“Kickass”: The Bareback Porn & HIV Prevention Research
I have recently become involved in a very interesting project: it is looking at the relationship between condom-less pornography and risk-taking behaviour. In 1980s many adult film producers started to routinely use condoms in their films. While this was somewhat less prominent in straight films, almost all gay films were shot using condoms. However, the prevalence of condoms in films has decreased since the late 1990s. At first, this was due to a small number of specialised studios releasing condom-less movies, however in recent years some mainstream studios have also started to release condom-less productions. The rise in bareback productions has however not been without controversy, and as some would claim moral panic. Some major porn producers, such as Chi Chi LaRue have publicly condemned bareback films. Yet, while there is much polemic out there over the claimed effects of bareback productions, there seems to be a distinct lack of research into how and why people consume bareback porn and the attitudes and values as well as possible harm reduction strategies associated with the topic. Some of the topics that haven’t exhaustively been explored are why and to what extent do some consumers actively seek condom-less films, or not? Is condom-less sexual intercourse a type of fantasy or is watching condom-less movies a precursor to actual condom-less intercourse? To what extent are attitudes towards unsafe sex formed by watching bareback films? And to what extent are other factors important? … And that is probably just the start of the list of questions to look at!
Good luck with this! Will be difficult to be non judgemental and non polemic on that topic.
Bareback sex is “natural sex”, therefore I’ll ask the question the other way round: to what extent bareback movies affect the desire to have safe sex. As to the extent to which customers are looking for bareback movie, it is as much as bareback sex has been stigmatized to the point it is becoming a fantasy.
I am very interested in this, and I hope you’ll be able to post more about the project as it unfolds. I work in HIV prevention in Melbourne Australia, and earlier this year I helped organise a community forum about barebacking – with Chi Chi La Rue and Keith Webb from TitanMen, but sadly no bareback porn producers to argue the other side. My gut feeling is that bareback porn does not have a direct influence on behaviour, but it shapes desires and the language we use, and it paints HIV prevention messages into the corner as boring and virtuous.
Hi Daniel – you are probably right in terms of that there is no direct influence, though what we are trying to find out is if there is an indirect influence via perceived social norms influencing behavioural intentions (very much based on the Theory of Planned Behavior)… will keep you posted as we get along!