Riding+Bareback+-+Is+the+gay+porn+industry+behaving+irresponsibly?


 * Name: Steven Newson**
 * Student Number: N6076386**
 * Tutor: Michelle Cornford**

=__ From 'Condoms on Bananas' to Negotiating Consent: Educating around safety and desire in human sexual relationships __=

__Riding Bareback: Is the gay porn industry behaving irresponsibly?__ __**Artefact:**__ **BBC Newsnight - Gay porn actors in HIV scandal**

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For my cultural artifact, I have chosen a BBC short documentary, reporting on how the gay porn industry is increasingly producing bareback porn or sex scenes involving male porn stars, who don’t use condoms when they have sex with other men. This practice is known as barebacking (intentionally unprotected casual sex among gay men). (Haig, 2006) Barebacking carries with it numerous risks related to the transmission of sexually transmitted diseases in particular Human Immunodeficiency Virus (HIV) which eventually leads to Acquired Immunodeficiency Syndrome (Aids). (Shernoff, 2013)

__**Public Health Issue:**__ Recent figures show, that for the first time in 5 years, the number of gay men being infected by HIV in Australia has risen substantially. (Calderoy, 2012) The public health issue central to my analysis, is whether the gay porn industry is behaving irresponsibly by producing gay barebacking movies in light of these figures? The impact of these movies needs to be considered not only in terms of the sexual health of the porn stars in the movies, but also and the gay, bisexual and curious men watching the movies, who may perceive this behavior as normal and safe.

__**Literature Review:**__ The term barebacking derives from equestrian pursuits: riding a horse bareback, without a saddle, as a rugged cowboy might do. (Dean, Breeding Culture: Barebacking, Bugchasing, Giftgiving1, 2008). Nowadays however it is used to describe casual, unprotected anal sex among gay or bisexual men who, while aware of the risks of HIV transmission, deliberately choose not to use condoms. (Haig, 2006)

Following the HIV and AIDS epidemic that swept the world during the 1980s and 1990s, huge amounts of time and money was invested on health promotion campaigns aimed at reducing the spread of the disease amongst the heterosexual and particularly the homosexual population world wide. These campaigns focused on the idea that sex was not safe, unless protection was used (namely a condom). Prominent campaigns such as the Grim Reaper rolling the tenpin bowling ball TV advertisement had a positive impact by reducing the newly reported cases of HIV infection. (Halliday, 2001) The government and gay community groups were particularly focused on getting this safe sex message out to the homosexual community, as they were most affected by the epidemic at the time. They still unfortunately continue to be the most affected in western world.(Men's Sexual Health, 2013)

As already stated, the result of all this campaigning and awareness raising was a reduction in the number of new cases of HIV and Aids. However, despite the good work, which was done at this time, a disturbing trend began to develop in the mid-1990s amid a flurry of controversy. This trend was the rise in the popularity of “bareback sex” within male homosexual communities in Western countries. (Holmes & O'Byrne, 2006)



Some claimed it was “tantamount to murder”: gay men were making “death camps for themselves”. Scarcely a decade after gay men had invented “safer sex”, now they were returning to latex-free risk. (Dean & Plummer, Riding bareback through barriers, 2009) It has at times been viewed as an incomprehensible attack against long years of struggle to promote safer sex. Old school AIDS activists and public health officials are outraged by this kind of behavior. (Haig, 2006)

A growing volume of research has sought to explain the rise of barebacking and understand its implications. Some observers link the practice to the broad social influence and moral flaws of neo-liberal ideology, which has seen gay men transform condom use into just another “free market” choice. Depression, drug, and alcohol use, uncontrollable sexual urges, prevention “fatigue” and the misconception that Aids is now a curable disease (Aids optimism) have also been listed as underlying factors to explain the rise of barebacking. (Haig, 2006)

Whatever the reasons may be, all the evidence points to the fact that the rise in the numbers of homosexual and bisexual men practicing barebacking is a leading cause for a recent increase in the newly reported cases of HIV infection in western society. (Dean & Plummer, Riding bareback through barriers, 2009).

