Bareback Is Back?

Okay y’all - Is it me, or has there been an increase in the amount of straight, gay, and everything-in-between porn having more bareback scenes? Okay, let’s be honest: not everyone here watches porn. Excuse me, and sorry if the content of this article is too much. Please feel free to check out my other articles on my PrEP journey.

My thoughts on bareback sex

So now back to the topic at hand. Bareback sex is sex without a condom. It’s that temptation that comes over the most practiced condom users. Sometimes, people experience it accidentally from a broken condom. Other times, you throw caution to the wind and ‘raw dawg,’ as one of my friends use to say back in the day.

What’s my bag

The feeling of condomless sex feels good and, in my opinion, better than using a condom. Now that being said, I am aware that this sensation comes with outcomes that I weigh heavily. And for me, that means being on PrEP and being really selective about my sexual partners and when I decide to have insertive vaginal or anal sex with them. That’s my bag.

Condom use: porn versus real life

Now even with these precautions, I still know that other sexually transmitted diseases (STDs) are lurking out there too. So best believe that I am wrapping it up if this is one of our first few encounters and we are still getting to know each other.

Back in the world of online porn though: I barely see folks using condoms in scenes. Especially amongst the amateur porn out there, it is becoming more and more of a rarity. My question becomes: Is it the trend or just a rare exception among most folks? I felt like growing up, condom commercials and public service ads were everywhere talking about teen pregnancy and HIV prevention with the use of condoms.

Have times changed?

Now, I think the times have changed and we do have better medications and embrace harm reduction solutions. However, I think condom use should still be part of the sexual lifestyle tool and still be promoted just and fiercely as PrEP is being marketed especially towards communities of queer folks and people of color.

In combination, PrEP and condoms work to keep you healthy from HIV and other STDs which, at minimum, can be annoying; at their worst, they can be life-threatening. I think most health educators would say that it is being marketed that way. But outside of the doctor's office, the images from the world wide web show me the reality that maybe bareback is back.