Gay and Bisexual Adolescent Boys' Sexual Experiences With Men: An Empirical Examination of Psychological Correlates in a Nonclinical Sample

Over the last quarter century the incest model, with its image of helpless victims exploited and traumatized by powerful perpetrators, has come to dominate perceptions of virtually all forms of adult–minor sex. Thus, even willing sexual relations between gay or bisexual adolescent boys and adult men, which differ from father–daughter incest in many important ways, are generally seen by the lay public and professionals as traumatizing and psychologically injurious. This study assessed this common perception by examining a nonclinical, mostly college sample of gay and bisexual men. Of the 129 men in the study, 26 were identified as having had age-discrepant sexual relations (ADSRs) as adolescents between 12 and 17 years of age with adult males. Men with ADSR experiences were as well adjusted as controls in terms of self-esteem and having achieved a positive sexual identity. Reactions to the ADSRs were predominantly positive, and most ADSRs were willingly engaged in. Younger adolescents were just as willing and reacted at least as positively as older adolescents. Data on sexual identity development indicated that ADSRs played no role in creating same-sex sexual interests, contrary to the seduction hypothesis. Findings were inconsistent with the incest model. The incest model has come to act as a procrustean bed, narrowly dictating how adult–minor sexual relations quite different from incest are perceived.     

Hemophagocytic lymphohistiocytosis in a human immunodeficiency virus-positive homosexual high school student

The spread of human immunodeficiency virus (HIV) infection has exploded over the past two decades and such infections in young people are no longer uncommon. However, the major infection route of pediatric patients remains vertical transmission, and sexual, especially homosexual transmission, is highly unusual. We herein describe the case of a 17-year-old boy who developed hemophagocytic lymphohistiocytosis (HLH). Although HLH was remitted soon with dexamethasone therapy, an HIV infection caused by homosexual transmission was detected.     

Prevalence of antibody to hepatitis C virus (HCV) in HIV-1-infected patients (nice seroco cohort)

The prevalence of antibody to hepatitis C virus (HCV) in a cohort of 272 HIV-infected patients was assessed by means of 4 anti-HCV assays: a 1st generation and a neutralization test, a 2nd generation test, and a confirmatory test, the dot-blot Matrix HCV? immunoassay. The cohort included, as a single risk factor, 35.7% intravenous drug users (IVDUs), 25% homosexual men, 30.1% heterosexual individuals, 5.9% transfused patients, 0.7% occupational infections, and 2.6% patients with unknown infection source, and was studied on entry and in samples collected for up to 36 months. Results showed that on entry (i) sera of 83 out of 272 members of the cohort were positive by the HCV 1st generation EIA (30.5%); 70 were confirmed by the neutralization test (84.3%); (ii) 115 of the cohort were reactive with the 2nd generation HCV EIA (41.3%); (iii) with the dot-blot immunoassay 99 (86.1%) of the cohort were confirmed and 16 remained indeterminate. The overall confirmed HCV antibody-positive rate in these 272 patients was 36.4%. Antibody to HCV was detected in 78.3% of IVDUs, 18.3% of heterosexual individuals, 31.2% of transfused patients, and only 2.9% of homosexual men. The 36-month follow-up of this cohort revealed that 4/145 patients became anti-HCV positive by second generation assay. Hepatitis B markers were frequently associated with HCV in IVDUs (71.1%) but infrequently in heterosexual (8.5%) or homosexual (1.5%) individuals. Our results suggest that HCV 2nd generation EIA used in combination with the semiautomated dot-blot assay as a confirmatory test improves the specificity and sensitivity for HCV antibody detection. Homosexual males are at low risk of HCV infection among HIV risk groups. © 1994 Wiiey-Liss, Inc.     

Individual characteristics are less important than event characteristics in predicting protected and unprotected anal intercourse among homosexual and bisexual men in Melbourne, Australia

OBJECTIVE: To describe individual, social network and encounter specific factors associated with protected anal intercourse (PAI) and unprotected anal intercourse (UAI). METHODS: This was a cross sectional survey conducted between April and November 2002. A total of 733 sexual encounters were reported by 202 men recruited from the gay community in Melbourne, Australia. Predictors of self reported PAI and UAI were examined. RESULTS: Of the 733 sexual events most (56.3%) did not involve anal intercourse, and more involved PAI than UAI (30.6% versus 13.1%). PAI was more likely than no anal intercourse (NAI) if the participant's social network was mostly homosexual, the partner was an occasional or casual partner, or was HIV positive. PAI was less likely if sex took place at a "beat" but more likely if it took place at a sauna. PAI was more likely if the partner was affected by drugs or alcohol. UAI was more likely than NAI if the participant had injected drugs in the year before interview. It was less likely if the partner was occasional or casual or was HIV positive but more likely if the partner's HIV status was unknown. UAI was much more likely than NAI if the encounter took place at a "sex on premises" venue. CONCLUSIONS: In this analysis it is the characteristics of the sexual encounter that predict whether PAI or UAI rather than NAI takes place.     

马鞍山市女性性服务工作者和男男同性恋人群VCT需求调查

目的：了解艾滋病高危人群自愿咨询检测（VCT）需求和利用情况,探讨推动VCT工作开展的策略。方法：选择不同场所的女性性服务工作者（CSW）143人,男男同性恋者（MSM）37人作为调查对象,对其VcT需求和利用情况进行问卷调查。结果：CSW和MSM人群最近12个月接受VCT的比例分别为17．48％和54．05％,差异有统计学意义（X^2=20．97,P〈0．001）。两人群对VCT服务需求是一致的,但对于VCT咨询的内容、提供VCT服务的地点、机构类型,VCT机构服务时间、咨询的形式等,两人群的需求存在差异。结论：目标人群对VCT需求和利用存在差异,应加强对目标人群VCT的指导,并根据目标人群的特征提供不同的VCT服务模式,提高VcT服务的可及性。     

A comparison of high-risk sexual behaviour and HIV testing amongst a bar-going sample of homosexual men in London and Edinburgh.

