Bug Chasers: The Men Who Want HIV | Channel 4 Documentaries

'It’s a Sin' actor Nathaniel J Hall investigates the world of ‘bug chasing’, an extreme and controversial sexual fetish where people actively seek to contract HIV.

The actor meets a 'chaser', a man who doesn’t take PrEP – a medication which prevents HIV from getting into the body – in his quest to contract the virus. He also interviews another man, a so-called ‘gifter’ with a detectable viral load, who is happy to transmit the virus to willing recipients.

More than four decades since the first HIV diagnoses, the virus still has the potential to cause serious illness, so why do those within the ‘bug chasing’ community embrace it?

 
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[deebo]

The reason south park hasnt been popping for years is cos real life is now more absurd than any south park episode

[ANM]

I think this is the most disturbing and bizarre documentary i've ever seen...

[jacquesdurand]

I have been HIV+ for 20 years and my viral load has been undetectable all this time. This means that I can't transmit, and it is because I am VERY disciplined with my ARV regiment. I have never needed to change my regiment and have minimum side-effects. There is ABSOLUTELY no way I will ever stop taking my ARVs just because someone else wants to be infected! I take pride in how I have been able to keep healthy and my undetectable status and it's not okay for someone to ask you to stop your medication. Your body can build a resistance after two weeks, which is before you become infectious, and you can lose your undetectable status.

[heathernks]

As a GenXer, I lost 5 friends to AIDS before I was 23. At least, thats what I tell ppl when I speak about living through the AIDS crisis. The truth is much worse. I actually lost 4 of those friends to suicide due to depression from their AIDS diagnosis. The Westboro Baptist Church added insult to injury by picketing some of their funerals, esp. a high-profile friend. Ppl were so scared in the 90s that they would end their life😞 So, I'm with Nathaniel. Absolutely gobsmacked.

[ArranVid]

The dude who wanted to get HIV doesn't understand the risk, or doesn't care about the risk. He compared the mild influenze to HIV, which is ridiculous.

[ShampooSupernova]

Very sad to see folk wanting an incurable disease, even worse those willing to 'gift'.

[bebaptiste]

Why can't you acknowledge that mental illness is also at play??

[Forbes]

I remember right after Freddie Mercury died Brian May & Rodger Deacon were pleading on 'This Morning' talk show that "it's not a cool, fashionable disease"

[brettonoverton]

My partner of 6 yrs cheated and was leading a double life. He came home and told me he contacted HIV. I tested negative. I went on Prep because I couldn’t just leave him. His mother had also just died. Every morning having to take Prep was just a reminder of his dishonesty. I found out he hadn’t changed. All I did by supporting him was hurt my mental health. It was honestly like he had died. The man I loved never existed. For me it created huge trust issues and I’ve been alone since

[sarahgt]

The first guy he interviewed seems to have nothing left to live for and no self worth. It's so sad :(

[Heideberry]

This is so disturbing. People actively seeking out people to infect them with a disease that will kill them. That's so messed up.

[momomoley]

I lost my best friend to HIV. By the time he knew about it, it had damaged his body and he passed from cancer. He was in his forties & the loveliest person.

[Stefarooh]

It's dishonorable to all those souls who lost their lives to this disease. Society has really gotten sicker and sicker.

[mattsis]

I miss the person I was 20 minutes ago🧍🏽‍♂️

[Nuggetsofknowledgechats]

As a person living with HIV and undetectable. My biggest fear is passing it on to others. I have knowing about chasers, but this angers me beyond belief

[dstar]

I have a close friend with HIV, he's doing brilliant with medicine but it's not something he chose and to choose this is crazy.

[jonclingan]

That guy that wants HIV is a fucking idiot

[cc]

When you think you've seen it all, the internet proves you wrong

[orangepeelqueen]

From what I've heard, this originated back when getting HIV was still untreatable and the stress of worrying about getting it made them think 'well, if I just get it I won't have to worry about it".

[BeBooBoop]

This is very disturbing. It is also incredibly offensive to people who didn't intentionally contract the virus.