In Australia, figures related to new HIV transmissions among homosexual men slowly begun to rise over a 10 year period. On 5 July 2013, the NSW Ministry of Heath reported that in NSW 409 new cases of HIV infection were recorded in 2012. This compares with 330 new cases in 2011. The data showed that of the 409 diagnosis 81% was acquired by homosexually active men. (NSW Government, 2013) Worse still, in Australia alone HIV infections are predicted to rise by more than 70% among gay men in Victoria, by 2015. NSW 12% and Queensland 20%. (Medew, 2008)

While not directly responsible for the initial rise in the numbers of homosexual men practicing Unprotected Anal Intercourse (UAI) (Shernoff, 2013), the gay porn industry has taken advantage of and is profiting from this increasing trend by producing gay bareback porn. Initially the gay porn industry responded to the AIDS crisis by going all condom; however, in recent years, there has been a rise in the production of “bareback” videos, which have found a strong share of the market. (Taormino, 2004) Bareback sex has become a growth category for the gay porn and online sex industries. Many high traffic websites cater specifically to a barebacking clientele, with extensive offerings of bareback porn, chat, personals, and ads for local bareback parties. (Haig, 2006). Industry folks claim that videos featuring condom use do not sell as well as their condom free counterparts. (Taormino, 2004)

Not surprisingly, many have raised concerns about the gay porn industry depicting barebacking. They believe that it is encouraging a life threatening practice amongst the gay community and is currently a leading factor in the increase in the number of homosexual men practicing bareback sex. (Dean & Plummer, Riding bareback through barriers, 2009).

Particularly insightful articles used for this literature review came from Dean and Plummer, 2009 and Haig, 2006. This research is effective in identifying the reasons why men who have sex with men might participate in bareback sex and possible solutions to the rising problem. It was undertaken through online web cruising, the documentaries; phone interviews, questionnaires and close observations. While these are not all traditional academic mediums, the delicate nature of the subject leads itself to more unusual forms of information collection. This does however mean that the conclusions drawn may not be representative of all gay and bisexual men and should be treated with caution, but act as useful indicators for further research.

__**Cultural and Social Analysis:**__ Bareback sex has emerged as an element of contemporary gay sexual culture to which prevention organisations and public health departments are struggling to respond. (Haig, 2006)



As already identified, after years of activism, risk awareness, and AIDS prevention, increasing numbers of gay men are not using condoms, and new infections of HIV are on the rise. The theories behind why homosexual and bisexual men are moving away from protected sex have already been discussed e.g. the excitement of the moment, drug use, condom fatigue, a false belief that having HIV is no longer a death sentence. The mere fact that bareback sex is becoming a social norm in the homosexual community relates well to social theory based on the idea of social constructionism e.g. the fact that increasing numbers of men are undertaking the practice as it becomes more acceptable and not as taboo. But surely the gay porn industry’s depiction of bareback sex only adds to this risk taking behaviour by creating a false idea that bareback sex is an acceptable social norm amongst gay and bisexual men? It is equally interesting perhaps to view that the gay porn industry's depiction of unprotected sex in relation to Baudrillard in terms of how people believe what the view in the media e.g. that because bareback sex is being shown it is therefore OK.

Whatever links can be made to social theory however, the fact remains that the gay porn industry is showing a complete lack of concern and responsibility for the health and lives of both the porn stars and the gay and bisexual men in general. Research related to bareback porn, shows that while 41% reported a preference to watch actors perform anal sex without condoms (termed “bareback SEM”, 17 % preferred to see actors preform anal sex with condoms (termed “safer sex SEM”) and 42% reported no preference. Overall SEM consumption was not associated with HIV risk; however participants who watched more bareback SEM reported significantly greater odds of engaging in risky behaviour. The results suggest that a preference for bareback SEM is associated with engaging in risk behaviour. (Rosser, et al., 2013)

“Its astonishingly stupid to bareback”, says Garth Norbraten. “I’m 46 and I lost a lot of friends in the ‘80s because we didn’t know how to protect ourselves.” Norbraten says his condom habits will never change. Surrounded by sickness and death for years, he says even the thought of anal sex without a condom is “terrifying”. (Evans, 2006)

On the other hand, a man enjoying the sun in Church St.’s Cawthra Park says gay men are abandoning condoms en masse. “I’ve noticed that most guys don’t use them – at least the ones I meet. When I first came out in ’92 everybody wanted to use condoms. But now hardly ever.” (Evans, 2006)

Asked why gay guys would give up rubbers, the man replied, “It’s the (HIV) drugs. They think they’re safe. (Evans, 2006)

These quotes give a good indication of they types of thinking and behaviour that are increasingly prevalent amongst gay and bisexual men. If the government, health authorities and the gay community are to reduce the increasing number of HIV infections, then the reasons why men bareback need to be understood. Addressing the porn industry’s contribution to the social norming of bareback sex in gay community and demanding that they only produce sex scenes depicting condom use, will help to spread the message that protected sex is the only safe sex. A return to the types of attitudes that existed back in the 80s and early 90s when the HIV/Aids epidemic was at its worse needs to be reached, otherwise despite the promising treatments available, the gay community risks returning to an age immiserated by Aids.

