Bisexuals as an HIV threat?

[morenito]

Hi everyone,
I recently watched a documentary in Spanish about a gay community in Oaxaca, Mexico. Well, the whole documentary talked about their lifestyle, their experiences and such things. Anyway, at some point when they begun discussing HIV and the AIDS eppidemic, one person said that "it's the bisexuals who area spreading the disease" (rough English translation).
That alone hurt my confidence as to identify myself as a Bisexual to others when confronted with the question.
To make things even worse, I recently traveled to N.Y. City. While I was riding the subway, I saw a sticker that warned people about the threats of getting HIV/AIDS. It read something like this: 1 Do not share needles with drug abusers, 2) Do not have intercourse with Blacks, Or 3) Bisexuals.

After I heard and saw these two staments, I've begun wondering if coming out as bisexual is the right thing to do. It was already difficult to explain myself to others, not it seems I also have to have a justification or explanation, so that people won't fear me.

Please if anyone has experienced something similar and would not mind sharing, your story.
Thanks

[DiamondDog]

it's a virus it doesn't care about your race/sexual orientation/gender.
anyway, some of the most HIV ignorant people I've ever met were heterosexuals.

[JohnnyV]

Hi,

There is *a lot* to say about this topic, but I will fight my tendency to blab, and say a few things.

I'm not sure if you're saying your second thoughts are coming from a fear that bisexuals are stereotyped as an HIV threat, or from a fear that we actually do get and spread HIV more rampantly.

If the stereotype is the issue, all I can say is that you have to live your life without letting other people's misconceptions govern you. Learn the facts about HIV and speak honestly with your partners about your risk, their risk, and what sex acts are appropriate for the stage of mutual knowledge you're at.

If it's actually a fear of HIV that's the issue, it gets a little complicated. I don't remember the exact names of some of the studies I'll mention below, and I'm at the hospital killing time while my wife sleeps, so I have no way of tracking down the websites, BUT if you Google some of these keywords, you should find the studies that bear on what I say below:

--First, worldwide, the vast majority of HIV transmissions occur among heterosexuals in poor countries that have little access to health care or education. In Southeast Asia and Africa, for instance, homosexual transmissions are unimportant because heterosexual transmissions are the ones infecting entire towns, etc. And of the 44 million people who have HIV currently, only about 1.1 million are in the US... the point being, the epidemiology of HIV in a country like the US or Great Britain is not indicative of how it works in the vast majority of HIV cases.

--Second, in the US, men who have sex with men are wildly overrepresented among HIV positive cases. IIRC, about 48% of HIV infections occur in MSM, compared to 10% in IV drug users, and something like 25-30% by heterosexual transmissions. So *in the US* there is some truth to the idea that being male and coming out as bisexual means you will be interacting with a social network -- men who have sex with men -- in which HIV is common and widespread. You need to take precautions. If you don't trust yourself to take precautions like condom use, avoidance of anal sex except in highly trusting situations, etc., then I think it *is* advisable not to identify as bisexual and become sexually active with men. Know your vulnerabilities and be practical with yourself.

--Third, several studies in various countries, including one that I remember in Great Britain, found that bisexual males were generally more careful about safe sex than men who identified as gay. The researchers suggested that bisexual men tend to worry more about infecting female partners and carefully guard against infections that would compromise their public reputation. Gay males, supposedly, already don't fit in with conventional standards of sex, so they have less to lose, and therefore engage more frequently in unsafe sex. The studies I came across presented data that matched some of what I have noticed in the queer world; many gay men I meet only have sex with bisexual men who have girlfriends, because the daters have greater confidence that the bi man protects his status with women by carefully avoiding AIDs.

Basically the facts and figures will present pros and cons that coudl go either way. Your best bet is to identify whichever way makes you feel safest and happiest, and engage in safe sex.

J

[12voltman59]

Throughout the history of the AIDS/HIV epidemic--varying groups have become scapegoats for this disease---another group that could pose a threat due to this disease are hemophilacs---


Of course any other person on the planet could be a vector for the spread of HIV/AIDS.

One just has to take the necessary prudent precautions.

[Long Duck Dong]

with a sister that is dying from aids and having watched her partner die... both her and me have seen first hand, the hypocritical standards in this world

we were at a conference about aids and one speaker had the cheek to say that the rise of aids in nz is connected to the civil union bill been passed in nz.. and cos of that... more gay couple were emerging and so was the risk of catching aids since males practise unsafe anal sex...... well.. my sister stood up and yelled out.." and just who the hell did i #### up the ass to get aids ??? "

aids is wide spread in some countries thru unsafe sex.... but here in nz... the common practise is to point the finger at male gays as the leading cause of the spread of aids

the issue i have with that... is it is estimated that there are about 170,000 gay males that had or currently have anal sex......and it is estimated that 1.3 million people in nz, had or currently have anal sex........we have 4 million people in nz

the current standing is that gays are perverts and disgusting cos they have anal sex...... gee like bisexuals and heteros don't ????

pound for pound as i often say... with the largest majority grouping in the world.... the heteros brought us more teen pregnancies, more abortions, more sexual transmitted diseases, more divorces, more sex crimes... and more sex offenders than any other group in the world......but putting that aside... i will hug any person with aids....cos if i am having the finger pointed at me as a spreader of aids cos i am bi... then i will also let them all say that i am a spreader of caring, support and love for all aids sufferers cos I am BI and i can love everybody :P:P

[morenito]

Thank you all for your thougthful and informative advices...It definetely helps to practice safe sex, and not be concerned with stereotypes or judgements made from other people, who probably don't share my lifestyle.
Thanks again all