POZ-Centric Ink: Exploring Tattoos that Symbolise Being HIV-Positive

Bug chasing can often be very secretive, as it can be difficult for people who are not bug chasers to understand why someone wants to get infected intentionally with HIV. For those of us who are bug chasers, it can sometimes be hard to explain to someone why we like bug chasing, but we should never feel pressured to figure out a reason or explain ourselves to someone else, as bug chasing can be a very personal thing. Some bug chasers may never reveal their chasing habits to anyone outside their bug chasing circle, but for others, they are more than happy to reveal their status and might want to make a statement, so the perfect way to do this is by getting a tattoo.

For those who have already taken the step into the bug chasing world and have converted, a question you might ask yourself is whether you should get a POZ-centric tattoo. Being HIV-positive is permanent and choosing to get a tattoo involves making another fairly permanent decision, although there are tattoo removal treatments that can partially or fully remove tattoos. Even so, making the decision to get a tattoo is still one that requires due diligence, because you need to consider whether you want to make a statement, what kind of statement you want to make, and who to reveal the statement to.

In the early days of bug chasing, it has been documented that bug chasers would sometimes get a tattoo of a minus (negative) mathematical symbol, consisting of a horizontal line to identify being HIV-negative. After becoming infected, this tattoo was then amended by adding a vertical line to become a plus (positive) mathematical symbol, to indicate being HIV-positive. These symbols were reportedly used by bug chasers and gift givers alike, with bug chasers looking for positive guys with plus tattoos and gift givers looking for negative guys with minus tattoos, in an opposites attract kind of a way that would equal a successful outcome for both.

The plus and minus mathematical symbols don’t appear to be as common with bug chasers and gift givers these days, with the biohazard symbol being the more prominent tattoo chosen by guys once they become HIV-positive to symbolise and embrace their HIV-positive status. Some HIV-positive guys also choose the scorpion tattoo, because this symbol features the prominent poisonous stinger, which can be associated with having the ability to infect another person with the virus. There is another less common symbol some guys use to indicate being HIV-positive, which is the lightning symbol to signify an electrical charge.

It doesn’t always mean someone with a biohazard or scorpion symbol is HIV-positive, as these symbols can also be used to represent other things, such as the musical band Biohazard or the Scorpio zodiac symbol. Biohazard is an American band that was formed in Brooklyn, New York in 1987, offering a musical style that fused hardcore punk and heavy metal with elements of hip hop and some fans of the band have the biohazard symbol markings to express their dedication. Some people might also choose to have a Scorpion tattoo to reflect the Scorpio sign of the zodiac, with my brother being a prime example of this.

POZ-Centric Tattoo Variations
People might have different reasons for choosing a particular tattoo design, but these are some of the meanings for various tattoos and you are welcome to add to these variations if you know of any other symbols that can be considered POZ-centric:

Biohazard Symbol: The biohazard symbol is often used by HIV-positive guys to highlight their HIV-positive status to other people. This symbol does not always reflect someone who was a bug chaser before becoming HIV-positive, with the focus more about being HIV-positive rather than how the positive status came about. This tattoo does provide a fairly distinct nod to a virus and some people may be cautious and ask questions about the meaning. If you don’t want a particular person to know the real reason, you could tell them you are a fan of the band Biohazard, but you still might want the tattoo to tell a fuck buddy you are HIV-positive, without you having to say a word.

Lightning Symbol: The lightning bolt symbol is used less often to represent positivity, but it can indicate that a person has “charged loads”. This can be a more discreet way of telling others that your loads are potent and have the ability to infect based on the “high voltage” and “high viral” connection. If someone you don’t want to know the truth asks you the meaning of the tattoo, you could come up with a different reason, such as it symbolising raw power that comes from the sky, sudden illumination, or liberating the soul.

Scorpion Symbol: A scorpion can depict the ability to infect another person based on the poison that comes from tail stinger, which is a reference to the penis and could in turn mean the loads are detectable and life-changing. This symbol is often seen as being dangerous and can be popular with gift givers, because it can be an indication of having a detective HIV-positive status, as the sting has the ability to infect anyone it comes into contact with, such as a person you are fucking. If you needed to come up with an alternative meaning for the scorpion, there are quite a few, from the zodiac, to a spirit animal and it can also be seen as a symbol of protection and change.

Wasp Symbol: A wasp has the ability to sting, so people can feel intimidated by the pain of a wasp bite. Wasps are also known to lay their eggs in their host, in comparison to a gift giver injecting his toxic seed into the body of the host during sexual intercourse. Wasps also build nests to breed their young and make colonies, which could be compared to spreading HIV. There are some alternatives you could come up with if you don’t want someone to know the real reason for having a wasp tattoo, such as exploring spirit animal meanings, like a symbol of control or being a small creature that has a powerful ability.

Having a tattoo can be very personal, but they can also be used to make a public statement. Some guys want have a tattoo that says something to other people without saying a word and sends a clear message, but the placement of the tattoo is also an important consideration. For example, if I want others to know I am HIV-positive (which I’m not at this time), I might choose to get a biohazard tattoo, but the placement of the tattoo is something that can speak to different audiences. If I was to place the tattoo on my shoulder, I might wear something like a singlet or tank top so pretty much anyone can see it. If I only want my closest friends to see it, then I might have a back or chest tattoo placement and choose when to take my shirt off so only certain people can see it. If I want a sexual partner to see it, then I might have it on my butt cheek or above my dick, which gets revealed to particular people, when you are about to fuck them or get fucked by them.

Featured Photo: Magaly Objectif from Pixabay.
Article ID: CC012
Version Control: 1.0 – October 3, 2021: Original article published.