Sexual stigma and sympathy: attitudes toward persons living with HIV in Jamaica

As the number of persons living with HIV continues to increase in Jamaica, attitudes and values become more important. This study aimed to examine the attitudes of university students in Jamaica toward persons living with HIV, including homosexual men, heterosexual men, women sex workers, other women, and children. One thousand two hundred and fifty-two students were surveyed between June 2001 and February 2002 using a 193-item questionnaire measuring a variety of HIV-related knowledge, attitudinal and behavioural items. Less than half of students reported sympathetic attitudes toward homosexual men or women sex workers living with HIV while a majority reported generally sympathetic attitudes toward heterosexual men and non-sex worker women living with the disease. Predictors of sympathy varied by target group. Male students were significantly less likely to report sympathy for homosexual men than for any other group. Spirituality was associated with sympathy for homosexual men and women sex workers, but not for the remaining two groups. Findings suggest that levels of negative attitudes are high in Jamaica and warrant attention to both individual and societal-level actions and interventions. In addition, messages and interventions must be targeted, recognizing both the differences in level of sympathy expressed toward different groups and predictors of sympathy across the groups.     

The relationship between affective and cognitive components of homophobic reaction

The affective component of homophobia was explored by a factor-analytic study and related to the cognitive component. Eighty-one undergraduate students read an anecdote with either homosexual or heterosexual content. Subjects' affects were measured with an adjective checklist, and subjects' cognitions were measured as to their attitudes toward homosexuality with the Attitudes Toward Homosexuality Scale (ATHS). Results suggest two affective homophobia factors: homophobic anger and homophobic guilt. Homophobic anger correlates strongly with the cognitive component (ATHS), r= – 0.73, whereas homophobic guilt does not correlate with the cognitive component (ATHS), r= 0.02. Homophobic guilt seems unrelated to homophobic attitude. Adjective checklists appear useful for measuring affective components of homophobia.     

Suicidality and Sexual Orientation: Differences Between Men and Women in a General Population-Based Sample From The Netherlands

Homosexuality has been shown to be associated with suicidality and mental disorders. It is unclear whether homosexuality is related to suicidality, independently of mental disorders. This study assessed differences in lifetime symptoms of suicidality (death ideation, death wishes, suicide contemplation, and deliberate self-harm) between homosexual and heterosexual men and women, controlling for lifetime psychiatric morbidity. Interaction effects of age and the role of perceived discrimination were also examined. Data were collected on a representative sample of the Dutch population aged 18–64 years. Classification as heterosexual or homosexual was based upon reported sexual behavior in the preceding year. Of those sexually active, 2.8% of 2,878 men and 1.4% of 3,120 women had had same-sex partners. Homosexual men differed from their heterosexual counterparts on all four suicide symptoms (OR ranging from 2.58 to 10.23, with higher ORs for more severe symptoms), and on the sum total of the four symptoms; homosexual women only differed from heterosexual women on suicide contemplation (OR=2.12). Controlling for psychiatric morbidity decreased the ORs, but among men all associations were still significant; the significance for suicide contemplation among women disappeared. Younger homosexuals were not at lower risk for suicidality than older homosexuals in comparison with their heterosexual counterparts. Among homosexual men, perceived discrimination was associated with suicidality. This study suggests that even in a country with a comparatively tolerant climate regarding homosexuality, homosexual men were at much higher risk for suicidality than heterosexual men. This relationship could not only be attributed to their higher psychiatric morbidity. In women, there was no such clear relationship.     

Attitudes toward gay men and lesbians and related factors among nurses in Southern Taiwan

