Portal de Periódicos da CAPES

Bareback Sex: A Conflation of Risk and Masculinity

2008; Men's Studies Press; Volume: 7; Issue: 2 Linguagem: Inglês

10.3149/jmh.0702.171

1933-0278

Dave Holmes, Denise Gastaldo, Patrick O’Byrne, Anthony P. Lombardo,

HIV, Drug Use, Sexual Risk

From a healthcare perspective, there is an underlying assumption that most gay and bisexual men do not intentionally seek to have unprotected anal sex. This paper presents the results of a qualitative investigation conducted in three Canadian gay bathhouses regarding unprotected anal sex among men. It is our contention that much epidemiological research, though helpful, obfuscates essential factors in the practice of bareback sex. Consequently, the paper addresses two themes: the identification from the participants’ perspective of the risk factors involved in the practice of bareback sex and the identification of specific risk-reduction strategies used by barebackers. Our research results indicate that the majority of the participants were informed about health risks and took steps to avoid harmful practices even when engaging in high-risk sexual activities. Many participants, regardless of their HIV status, used risk-reduction strategies because the majority wanted to protect both their partners and themselves.