Although a lot of effort had previously been taken to educate Gay men about AIDS, almost no effort has been made to educate Gay men about other STDs. Some men are so sick of hearing about AIDS, that they just ignore the whole issue, and do not care about it anymore. For some men, if their partner does not bring up the subject of HIV or other STDs, they will just assume that their partner is not infected, and that barebacking would be safe. This is a dangerous assumption to make, since some men with HIV, or other STDs, will not tell their partner ahead of time that they are infected. This is often due to the fear of rejection, embarrassment, denial, and other reasons.
Some men are more likely to bareback with their lovers , or other guys they personally know.
Barebacking is used as a way to show intimacy, sharing, and caring between men. The exchange of semen is seen as a way to emotionally bind two men together. Condoms are sometimes seen as a barrier to intimacy. Sometimes once a man gets in the mood, his sexual desires overtake his rational thinking. Some men will bareback as long as they are the top partner.