On April 17, 2020, Galen J. Cromartie published a post at Breeding Zone inviting people to share their stories for a book he was planning to write that would bring new light on all sides of bug biting, gift giving, stealthing and generationing. Galen’s hope was to gather 20 guys to share their stories, which he would include in the book. This was the beginning stage for the participation aspect of the book, laying out the groundwork for the stories that would form an important part of the reading material. Galen exceeded the number of goal participants, which strengthened the quality of the book, as the various contributions feature different perspectives and makes very interesting reading.
The F*** Flu, Bug Chasing and the POZ Brotherhood was originally published by Amazon on April 29, 2022 and is available from a number of their international websites (I have included the direct links for the Kindle editions at the bottom of this page for your convenience). If you’re looking to purchase a brand new copy of this book from a different vendor, you’re unlikely to be successful, as my version of the book states that it was manufactured by Amazon in Sydney, New South Wales, Australia, so the book is most likely produced by Amazon in other countries as well and is not available elsewhere. The book is available in paperback and Kindle editions, but you might find the paperback edition has already sold out in a number of countries, so it appears this title had a limited print run, or the book is extremely popular. Hopefully more copies will be printed soon so you can get your hands on one if you would like a physical copy of the book.
The F*** Flu, Bug Chasing and the POZ Brotherhood also includes “A new Chapter in HIV/AIDS History” on the front cover and it’s refreshing to see Galen acknowledge the history involved with HIV/AIDS in the very first chapter of the book “A Look at How it All Began”. Galen believes it is extremely important to acknowledge what happened in the past (I do too) and for us to understand what happened in the early days, as many people reading the book might not be familiar with some of the facts and details about what happened. The book has been researched impeccably, which you will appreciate as you read your way through the chapters. Galen discusses the history of HIV/AIDS and provides an explanation of stealthing (Galen has been a victim of stealthing), and more information about bug chasing or bug biting. Bug biting is a term I have not heard as frequently as bug chasing and generationing is new to me, so I was able to learn new things by reading this book, which might the case for others as well.
Amazon’s book description: Between kink and danger, there is a purposeful pandemic. Stealthing. Gift giving. Gift receiving. Generationing. These are the main characters in the stories of individuals who want STDs. The subject of people who purposefully infect others with STDs is not well known beyond the gay community. But this book will give you a look at the LGBTQ+ community you’ve never seen before. In this shocking exposé, you will learn about HIV and AIDS patients who intentionally engage in STD kink with their partners. You will meet the medical professionals lending their thoughts about this risky behavior. Find out how to protect yourself and the controversial balance of risk and benefit obtained from willing infection. The F**k Flu is filled with upfront candor and a challenging narrative that readers will find hard to put down.
Galen has incorporated stories from several bug chasers and/or gift givers, along with several contributions from healthcare professionals to help provide the reader with real-life experiences from those who have chased or gifted, or those who are currently on the journey. These stories are blended with several medical opinions, with the strands from various perspectives becoming woven together to provide various viewpoints for the reader to consider. Galen’s goal was to incorporate interviews from at least 20 contributors and he succeeded by including 25 stories, along with 3 medical opinions, where participants were asked a series of questions to help give their responses structure and to keep the conversations focused. Some people answered all the questions, some questions were skipped and some people just shared their stories without answering any of the questions.
At 176 pages in length, the book may seem like a long read, but based on the dimensions of the book, the size of the text and the page spacing between interviews, the book can be read fairly quickly, and even in a couple of hours, depending on the speed of your reading. I read the book in a few sittings to help me absorb the content and I found it extremely insightful. I actually had difficulty putting the book down, because I wanted to keep reading, but due to time constraints and other factors, I needed to read the book in several sittings as life was going on around me, which I found slightly annoying, because my mind remained on the book and I wanted to know what was coming next.
Galen did a terrific job compiling the stories from those who were willing to participate by sharing their experiences about a subject matter that’s considered sensitive and not often spoken about publicly. I also applaud those who did share their stories, because they did so trusting that Galen would do the right thing with the information they were sharing with him and he did do the right thing, which you will appreciate when you read the book. If you look at some of the forum threads at Breeding Zone, you will notice that some were wary of Galen’s motives, which is completely understandable, considering bug chasing is very underground and much that has been written about it has been from a controversial standpoint, but once trust was established, those who submitted their stories have had their voices heard throughout the pages of the book. Even though the description accompanying the book might sound like there’s a particular motive behind the book, you don’t have to worry about the author casting judgements over those who chose to become involved, because the book is well balanced and makes excellent reading, whether you are a bug chaser, gift giver, barebacker or someone who isn’t.
