A local newspaper claims to have found the first recorded case of HIV ‘bug chasing' in New Zealand. ‘Bug chasing' is a term invented in the 1990s, stemming out of a percieved subculture of gay men wanting to become infected with HIV. Bug chasers ‘chase' the bug by seeking sexual partners who are HIV positive for the purpose of having unprotected sex and having the partner change their seroconversion status. ‘Give me AIDS plea' reads the New Zealand Truth newspaper's latest front-page headline. The newspaper reported quoted one ‘sickening' email exchange - saying “Looking for someone who can give me lots of AIDS. Will travel anywhere in NZ.” A reply was also quoted: “I can help with that. Send me an email.” New Zealand AIDS Foundation executive director Rachael Le Mesurier assured the newspaper there was no evidence that New Zealand men are deliberately infecting others with HIV, or seeking to become infected. “It would be misleading to suggest that a few isolated, unverifiable and anonymous comments on a website are indicative of a wide-spread ‘bug chasing' movement.” The article went on to highlight the fact the many New Zealand gay men are risking HIV through unsafe sex with partners found on the internet. GayNZ.com's investigation of internet hook-up barebacking was quoted as showing that some local men “openly flirted with the very real chance of contracting the disease and spreading it.” However, “No one openly sought AIDS during the investigation,” the newspaper admits. Ref: New Zealand Truth (m)
Credit: GayNZ.com News Staff
First published: Monday, 20th November 2006 - 12:00pm