OBJECTIVES: The aims of this study were to explore different dimensions of the attitudes toward gay men and lesbians among nurses in southern Taiwan and to examine the association between attitudes and intention to provide care to homosexual individuals. The factors related to attitudes towards gay men and lesbians by nurses were also examined. METHODS: In total, 1824 nurses from a medical centre and two regional teaching hospitals in southern Taiwan were recruited into this study. We used the Attitudes Toward Homosexuality Questionnaire (ATHQ) to examine four-dimensional concepts toward homosexuality among nurses. The association of attitudes with the intention of taking care of homosexual patients was examined. Correlations of attitudes toward homosexuality with demographic and occupational data, sexual orientation, knowledge about homosexuality, and experiences of having contact with gay men and lesbians were examined using a stepwise multiple linear regression. RESULTS: Participants had the most negative attitude toward homosexuality in the 'contact' and 'stereotypes' dimensions, followed by the 'morality' dimension and then the 'condemnation/tolerance' dimension. Nurses with more negative attitudes toward homosexuality had lower intentions of taking care of patients with a homosexual orientation. Nurses who had friends or relatives with a homosexual orientation, had a higher educational degree, and had provided care to homosexual patients were more likely to have positive attitudes toward homosexuality. In contrast, nurses who had worked for a longer period, labelled themselves as being absolutely heterosexual, and were religious were more likely to have negative attitudes toward homosexuality. CONCLUSIONS: The factors related to attitudes toward homosexuality identified in this study have to be taken into consideration when intervening for nurses' attitudes toward gay men and lesbians.     

Sexual Orientation Differences in Cerebral Asymmetry and in the Performance of Sexually Dimorphic Cognitive and Motor Tasks

With each of the tasks in the present studies we expected to find the reported sex difference between heterosexual women and heterosexual men and we predicted a sexual orientation effect with the performance of homosexual men being similar to that of heterosexual women and different from that of heterosexual men. Study I aimed to replicate earlier findings by recording the performance of a group of homosexual men on a visuospatial task, the Vincent Mechanical Diagrams Test (VMDT), a dot detection divided visual field measure of functional cerebral asymmetry, and on five subtests of the Wechsler Adult Intelligence Scale (WAIS). For each task the profile of scores obtained for the homosexual men was similar to that of heterosexual women in that they scored lower than heterosexual men on the VMDT, they showed less asymmetry, and they recorded a higher Verbal than Performance IQ on the WAIS. In Study 2, a male-biased targeted throwing task favored heterosexual men while, in contrast, on the female-biased Purdue Pegboard single peg condition heterosexual men were outperformed by heterosexual women and homosexual men. On neither of these two tasks did the performances of homosexual men and heterosexual women differ. One task, manual speed, yielded neither sex nor sexual orientation differences. Another, the Purdue Pegboard assemblies condition, revealed a sex difference but no sexual orientation difference. Failure to obtain a sexual orientation difference in the presence of a sex difference suggests that the sexual orientation effect may be restricted to a subset of sexually dimorphic tasks.     

Homosexuality: Behaviors and attitudes

To assess the incidence of homosexual experiences, heterosexual experiences, associated attitudes, and related demographic characteristics, a sexual behavior and attitudes questionnaire was administered to 4251 university students. The rate of homosexual experiences was found to be appreciably lower than that commonly reported in the literature and was not significantly related to race, religion, or region of residence. Individuals with homosexual experiences, compared to those without, tended to be more liberal in their views toward socially deviant sexual behavior in general, did not demonstrate fewer heterosexual contacts, and did not report significantly more guilt or anxiety about their sexual behavior.Address reprint requests to Stephen Haynes, Department of Psychology, University of South Carolina, Columbia, South Carolina 29208.     

Sex in Australia: homosexual experience and recent homosexual encounters

OBJECTIVE: To describe the prevalence and features of homosexual experience and recent homosexual encounters among a representative sample of Australian adults. METHODS: Computer-assisted telephone interviews were completed by a representative sample of 10,173 men and 9,134 women aged 16-59 years from all States and Territories. The overall response rate was 73.1% (69.4% among men and 77.6% among women). RESULTS: Overall, 8.6% of women and 5.9% of men reported some homosexual sexual experience in their lives (p<0.001); these figures fell to 5.7% and 5.0% respectively (p=0.106) when non-genital sexual experience was excluded. 1.9% of men and 1.5% of women reported homosexual experience in the past year. Men who reported homosexual experience reported more same-sex partners than did women (means 31.6 and 3.2, p<0.001), and men and women who identified as homosexual or bisexual reported more sexual partners in total than those who identified as heterosexual. Respondents reporting homosexual experience were significantly more likely to be from an English-speaking background, have higher levels of education, live in a major city, and report a white-collar or managerial/professional occupation. Women who reported homosexual experience were less likely to have a middle or high income. In the most recent homosexual encounter, genital touching was the most commonly reported practice, and oral sex was reported much more frequently than in heterosexual encounters. CONCLUSION: Homosexually and bisexually identified men and women had higher total numbers of partners than heterosexuals. Improved societal attitudes towards homosexuality are likely to lead to further increases in estimates of the prevalence of homosexual experience in the community.     