If you are wondering about Galen’s background, he shares some details with you in the book about his professional background. Galen is a wireless software engineer who lives in Charlotte, North Carolina and he is also a survivor of domestic violence and has an interest in hearing other domestic violence survivor’s stories and he hopes to continue raising awareness for domestic violence. Galen is also the author of “The Gay-Len Memoir: How Love Can Make You Stupid” and you can learn more about this title by visiting Galen’s website. It’s very clear that Galen has a passion for helping others and this is such a great personal quality to have. If you haven’t already purchased a copy of The F*** Flu, Bug Chasing and the POZ Brotherhood, I highly recommend you do, because the book contains some useful information and a selection of stories from those who might help you with your thinking if bug chasing is on your mind or a part of your life.
Further Reading:
- Bug Biting, Gift Giving, Stealthing and Generationing – https://breeding.zone/topic/59824-bug-biting-gift-giving-stealthing-and-generationing
- dopeattire2inspire (Galen’s website) – https://dopeattire2inspire.com/
- Galen on Twitter – https://twitter.com/dopeattire2insp
Where to Purchase:
Australia – https://www.amazon.com.au/Flu-Bug-Chasing-POZ-Brotherhood-ebook/dp/B09Z4ZCTQD
Brazil – https://www.amazon.com.br/Flu-Bug-Chasing-POZ-Brotherhood-ebook/dp/B09Z4ZCTQD
Canada – https://www.amazon.ca/Flu-Bug-Chasing-POZ-Brotherhood-ebook/dp/B09Z4ZCTQD
France – https://www.amazon.fr/Flu-Bug-Chasing-POZ-Brotherhood-ebook/dp/B09Z4ZCTQD
Germany – https://www.amazon.de/-/en/Galen-J-Cromartie-ebook/dp/B09Z4ZCTQD
India – https://www.amazon.in/Flu-Bug-Chasing-POZ-Brotherhood-ebook/dp/B09Z4ZCTQD
Italy – https://www.amazon.it/Flu-Bug-Chasing-POZ-Brotherhood-ebook/dp/B09Z4ZCTQD
Japan – https://www.amazon.co.jp/-/en/Galen-J-Cromartie-ebook/dp/B09Z4ZCTQD/
Mexico – https://www.amazon.com.mx/Flu-Bug-Chasing-POZ-Brotherhood-ebook/dp/B09Z4ZCTQD
Netherlands – https://www.amazon.nl/Flu-Bug-Chasing-POZ-Brotherhood-ebook/dp/B09Z4ZCTQD
Spain – https://www.amazon.es/Flu-Bug-Chasing-POZ-Brotherhood-ebook/dp/B09Z4ZCTQD
United Kingdom – https://www.amazon.co.uk/Flu-Bug-Chasing-POZ-Brotherhood-ebook/dp/B09Z4ZCTQD
United States – https://www.amazon.com/Flu-Bug-Chasing-POZ-Brotherhood-ebook/dp/B09Z4ZCTQD
Featured Photo: Galen J. Cromartie
Article ID: CC041
Version Control: 1.0 – June 19, 2022: Original article published.
Thanks for recommending the book Jason. Found it alternately sad, inspiring and very horny. Some really good writing and lots of balanced opinions. Certainly would recommend it to anyone interested or open-minded about bug chasing and gifting.
Cheers jez
You’re welcome for the recommendation Jez and I’m glad you enjoyed reading the book. I also found it well balanced and it’s definitely a book that would be good for anyone to read who is considering bug bug chasing or gift giving. I’m hoping further editions of this book will be released, along with books about bug chasing and/or gift giving from other authors, because it’s really important for us to be talking about this, so it’s no longer a subject that’s hidden or secretive.
