Barebacking - soon to become the norm?

[Belfast-Bottom]

Several months ago rawTOP posted links to studies which seem to prove that BB Tops who only ever TOP bareback, are at only slightly more risk of contracting HIV than condom using bottoms. If that knowledge becomes widely known in the gay community, then many guys may decide that barebacking as a Top is a risk worth taking. Bear in mind the number of guys who smoke, drive fast cars, play dangerous sports, or do drugs - all of which come with risks.

After years on gay dating sites I've come to the conclusion that guys who are more than 90% Top are probably ony around 10% of the gay population. There is a long standing assumption that most guys who describe themselves as "versatile" are basically bottoms who are trying to increase their odds of having sex.

Assuming that true Tops are a small minority of the gay community, then they get to set the rules - supply and demand. In a situation where a majority of Tops have decided to Top bareback only, then bottoms who want to get fucked regularly, will learn quickly to give Tops what they want. Given those dynamics, I can forsee barebacking becoming the more common form of gay sex within the next ten years.

For the purposes of this argument I have assumed that around 80% of gay men are either bottom or mostly bottom - giving a bottom to Top ratio of 8:1.

Condoms will probably always have their place. They protect against a range of sexually transmitted infections and will be used by both married/partnered guys who cheat and others who simply wish to protect themseves against S.T.I.s

If rawTOP reads this he might like to repost the links to the relevant research.

[Belfast-Bottom]

Even if we assume that as many as one in three gay men are mainly TOP ( an over estimate in my view ) that still means that there are TWO bottoms competing for the attention of every Top. Most Tops can afford to pick and choose. Tops are in a strong position to dictate the "terms of engagement".

[Guest]

We all agree that bottoms outnumber tops. With respect to the risk of contracting HIV, it depends on if the same percentage of tops as bottom are HIV POZ, and if the poz and neg tops fuck equally as often as the neg and poz bottoms(ie. the number of encounters)n and whether or not serosorting occurs, as to whether or not HIV will spread as a result of more barebacking.

[slowfuck]

In my experience the majority of the guys saying safe sex only on their hook-up site profiles who I have met were happy to bareback as my profile says neg. People tend to be fixated on condoms for protection against HIV rather than avoiding other STIs such as gonorrhea and the rest I think. According to recent gay press coverage in the UK there are concerns about the spread of barebacking through the community now that it is now a manageable condition - if you are careful to look after your health after conversion. So your assertion that it will be more common could well happen. According to my clinic health adviser this is also leading to the faster spread of resistant forms of gonorrhea and chlamydia (LGV) and other things like Hep C.

To my mind, there will always be peope with fear-fatigue who will prefer to take the risk, enjoy the sex and accept the consequences, lots who implement their own risk-reduction strategy including trusting what you write in your profile and what you tell them and be suitably angry about the fall-out from the failures in that strategy, and plenty who are too frightened of the possible consequences to take any risk.

I do know plenty of versatile guys, me included, who are truly versatile and love to give and take, preferably in the same session. As such we are at more risk from barebacking but get the best of both worlds. Total tops are apparenty at less risk but a risk reduction strategy of neg bottoms selecting total tops only is only as good as the honesty of the profile writer and it is very easy to lie. Yes, gasp! Shocking but true! That said, I agree that a total top (or someone who say he is) is probably going to get best pickings of the guys who want bare cock up their tight moist boi holes.

[Belfast-Bottom]

To flexbtm: I wasn't discussing whether HIV transmission might increase or decrease. In a situation where barebacking becomes more common, I think that HIV infections would probably rise - especially for guys who mainly bottom.

I was just making the point that as men are generally selfish ( particularly when it comes to sex ), if guys become aware that TOPPING without a condom is a relatively low risk activity, then many more guys would be likely to take that risk. In a situation where bottoms outnumber Tops ( by around eight bottoms for every Top ) then Tops hold all the power. They get to pick and choose. They get to set the terms of sex as bottoms compete for their attention. Bottoms who want to get fucked regularly would soon learn to give Tops what they want. In a situation where a majority of Tops decide that BB sex is a risk worth taking, bareback sex would quite quickly become the norm - as most bottoms are obliged to give the Tops what they want.

Exceptionally attractive bottoms could insist on condoms and still get fucked, but the average bottom faced with seven other competitors for the same Top would be very likely to abandon condoms in order to get regular fucks or a relationship. It's the law of supply and demand.

[Belfast-Bottom]

I agree with slowfuck that there are genuinely versatile guys, which is why I put the ratio of bottoms to Tops at 80% to 10%. That leaves room for 10% genuinely versatile guys. I think that most gay men think of themselves as mainly bottom or mainly Top. I'm not denying that true versatiles do exist, but they were not relevant to my general point.

[hungry_hole]

I have to bring the "age" variable because I have observed in myself and in others, and in books (The Tearoom Trade, by Humphreys) that the roles (top, bottom, vers) vary with age. According to Humphreys many men start as tops and slowly move on to bottoming. For many fucking remains a pleasant activity, in case of versatiule guys.

Age also changes the attitudes towards barebacking and pozing. I remember that as a young guy thye idea of pozing was too scary as to bareback. I would see other guys bareback and couldn't understand how they did it. But now, I started barebacking heavy in my late 40's and have for many years now. I guess when young one, in your mind, can postpone the experience for "later". But as we age, "later" is "now" and the need to live fantasies becomes more urgent.

I've said this before. Once a guy seroconverts he sometimes changes role. A top may turn into a bottom and vice-versa. I know that if I pozed toping hot holes and then creaming them with my dirty seed would be a turn on.