Bareback Mountain: Your views

Bareback porn has been controversial for the gay community since the arrival of HIV/AIDS in the 1980s when it was seen as taboo. However, recent years has seen a huge growth in the number of bareback titles available (sales of bareback outstrip safe porn by 10-1), leading to claims that its rise has promoted unsafe sex within gay youth. In 2007 three gay porn actors were diagnosed with HIV after taking part in a gay porn shoot, fuelling debate as to the dangers of barebacking. Last Friday (13th Feb) saw author Paul Burston and the House of Homosexual Culture gather together a group of gayers to discuss bareback porn. The panel included HIV activist Spike Rhodes, porn director Christian Marshall and journalists Karl Riley and Tim Teeman and was followed by a lively Q&A session with members of the audience.