Indeed as you point out, Jason this was a fascinating read with some very interesting points on bug chasing and bug biting that I hadn’t thought about before. There were a few parts that got to me in a negative way but more than a few that got to me positively (yes, I intended that) Unlike you, I was able to put the book down on some stories indeed needed to because I was so turned on and horned up, I needed to take care of some business. this would not be a good book for me to read on the subway. The stories were very satisfying and all except for one maybe two rang true. I appreciated that. I highly recommend this book and like you will be reading it again in the future.
I’m glad you enjoyed reading the book and found it interesting overall. I can appreciate what you are saying about putting the book down at times to take care of business and you definitely need to be in the right environment to read it. I wanted to include some parts of the book that stood out in my article, but I didn’t want to spoil anything for readers, like what sometimes happens when you watch a movie trailer and see all the good bits, then when you see those highlights in the movie, the impact isn’t as powerful. It’s good to know you liked the book so much that you will be reading it again and I look forward to doing the same again soon.
I really like this article and I’ve never heard of certain terms before. This sounds like a book I need to read also. Just because the subject matter fascinates me And because I’m chasing and want to be a part of the poz brotherhood myself Its really cool there’s a book to explain all side of bug chasing and gifting and the poz brotherhood. I feel like this subculture needs some decent representation beyond people just trying to do a article or documentary that seems to belittle the gifting and chasing community and brotherhood. And to me it is a type of culture to me filled with supportive people who understand you and why a person would want to do it and encourage your authentic journey and expression. Which I love
This is definitely a great book to read if you are already on the bug chasing journey or if you have been contemplating it. I was initially unsure about the intentions of the author based on so many articles that had been written by others, but I was quickly comforted by the fact that the first few chapters are well researched and relevant, and the contributions are interesting and helpful. It’s great to read the experiences of others, as it can help with your thinking if you have concerns about where you are at or want some reassurance. You’ll also find some of the stories to be a hot read, so it covers everything. This book has been structured so that further books could be written and it has also opened up the possibility for others to write similar books, which I would welcome if they were written in a balanced style. I highly recommend you reading a copy of this book and I’m planning to read it again shortly to help me absorb everything I read the first time around.
I have started reading it and it Is really good so far. I’m glad to be reading it. So much perspective
I’m glad you’re enjoying the book so far. I found it insightful and it’s great to see a book based on this subject matter being published and distributed to those who share an interest. I agree that there’s some great perspectives as a result of the contributions received, which adds value to anyone who is on the chasing or gifting journey. I’m hoping further additions will be published now that people have a better understanding of the author’s intentions and might feel more comfortable sharing their experiences.
Very true maybe a second vom can come from it even. Or maybe it can spark a more positive dialogue for people in general who don’t understand
I’m hoping another book will be written or further books about bug chasing will start appearing now that this book has opened up the bug chasing dialogue. I agree that this is an excellent book even for those who are not familiar with bug chasing and want to learn more about it, because it is written in an excellent style for various audiences.
Interesting article as always. I never heard of generationing… and is bug biting another word for gifting?
It’s kinda funny how many metaphors we have for it even words like Poz, being charged up, getting recharged, the gift and stuff. I like what Tim said about calling it HIV/AIDS. Although,
I’ve seen calling it something else helps people deal with it and I guess it’s rationalization too. (also, it makes it hornier sometimes. ) especially since it’s so taboo.
I’m glad you enjoyed reading the article Eric. I had never heard of generationing either until I read the book and bug biting was new to me too. It is another word the author used to describe gift giving, but he used the term gifting as well. I think it was to better connect “bug chasing” with “bug biting”, as it sounds like a closer match. There’s a lot of metaphors and I started putting a number of keywords together a while back, because I wanted to create word art with them and I’m still planning to do this sometime. I do think some people feel more comfortable using certain words, which could be why there are so many different terms used by people.
I like the thought of the older poz guys passing it on to a new generation.
When a guy infects another guy, it creates a lifetime bond, beginning with the connection of being pregnant as a result of the viral transmission, so this is definitely something that adds to the idea of creating a new generation, in addition to the age difference between some guys that you have mentioned. There’s some really good stories in this book and it’s a great addition for starting and continuing conversations.
Are you looking for an older man to be your pozzer when you do decide to take the leap? Or does that not matter?
I don’t have any particular age group in mind and I am very open, so I’m happy to let the universe connect me to the right guy at the right time.