Sexual Partner Age Preferences of Homosexual and Heterosexual Men and Women

The sexual age preferences of 192 adults (equal groups of heterosexual men, heterosexual women, homosexual men, and homosexual women) were examined. Participants rated the sexual attractiveness of pictures of 15 male and 15 female faces arranged into five apparent average age categories ranging from 18 to 60 years. It was predicted that homosexual and heterosexual men would prefer younger partners of their preferred sex than would homosexual and heterosexual women and that age preference would not vary with participant age. Both predictions were supported, although homosexual women preferred older partners than expected. Results suggest that age and sex preferences develop independently.     

Handedness,sexual orientation,and gender-related personality traits in men and women

This study assessed large numbers of heterosexual and homosexual men and women on handedness and gender-related personality traits. Initial analyses employed a dichotomous measure of handedness (right-handed vs. non–right-handed). For men and women combined, homosexual participants had 50% greater odds of being non–right-handed than heterosexual participants, a statistically significant difference. Homosexual men had 82% greater odds of being non–right-handed than heterosexual men, a statistically significant difference, whereas homosexual women had 22% greater odds of being non–right-handed than heterosexual women, a nonsignificant difference. When participants were classified into five graduated categories of handedness, both men and women showed significant homosexual–heterosexual differences in handedness distributions. Within groups, handedness showed a number of weak but statistically significant associations with sex-typed occupational preferences, self-ascribed masculinity, and self-ascribed femininity, but not with instrumentality or expressiveness. Rates of non–right-handedness were virtually identical for heterosexual men and women, suggesting that sex differences in handedness may result from higher rates of homosexuality in men.     

Retrospective distortion in homosexual research

Two possible levels of bias have been reported with regard to recall of human sexual behavior. A third level is postulated, that of bias in line with societal expectations. Looking at Australian and Swedish homosexual men, significant differences were found in recall of opposite-sex childhood play expectations independent of relationships with parents. It is concluded that sex-role rigidity and attitudes toward homosexuality may play an important part in these differences.     

Homosexuality as a specific risk factor for eating disorders in men

OBJECTIVE: The current study examined whether homosexuality is a specific risk factor for disordered eating in men. METHOD: Men (64 heterosexual and 58 homosexual) completed the Beck Depression Inventory (BDI), the Rosenberg Self-Esteem Scale (RSE), the Masculinity and Femininity scales of the Bem Sex-Role Inventory (BSRI), the Bulimia Test-Revised (BULIT-R), the Eating Attitudes Test (EAT-26), and the Body Shape Questionnaire (BSQ). RESULTS: Homosexual men had more pathological scores on the BDI, RSE, BULIT-R, EAT-26, and BSQ. Additionally, homosexual men reported greater discomfort with sexual orientation. After controlling for differences in depression, self-esteem, and comfort with sexual orientation, sexual orientation continued to account for significant variance in BULIT-R, EAT-26, and BSQ scores. DISCUSSION: Future research may benefit from exploring aspects of homosexuality that may contribute specifically to risk for disordered eating in men.     

Heterosexual experience,marital status,and orientation of homosexual males

The penile volume responses of homosexual males to pictures of nude women and men were measured and related to the subjects' marital status and experience of heterosexual intercourse. Single subjects with no experience of heterosexual intercourse and married subjects with a history of intercourse with only their wives showed significantly greater response to pictures of men compared to pictures of women than did single subjects with experience of heterosexual intercourse and married subjects with experience of intercourse with women additional to their wives. It was concluded that extensive experience of heterosexual intercourse with one partner did not reduce homosexual responsiveness as measured by subjects' penile response to pictures of nude men and women. It was further concluded that some homosexual males showed physiological evidence of a degree of bisexuality in addition to the behavioral evidence that they sought heterosexual physical relationships.This investigation was supported in part by the National Health and Medical Research Council of Australia.     

