Skip to content
TheGaygency

Glossary

Bb

BB is app and profile shorthand for "bareback," meaning sex without a condom.

BB is internet and dating-app shorthand for "bareback," which refers to penetrative sex without a condom. It most often describes condomless anal sex between men, and it appears frequently on gay and bisexual dating profiles to signal a preference. The word comes from the image of riding a horse without a saddle. Going without a barrier raises the risk of HIV and other sexually transmitted infections, so BB shows up often in sexual-health conversations. The rise of PrEP, a daily or on-demand medication that prevents HIV, and the U=U consensus, which holds that people with an undetectable viral load cannot transmit HIV sexually, have reshaped how the community discusses barebacking.

Need help applying this?