contract HIV, for various different reasons were called, “bug-chasers.” I had forgotten about this underground community but in my search to understand and demystify, I came across MANY men on various social media platforms who were in fact hosting conversion parties, gift-giving and bug-chasing. There is indeed a “poz” fetish and it is thriving.
I reached out to many men in this community and after a bunch of “no thanks…” I was referred to a user on Twitter who was very open about his HIV status and his passing along his virus to anyone who wants it. This is our discussion.
This was one of the toughest conversations for me to have and try to understand but I am very grateful for the subject’s openness and honesty.