BACKGROUND: This study compared high-risk sexual and HIV testing behaviour amongst homosexual men recruited from gay bars in London and Edinburgh. METHODS: A cross-sectional survey monitoring high-risk sexual and HIV testing behaviour using a self-completed questionnaire was conducted in November and December 1996. RESULTS: Two thousand, three hundred and ninety-seven questionnaires were returned (1,366 recruited in London and 1,031 in Edinburgh), with a response rate of 77%. A larger proportion of men surveyed in London had had unprotected anal intercourse (UAI) with one or more male partners in the previous year (35%) than in Edinburgh (30%). Men recruited in Edinburgh were less likely to have had an HIV test (54%) than men in London (63%). In both surveys, 25% of men who reported UAI with partners of the same HIV status as themselves also reported never having had an HIV test. CONCLUSIONS: The observed dissimilarities in the HIV epidemic in the two cities may be accounted for by the differences in self-reported high-risk sexual and HIV testing behaviours between the two populations. A large proportion of men in both cities continue to engage in high-risk sexual behaviour suggesting continued transmission of HIV in these populations. Thus, there is a continued need for innovative and relevant health promotion amongst homosexual men in the UK.     

Erection induced hallucinations

Eclectic treatment approaches to male erectile disorder (MED) may be neglected. A case report of treating a man with schizophrenia and multi-aetiological MED with intra-cavernous injections of prostaglandin E, is presented. Restoration of erectile capacity precipitated psychological and psychiatric reactions which were considered deleterious to the patient. It is concluded that consideration must be given to both psychological and physical aspects of treatment in MED.     

High rate of nonspecific anti-hepatitis C reactivity amongst homosexual men in comparison with that found in other sexually active groups and blood donors

Abstract. Objectives . To investigate the concordance of antihepatitis C virus (anti-HCV) reactivity by a second-generation enzyme immunoassay (EIA-2) and by a four-antigen recombinant immunoblot assay (4-RIBA) in homosexual men, in comparison with that found in other sexually active groups and blood donors. Design . Prospective study. Setting . Tertiary referral centre, Seville, Spain. Subjects . A total of 1203 subjects were studied. Eight hundred and three were sexually active individuals: 547 female prostitutes, 88 heterosexual men who had frequent sexual intercourse with prostitutes, and 168 homosexual men. All of them denied blood transfusion and parenteral drug use. In addition, 400 voluntary blood donors were selected at random. Main outcome measures . All serum samples were screened for anti-HCV by EIA-2 and repeatedly reactive sera were tested by 4-RIBA. Homosexual men were also screened for anti-human immunodeficiency virus (anti-HIV), hepatitis B virus (HBV) markers and gammaglobulin concentration. Finally, serum samples from homosexual men reactive for anti-HCV by EIA-2 were analyzed for HCV-RNA by polymerase chain reaction (PCR). Results . Concordance between EIA-2 and 4-RIBA in female prostitutes (71.4%), clients of prostitutes (75.0%), and blood donors (83.3%) was significantly higher than in homosexual men (38.8%) (P < 0.04). In this collective the concordance between 4-RIBA and PCR was 85.7% for positive cases and 88.8% for negative ones, and EIA-2 ratios in reactive sera were significantly higher in 4-RIBA confirmed cases (P < 0.0001). No correlation between false positive EIA-2 results and presence of HIV infection, HBV markers or hypergammaglobulinaemia was found in homosexual men by univariate analysis. Conclusions . There is a high level of non-specific anti-HCV reactivity by EIA-2 amongst homosexual men in comparison with that found in other sexually active groups and blood donors. The true prevalence of HCV infection amongst homosexual men could be even lower than previously described.     

“Sex-role preference” as an explanatory variable in homosexual behavior

Sex-role preference is an important neglected variable in statistically controlled studies of homosexual behavior. This variable must accompany controls for degree of psychopathology of respondents and degree of heterosexual and homosexual behavior experienced by respondents. Cross-cultural differences exist. Mexican males have rigidly defined insertor-insertee roles, with earlier life events serving as predictors of these sex-role preferences. Greece is comparable to Mexico. In Turkey, stigmatization accompanies passive homosexuality. Role playing may be age graded, as in the Southwest Pacific. In lower socioeconomic classes of the United States, sex roles for homosexual males are more stereotypically and unequivocably defined. Chicanos generally have strong sex-role preferences when involved in homosexual encounters; their attitude is similar to that found in Mexico. Among middle-class Anglo-American males, few or no sex-role feelings are associated with types of sex acts by most homosexually behaving males. This may be related to a focus on oral-genital rather than anal sex acts. The sharply dichotomized gender roles and the cultural formulation linking effeminacy and homosexuality appear to provide the necessary conditions for the development of sex-role preferences in many societies.Presented to Symposium on Ethnosexuality, Annual Meeting of the Southwestern Anthropological Association, San Francisco, April 1976.     

Incestuous experiences within homosexual populations: A preliminary study

The incidence, frequency rates, and effects of both homosexual and heterosexual incestuous experiences within lesbian and male homosexual populations are examined. Twenty-nine female homosexuals and 54 male homosexuals from diverse demographic backgrounds were administered a 16-page anonymous questionnaire designed to capture a wide range of demographic, personality, life history, and attitudinal information. Differences in family characteristics that exist between individuals who have experienced nuclear family incest, extended family incest, and those who have never experienced incest are investigated. Differences that exist between the two populations, incest and nonincest, were also studied.Albert Einstein College of Medicine