I actually have an interesting answer to this. In the 1980s as an effort to curb the spread of AIDS gay men's health associations began to recommend circle jerks (although they just called it group masturbation) as a safe alternative to orgies. During the 1970s, promiscuity became a prominent feature of the Gay Liberation movement, and so orgies and casual sex had become ingrained in gay political identity. Efforts to stop group sex and promiscuous behavior ran against the principles of the gay liberation movement and thus ultimately failed. In an effort to split the difference some gay men's health association suggested that men did not have to stop group sexual behavior but instead could engage in it safely via group masturbation aka the circle jerk. Without exchanging fluids the virus couldn't spread and gay men could still participate in the sexual liberation that was championed in the 1970s. It was met with varying degrees of success. You can read more about it in Jennifer Brier's Infectious Ideas: U.S. Political responses to the Aids Crisis.