Bareback Porn and Safer Sex

[updated March 2012]

BananaGuide believes porn producers must take all reasonable measures to protect their models from HIV and other STDs.  The use of condoms when fucking is still the best way to prevent HIV infection, on the set and off. However, with the advent of improved testing and treatments, more porn producers are choosing to film bareback scenes. 

Why does BananaGuide care?
Even with vastly improved treatments, HIV/AIDS remains a health threat. Though manageable with drugs, HIV is still incurable and can make for a lifetime of health complications. The use of condoms when fucking is the single most effective way to prevent  transmission of the virus during sex.

Do bareback producers take precautions to make sure models have the same HIV status?
There is no consistent policy among bareback producers for pairing models. Some try to use only models that are HIV positive; others try to use only models that are HIV negative. Some test their models with the most advanced tests available;  others just ask models what their HIV status is and take them at their word. While some studios may state that they have a screening or testing policy, there is no way to verify this, aside from the reputation of the producer within the industry. With all of these "ifs" it's simply impossible to gage the true risk level when we see condomless fucking onscreen.

Can't HIV testing screen out HIV+ models? 
The most common form of HIV testing detects antibodies that the immune system has created to combat the virus. But during the earliest phase of HIV infection the body's immune system has not kicked in sufficiently to produce antibodies at a detectable level. Therefore someone who is recently infected can test negative yet still pass the virus to his partner. Most people develop detectable antibodies approximately 30 days after infection; the vast majority of people (97%) have detectable antibodies within 90 days.

There are more sensitive (and expensive) tests that look for the genetic material of HIV itself (rather than antibodies.) These are known as PCR tests and they will produce a positive test result within 15 to 30 days of infection.

The long and the short of it is that -- even with the best tests available -- just because someone tests negative doesn't mean he is negative.

What if both models are HIV+
While many HIV positive men choose to have unprotected sex with partners they know are also HIV positive, the problem with bareback porn is that we have no way of knowing if this is actually what is happening onscreen. For model privacy reasons, studios never make a statement that their models are HIV+, though sometimes you can guess by the appearance of the models or the reputation of the studio.

Can watching porn affect people's attitudes or sexual behavior?
We think that individual attitudes and behaviors are affected by media, including entertainment; safer sex on the screen reinforces the idea that sex with condoms is hot. We believe producers have an ethical obligation to provide information to viewers about their screening methods and the risks of unprotected sex. 

Why does BananaGuide have bareback galleries?
In March, 2012 we started to publish the occassional bareback gallery. The main reason is that, with companies like Sean Cody, Corbin Fisher and Bel Ami now producting bareback scenes, it has become impossible to ignore this content; the disconnect between the solo and condom scenes that we were publishing and the bareback content found on these sites was becoming ridiculous.

While we do publish bareback galleries, we take a harm reduction approach, acknowledging the reality of HIV:
- the vast majority of our galleries are solo and condom
- bareback galleries are from producers that we trust are doing everything possible (short of using a condom)  to keep the situation safe;
- the gallery is placed in the last position of the several galleries we publish per day;
- there is no penetration shown in the main picture you see on the home page;
- galleries are labelled "Raw" in the title;
- the description starts with "Bareback" and continues with the most basic, unsensational wording possible; 
- the description is followed by a Notice that reminds our users of the importance of practicing safer sex.

What can I do?
Porn is market-driven. As a consumer be aware that your choices do make a difference. Even if you do enjoy viewing bareback porn, try not to write off all the other great porn available to you just because of a little latex. And, of course, have safer sex.

ABOUT THE SAFERATING

What does SafeRated mean?

SafeRated "High" - the site protect its models by using condoms in fuck scenes.

SafedRated "Medium" - the site carries third-party bareback content (ie plug-ins) or a small proportion of original bareback video scenes.

SafeRated "Low" - the site carries a significant amount of bareback video.

Do you take other types of higher risk sex, such as cumming in the mouth, into consideration?
All sex has some risk to it, but by far the highest risk sex is fucking without a condom. The SafeRating applies only to whether condoms are used during anal sex scenes.

Does the SafeRating affect the a site's review score?
No. The SafeRating is a separate rating and does not contribute to the total score out of 100 that we rank sites on.

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