Sexplained: Why Some People Want to Get HIV: The Psychology of Bug Chasing

Send us a text What could possibly drive someone to eroticize contracting HIV? This question landed in my DMs and sparked one of our most challenging explorations yet into the hidden corners of human sexuality. Bug chasing—the fetishization of becoming HIV positive—exists at the complicated intersection of risk, power, identity, and desire. Though rare and certainly not mainstream, this phenomenon has been documented among small communities where the psychological thrill centers around inten...