Subject: Anal sex, pt. 1 Date: Fri, 6 Dec 1996 13:46:01 -0500 (124 lines of text) From: Facpat at aol.com Tuesday, November 19, 1996 Anal sex and AIDS; a dissenting opinion. Since early on in the AIDS "epidemic" it has been widely asserted that there is a correlation between gay men who practice passive anal sex and AIDS.1 The argument is that AIDS is induced by the direct immuno-suppressive action of semen in the anus and by the deleterious effects of sexually transmitted diseases (STDs) and other infections more easily contracted through the thin and damaged walls of the rectum than through the mouth and throat (fellatio) or vagina. This so-called scientific evidence is based on a correlation first made in the Multicenter AIDS Cohort Study, 1988.2 Correlation, however, is not proof of causation. Peter H. Duesberg, on the other hand, in his paper, "AIDS acquired by noncontagious risk factors," states that "The probable reason for the higher AIDS risk associated with receptive anal intercourse is that this sexual practice directly correlates with a 2-fold enhanced use of nitrite inhalants and other aphrodisiac drugs that facilitate anal intercourse."3 On numerous occasions he has personally restated this position to me up to the present. I am not able to argue the point that semen in the anus is directly immuno-suppressive since I am not a scientist. Peter Duesberg, however, has pondered this and come to the conlusion that even if it is mildly immuno-suppressive there is not sufficient quantity to cause a general immune collapse such as we find in full-blown AIDS, even taking into consideration those men who might practice passive anal sex compulsively. It is generally assumed that anal sex is the riskiest form of sexual behavior for passing on HIV. This may be so. Being an AIDS dissident, however, I believe that HIV either is a harmless passenger virus or does not exist. 4,5 Leaving aside HIV, we are, therefore, only dealing with people who are ill for whatever reason. The evidence that I have for anal sex not directly leading to illness is based on personal circumstantial evidence from an active gay life lived on three continents and numerous textual references to widespread anal intercourse practiced around the world. The most important reference I have been able to find for the this practice amongst heterosexuals is "Heterosexual anal intercourse" by Bruce Voeller.6 Some very interesting facts emerge from this study. First of all let us look at the prevalence of anal sex in the heterosexual population in the U.S. "According to the 1987 U.S. census figures, the American female population between ages 15 and 64 years is about 81.6 million. Based on the estimate that 10% of women engage with some frequency in anal intercourse, roughly 8 million women are involved."7 He concludes that "This startling number of women at risk through anal intercourse probably exceeds the number of homosexual men at similar risk..."8 What then accounts for the vast difference in the number of AIDS cases between the two groups? Furthermore, "25 percent of teenage girls [in the U.S.] engage 'in rectal intercourse...to avoid pregnancy or to retain their virginity.' But the risk for...'AIDS' is the same as for females who do not practice anal intercourse-almost nonexistent."9 It is interesting to note that Kimberly Bergalis in the famous Dr. David Acer case was found to have venereal warts on the anus upon being autopsied.10 These can be contracted only by anal intercourse. This, in spite of the fact that she testified before Congress that she was a virgin! Perhaps vaginally she was. In many areas of the world anal sex is practiced as a means of birth control. It would only seem logical that in China, a country of well over 1 billion individuals that restricts its married couples to one child, that this would be the case, especially since we have abundant evidence in the poetry, literature and art of China of anal coupling.11 Furthermore, in this study the author contends that "surviving literature [from China] depicts anal intercourse as the preferred form of homosexual intercourse."12 China is still, in spite of the influence of Communism, one of the most traditional and unchanging cultures on Earth. It is therefore fairly certain that anal intercourse is still widely practiced there, and in the light of their huge population, the actual number of rearend encounters could exeed those of the U.S. In spite of this, we find practically no AIDS in China and China still suffers from a growing population. Even more startling are the statistics on heterosexual anal intercourse in Brazil. "In a survey of some 5,000 households, over 40% of those interviewed in rural Brazil considered anal intercourse a normal part of sexuality, and over 50% of urban citizens in Rio de Janeiro did."13 The author further opines that this is probably due to the widespread acceptance of this practice since prehistoric times. One can only guess at what the total number of anal encounters might be in this situation, since only those who ADMIT to it are counted. Suffice it to say that it has been almost universally practiced in Latin America from prehistoric times to the present. There is a curious taboo against speaking of anal intercourse although, at this point, I hope you are convinced that it is almost universally practiced. This taboo has distorted any objective treatment of the subject until recent times. We should further note that in popular culture only gay men are thought of as participants in backdoor acrobatics. Recently, a famous actor was quoted as saying he did not get along with gay men because they "took it up the ass." Although he regretted this outburst, we can be grateful to him for highlighting this very important misconception. According to a recent survey done in the UK, the most frequent sex acts performed in the gay population are as follows in descending order of frequency: (1) self-wank, (2) wank/other, (3) suck, (4) fuck. 14 The average of those who "fuck" is set at around 6%.15 Similar studies have revealed this pattern in the U.S. and other developed countries. If, then, only 6% of the gay population engage in anal sex on a regular basis, and, if, indeed, we only represent 10% of the population, it then becomes abundantly clear that most anal sex in almost all societies is straight anal sex. Straight men are not supposed to engage in receptive anal sex. My experience and various other sources would tend also to lay this myth to rest. Need we remind ourselves of what happens in all-male groups, such as prison or the armed forces? Steven Zeeland in his book, The masculine Marine; homoeroticism in the U.S. Marine Corps, documents, through confidential interviews, that there is widespread anal sex amongst Marines who do not consider themselves homosexuals.16 Marines, to a surprising extent, he concludes, are notrorious bottoms!