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Barebacking is Irresponsible
I can't accept the position that "we shouldn't judge" when it comes to barebacking. As gay men, we all grew up with the harmful judgments of an anti-gay society. But that doesn't mean that all judgments are harmful, or even that all judgments regarding sex are harmful. Being gay isn't irresponsible. Barebacking is irresponsible (unless you are in a special fluid-sharing relationship). ----- New STDs and new strains of old STDs are constantly evolving. We didn't know that HIV existed until a large proportion of the gay community had already infected each other. There will be more new and stealthy STDs in the future ... I don't know what they are, but I am certain they will come. When a substantial proportion of the gay community are barebacking with multiple partners, it creates an ecological niche for the evolution and transmision of new STDs. If we let down our guard each time we think we've conquered the latest scourge, then we allow a new STD to walk in the door. Wearing a condom is to anal sex, as washing the hands is to examining patients in a hospital. It's a necessary barrier to the spread of disease.
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