__**Analysis of the Artefact and Own Learning Reflections:**__ The artifact is an excellent example of how gay barebacking has become part of mainstream culture. The creators of gay bareback films are more interested in making money and sales (although they will say they are just giving the gay male market what it wants) and not thinking about the consequences of this type of reckless behaviour – in terms of the health of the adult porn stars and the impressionable gay males (many of whom are young) that are watching and thinking that this type of behaviour is acceptable.

As a gay male, this artifact illustrated to me just how widespread and dangerous this practice is. It also highlighted the struggles the gay community had to go through in order to reduce the number of new HIV infections and how blasé a majority of the current generation of young gay males have become about not practicing safe sex.

I think that the gay porn industry needs to take responsibility for its actions and no longer produce bareback porn. Relying on the honesty of the porn stars and the porn production company’s to carry out frequent tests is not enough to guarantee the health of the actors. Frequent HIV and STD testing, as has been proven, is not necessarily a fail safe way of preventing new infections as HIV can sometimes take up to 3 months to be detected in blood samples. These facts a lone do not touch on the fact that this type of depiction of sex is encouraging other gay men to practice unprotected sex and undoing all the good work done by HIV prevention health campaigns and the gay community in the past.

__**Comments on other Wikis:**__

http://healthcultureandsociety2013.wikispaces.com/page/messages/Agony+to+Ecstasy http://healthcultureandsociety2013.wikispaces.com/page/messages/Do+we+really+need+to+eat+meat+to+be+healthy%3F

__**References:**__ Calderoy, A. (2012, October 17). Alarming rise in HIV cases. //The Canberra Times//. Canberra, ACT, Australia. Dean, T. (2008). Breeding Culture: Barebacking, Bugchasing, Giftgiving1. //The Massachusetts Review////, 49// (1/2), 80-94. 220. Dean, T., & Plummer, K. (2009). Riding bareback through barriers. //The Times Higher Education Supplement// (1904), 48. Evans, P. (2006, June 23). Not safe, not sorry; Fed up with using condoms, and less fearful of the spectre of AIDS, some gay men are defying medical warnings, opting for unprotected 'bareback' sex. //Toronto Star//. Haig, T. (2006). Bareback Sex: Masculinity, Silence, and the Dilemmas of Gay Health. //Canadian Journal of Communication// //, 31// (4), 859-877. Halliday, C. (2001, October 2002). //theage.com.au//. (F. Digital, Producer) Retrieved October 30, 2013, from The Age: www.theage.com.au/articles/2002/10/05/1033538811932.html Holmes, D., & O'Byrne, P. (2006). Bareback Sex and the Law: The Difficult Issue of HIV Status Disclosure. //Journal of Psychosocial Nursing & Mental Health Services// //, 44// (7), 26-33. Medew, J. (2008, March 3). //State's gay men face HIV surge; Complacency seen as key factor in predicted 70% rise.// Retrieved October 19, 2013, from The Age: http://search.proquest.com.ezp01.library.qut.edu.au/docview/363963545?accountid=13380 Men's Sexual Health. (2013). //Men's Sexual Health: Sexual Health - HIV and AIDS - Myths and misconceptions//. (M. S. Health, Producer) Retrieved October 30, 2013, from Men's Sexual Health: www.wsmsh.org.uk/health/hiv/myths.html NSW Government. (2013, July 7). //NSW Health reminds public to 'get tested' following increase in HIV//. (NSW Health) Retrieved October 28, 2013, from NSW Health: www.health.nsw.gov.au/news/Pages/20130705_00.aspx Rosser, S. B., Smolenski, D. J., Erickson, D., Iantaffi, A., Brady, S. S., Grey, J. A., et al. (2013). The Effects of Gay Sexuality Explicit Media on the HIV Risk Behaviour of Men Who Have Sex with Men. //AIDS and Behaviour// //, 17// (4), 1488-1498. Shernoff, M. (2013, January 22). //Without Condoms: Unprotected Sex, Gay Men and Barebacking.// Retrieved October 18, 2013, from eblib: http://www.eblib.com Taormino, T. (2004). Porn faces reality. //The Village Voice// //, 49// (18), 140.