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Social Anxiety; Loneliness, Isolation and Depression

Author: February 21, 2016 0 Comments

Do you feel lonely, isolated and depressed? Maybe you have social anxiety.

Social Anxiety

Social anxiety is very common with gay men. Most people who suffer from social anxiety don’t even recognize that they have a problem. According to Wikipedia social anxiety is:

An emotion characterized by a discomfort or a fear when a person is in a social interaction that involves a concern of being judged or evaluated by others. It is typically characterised by an intense fear of what others are thinking about them (specifically fear of embarrassment or humiliation, criticism, or rejection), which results in the individual feeling insecure and not good enough for other people, and/or the assumption that peers will automatically reject them.

Social anxiety begins at a very young age, when boys become aware of being different from other boys. Gay boys will fear of being rejected and become hyper vigilant around others.

The fear of being in social situations results in the person avoiding social situations. Social anxiety is not avoidance of people, it is avoidance of people in social settings. Interestingly, the same person who avoids social situations is still able to run large meetings at work, manage many employees, and teach 30 or 300 persons at a time with little or no anxiety. In all of these situations there is a structure and the role is clear, and maybe even having some authority provides comfort. In social situations the rules and expectations of how one is to behave is vague, the structure is flexible. What a person talks about and how it is said is not spelled out. This is where fear creeps in, that is, the fear of saying or doing the wrong thing, the fear of being judged, of looking foolish etc.

The most common reaction to anxiety in social situations is to withdraw as much as possible. Bathhouses are a good place for guys with social anxiety because there is sex and connections that can happen without the pressures of conversations in a group of people. It is not surprising that bathhouses thrive, because they provide an outlet for guys. Not everyone in a bathhouse has social anxiety but it is a safer place to meet guys and hook-up without the fear of social conversations.

It’s normal for people with social anxiety to gradually reduce their social commitments and spend more time alone or with one or two friends. This alone time often leads to depression. Most people with depression look for treatment when the cause is likely due to loneliness.

To avoid loneliness, it’s typical for gay guys in their mid-30s or 40s will get a dog or a cat. A dog can work well for the guy to get out and walk his dog without too much social interaction. If he is in a social situation or a date he will have the excuse that he has to get back to let his dog out. The dog becomes a good reason to only have short social interactions. But also the relationship with the dog provides some comfort and feeling of being needed and belonging.

There is nothing wrong with a dog replacing socializing in groups. Having a dog works well as a way of coping with the loneliness and isolation. In fact it works so well that many guys do not even try to socialize and live a life of avoiding connecting, and socializing. Not everyone who has a dog (or cat) has social anxiety but it could be something to examine if the pet helps one to avoid or limit the amount of time in social gatherings.

According to WebMD, social anxiety is relatively easy to overcome by counselling:

The counsellor will “guide the person’s thoughts in a more rational direction and help the person stop avoiding situations that once caused anxiety. It teaches people to react differently to the situations that trigger their anxiety symptoms. