I don’t believe that members of the bug-chasing and gifting subculture should be criminalized or shunned. People who intentionally spread HIV potentially stand in the way of progress to eradicating HIV, and it’s important to understand that these people exist and what is motivating them. The subculture may be relatively small in number, but it is not insignificant, and pretending it does not exist is irresponsible. Even one bug chaser or gift giver can do a lot of damage.
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We should not simply assume that this population doesn’t exist (it does) or that it is not worthy of our attention (it is). The story of the bug-chasing subculture is one that we should all take a closer look at and learn about. I have also had relatives and friends who have died of AIDS or who have nearly died of it. On a personal note, I actually have known several bug chasers and have had HIV-positive friends who have been approached by them. Some may just be fantasizing, but many are indeed willing to go through with the fantasy. At any given time, there are often dozens of people actively posting online ads as “chasers” or “gifters” in San Francisco and elsewhere around the nation.
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But there are more people in the bug-chasing community than many of us ever imagined, as my investigation below clearly shows. The true prevalence of the phenomenon of bug chasing is nearly impossible to ascertain, due to laws maintaining the privacy of medical records and the fact that many people do not disclose to their doctors how they became HIV-positive. I am a gay man with deep knowledge of and experience with HIV and AIDS. But some of them have been troubling, and I have decided that I should explain a bit more about myself and about the story. Your response to the story below has been amazing, and we appreciate your comments.