I spent A-L-L day yesterday at a school social work conference, and even though I was suffering through a severe post-migraine haze, I was intrigued by a brief discussion of "bug chasers" during a workshop in teen substance abuse trends. (For those who don't know, bug chasers are gay men who actively seek HIV + status, or "seroconversion.") Although the speaker seemed to dismiss them as crazy, the more I started to think about it, the more it made sense to me, in terms of belonging and the general motivations behind self-injury. So...of course, I had to do some research, and I found this amazing article by Daniel Hill. It's informative, insightful and compassionate. If you are a mental health professional, medical professional, educator and/or gay/bi (or love someone who is gay/bi), I strongly encourage you to read it. (Also, keep in mind, it's not about "agreeing" with the behavior; it's about understanding the pain and motivations so that we can more effectively help. Bug chasing is not something that "safer sex" education or bucket-loads of condoms will help in the slightest.)
Anyway, read the article, rent Rent, cry...and then go do something productive.
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