Skip to main content

Advertisement

Log in

Sexual Pleasure and Intimacy Among Men Who Engage in “Bareback Sex”

  • Original Paper
  • Published:
AIDS and Behavior Aims and scope Submit manuscript

Abstract

An ethnically diverse sample of 120 mostly gay-identified men who engaged in “bareback” intercourse was recruited via the Internet in New York City. By study design three quarters of participants were HIV-uninfected and engaged in condomless receptive anal intercourse. In the course of face-to-face in-depth interviews, participants were asked what led them to have their first bareback experience as well as to continue with the behavior. Qualitative analysis identified the pivotal role that sexual pleasure and intimacy have in this population and how drives for sexual satisfaction, adventure, intimacy, and love overpower health concerns and condom use recommendations. Men interested in bareback sex use a variety of defense mechanisms to account for, justify, and exonerate their behavior. HIV-prevention interventions have paid insufficient attention to libidinal drives, a crucial element of psychological functioning.

This is a preview of subscription content, log in via an institution to check access.

Access this article

Price excludes VAT (USA)
Tax calculation will be finalised during checkout.

Instant access to the full article PDF.

Institutional subscriptions

Similar content being viewed by others

References

  1. Berg RC. Barebacking: a review of the literature. Arch Sex Behav. 2009;38(5):754–64.

    Article  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  2. Carballo-Diéguez A, Bauermeister J. “Barebacking”: intentional condomless anal sex in HIV-risk contexts. Reasons for and against it. J Homosex. 2004;47(1):1–16.

    Article  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  3. Carballo-Diéguez A, Ventuneac A, Bauermeister J, et al. Is “bareback” a useful construct in primary HIV-prevention. Definitions, identity, and research. Cult Health Sex. 2009;11(1):51–65.

    Article  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  4. Suarez T, Miller J. Negotiating risks in context: a perspective on unprotected anal intercourse and barebacking among men who have sex with men–where do we go from here? Arch Sex Behav. 2001;30(3):287–300.

    Article  PubMed  CAS  Google Scholar 

  5. Bronfenbrenner U. Ecological models of human development. In: Gauvain M, Cole M, editors. International encyclopedia of education, vol. 3. 2nd ed. Oxford: Elsevier; 1994. p. 1643–7.

    Google Scholar 

  6. Freud S. Das Ich und das Es. Leipzig, Germany: Internationaler Psycho-analytischer, 1923; English translation, The Ego and the Id. London: Hogarth Press, 1927. In: Strachey J, editor. The standard edition of the complete psychological works of Sigmund Freud, vol. 19. Toronto: Clarke, Irwin and Company; 1961. p. 12–27.

  7. Bettelheim B. Freud and man’s soul. New York: Alfred A. Knopf; 1983.

    Google Scholar 

  8. Freud S. New introductory lectures on psycho-analysis. New York: W.W. Norton; 1933.

    Google Scholar 

  9. Carballo-Diéguez A, Dowsett G, Ventuneac A, et al. Cybercartography of popular Internet sites used by New York City men who have sex with men interested in bareback sex. AIDS Educ Prev. 2006;18(6):475–89.

    Article  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  10. Dowsett G, Williams H, Ventuneac A, Carballo-Diéguez A. “Taking it like a man”: masculinity and barebacking online. Sexualities. 2008;11(1):121–41.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  11. Bauermeister JA, Carballo-Diéguez A, Ventuneac A, Dolezal C. Assessing motivations to engage in intentional condomless anal intercourse in HIV risk contexts (“Bareback Sex”) among men who have sex with men. AIDS Educ Prev. 2009;21(2):156–68.

    Article  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  12. Hruschka DJ, Schwartz D, St John DC, Picone-Decaro E, Jenkins RA, Carey JW. Reliability in coding open-ended data: lessons learned from HIV behavioral research. Field Methods. 2004;16:307–31.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  13. Pinkerton SD, Abramson PR. Is risky sex rational? J Sex Res. 1992;29(4):561–8.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  14. Nodin N, Carballo-Diéguez A, Ventuneac A, Balan I, Remien R. Knowledge and acceptability of alternative HIV prevention bio-medical products among MSM who bareback. AIDS Care. 2008;20(1):106–15.

    Article  PubMed  CAS  Google Scholar 

  15. Crossley ML. Making sense of “barebacking”: gay men’s narratives, unsafe sex and the “resistance habitus”. Br J Soc Psychol. 2004;43(Pt 2):225–44.

    Article  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  16. Crossley ML. The perils of health promotion and the ‘barebacking’ backlash. Health. 2002;6:47–68.

    Google Scholar 

  17. Holmes D, Warner D. The anatomy of a forbidden desire: men, penetration and semen exchange. Nurs Inq. 2005;12(1):10–20.

    Article  PubMed  Google Scholar 

Download references

Acknowledgment

This research was supported by a grant from the US National Institute of Mental Health (R01 MH69333; Principal Investigator: Alex Carballo-Diéguez, Ph.D.).

Author information

Authors and Affiliations

Authors

Corresponding author

Correspondence to Alex Carballo-Diéguez.

Rights and permissions

Reprints and permissions

About this article

Cite this article

Carballo-Diéguez, A., Ventuneac, A., Dowsett, G.W. et al. Sexual Pleasure and Intimacy Among Men Who Engage in “Bareback Sex”. AIDS Behav 15 (Suppl 1), 57–65 (2011). https://doi.org/10.1007/s10461-011-9900-7

Download citation

  • Published:

  • Issue Date:

  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/s10461-011-9900-7

Keywords

Navigation