Fraternal Birth Order and Sexual Orientation in Pedophiles

Whether homosexual pedophiles have more older brothers (a higher fraternal birth order) than do heterosexual pedophiles was investigated. Subjects were 260 sex offenders (against children age 14 or younger) and 260 matched volunteer controls. The subject's relative attraction to male and female children was assessed by phallometric testing in one analysis, and by his offense history in another. Both methods showed that fraternal birth order correlates with homosexuality in pedophiles, just as it does in men attracted to physically mature partners. Results suggest that fraternal birth order (or the underlying variable it represents) may prove the first identified universal factor in homosexual development. Results also argue against a previous explanation of the high prevalence of homosexuality in pedophiles (25% in this study), namely, that the factors that determine sexual preference in pedophiles are different from those that determine sexual preference in men attracted to adults. An alternative explanation in terms of canalization of development is suggested.     

An Empirical Test of the Kin Selection Hypothesis for Male Homosexuality

The current investigation, following Bobrow and Bailey (2001), aimed to test the kin selection theory of homosexuality in human males using a survey design. A total of 60 heterosexual and 60 homosexual men from England completed items measuring psychological and behavioral indices of “special design” as predicted by adaptation due to kin selection. There were no significant differences between heterosexual and homosexual men in general familial affinity, generous feelings (willingness to provide financial and emotional resources), and benevolent tendencies (such as willingness to baby-sit). These remained non-significant after co-varying for level of personal income (higher among homosexual men), psychological gender, and interest in children. Overall, little support was found for the kin selection theory in a community sample.     

Same-sex sexuality and quality of life: findings from the Netherlands Mental Health Survey and Incidence Study

This study assessed differences in quality of life (QL) between homosexual and heterosexual people and attempted to identify factors accounting for observed differences. Data were collected in a representative sample of the Dutch population aged 18–64 (N = 7,076). Classification as heterosexual or homosexual was based upon reported sexual behavior in the preceding year; 84.8% of the total sample (N = 5,998) could be classified: 2.8% of 2,878 sexually active men and 1.4% of 3,120 sexually active women had had same-sex partners. Differences in QL were tested by analysis of variance. Factors accounting for observed differences in QL were identified by selecting determinants of QL on which homosexual and heterosexual people differed and including them with same-sex sexuality in multiple regression analyses. Homosexual men, but not women, differed from their heterosexual counterparts on various dimensions of QL. Lesser QL in homosexual men was predominantly explained by self-esteem and mastery. Same-sex sexuality contributed independently to some of the observed differences. Although same-sex sexuality is related to QL in men, the lack of association in women suggests that the link is mediated by other factors, indicating the need to explore in what respect the situation of homosexual men and women differs. This study also suggests the importance of finding out how lower sense of self-esteem and of mastery come about in homosexual men.     

Sexual orientation and cognitive abilities

We asked whether homosexual and heterosexual men and women differ on standard measures of cognitive ability. Subjects were adults recruited for a family study of sexual orientation. They completed the Fy Scale of the California Psychological Inventory, a self-administered measure of psychological femininity, and were given subtests of the Wechsler Adult Intelligence Scale and the Primary Mental Abilities test which had been previously shown to discriminate between the sexes. We predicted that homosexual subjects would score significantly in the gender-atypical direction on the Fy scale. We also predicted that they would achieve scores on the tests of cognitive abilities significantly in the direction of the other gender. Comparisons were made between homosexual and heterosexual individuals within gender. Also, comparisons were made between heterosexual men and women to see if our results replicate differences typically found between the genders. As predicted, both homosexual men and women were strongly gender-atypical on the Fy scale relative to their heterosexual counterparts. However, neither differed from heterosexuals on any of the measures of cognitive abilities. Heterosexual men did better than women on the Primary Mental Abilities spatial relations test. We conclude that sexual orientation is not related to specific cognitive abilities.Supported in part by NIMH grant 32,170 to Dr. Pillard.     

Comparing Gay and Bisexual Men on Sexual Behavior, Condom Use, and Psychosocial Variables Related to HIV/AIDS

Interviews were conducted with 750 men, recruited from a variety of sources in Chicago, who reported sex with men in the past 3 years. Behavioral criteria were used to establish groups of gay and bisexual men. We predicted that gay men, compared to bisexual men, would report more male sexual partners, more experience with receptive sex, and more tolerant attitudes toward homosexuality. The only reliable difference between the gay and bisexual men with respect to number of partners was that gay men were more likely to have had a steady male partner or lover. Gay men were more likely than bisexual men to have engaged in receptive sex, including unprotected receptive anal sex. Bisexual men were more self-homophobic and saw other people as less accepting of same-sex activity. There were no differences between gay and bisexual men in other psychosocial variables. Interventions designed to reduce the transmission of HIV/AIDS need to consider differences in gay and bisexual men's sexual behavior and attitudes toward homosexual behavior.     

Mate Retention Behavior of Men and Women in Heterosexual and Homosexual Relationships

Comparing the behavior of heterosexual and homosexual persons can provide insight into the origins of heterosexual sex differences in psychology. Evidence indicates that, aside from sexual partner preference, the mating psychology of homosexual men is sex-typical whereas that of homosexual women tends to be more sex-atypical. The current study examined one aspect of mating psychology, mate retention behavior, and tested whether homosexual men and women were sex-typical or sex-atypical for those mate retention tactics where heterosexual men and women differed. Men and women in heterosexual and homosexual relationships were asked to provide information regarding their partners' mate retention behavior by using the Mate Retention Inventory Questionnaire. Heterosexual men and women differed significantly for six of the 19 mate retention tactics considered. With respect to the six mate retention tactics where heterosexual sex differences existed, homosexual men behaved in a sex-typical manner for five of the tactics, whereas homosexual women behaved in a sex-atypical manner for all six tactics. We discuss the significance of these findings for explaining the origins of the mate retention behavior of heterosexual men and women. In addition, we consider what the pattern of sex-typical and sex-atypical mating psychology among homosexual men and women, respectively, suggests in regard to sex differences in the development of mating psychology and the development of homosexual persons.     

Sex hormones and female homosexuality: A critical examination

To ascertain the validity of hormonal theories of human homosexuality, which are based on animal research, this article reviews psychoendocrine data on lesbian and transsexual women. Sex hormone levels were found to be normal in the majority of homosexual women, but about a third of the subjects studied had elevated androgen levels. In women with prenatal androgen excess, heterosexuality appears to be more frequent than bisexuality, and exclusive homosexuality is rare. Two recent reports suggest abnormalities of the neuroendocrine regulation of LH secretion in female transsexuals. Clearly, prenatal or postpubertal hormone levels do not determine the development of sexual orientation, but a facilitating neuroendocrine predisposition cannot be ruled out at present.     

On the stability of stigmatization: The case of ex-homosexual males

We undertook to empirically identify variables that influence the stigmatization of ex-homosexuals by analyzing the relationship between stigmatization and seven variables held to influence negative attitudes toward members of other ex-deviant groups: the stimatizer's age, highest achieved educational level, amount of interaction the stigmatizer has had with an ex-homosexual, degree of effectiveness attributed to treatment in changing the homosexual to a heterosexual orientation, degree of responsibility that the stigmatizer attributes to ex-homosexuals for their prior homosexual behavior, degree of dangerousness attributed to ex-homosexuals, and degree of seriousness attributed to homosexuality. Analysis of data obtained by questionnaire from 281 respondents showed that the variable most strongly related to stigmatization of ex-homosexuals was the degree of dangerousness attributed to them. There was a profound direct relationship between these variables. Further, educational level, belief in the effectiveness of treatment, and amount of interaction with ex-homosexuals were inversely related to stigmatization, while degree of seriousness attributed to homosexuality was directly related to stigmatization. Respondents' tendency to stigmatize was not found to be related to age or to their attribution of responsibility to the ex-homosexual for his previous sexual orientation.Paper presented at the 1979 Annual Meeting of the Southern Sociological Society, Atlanta, Georgia.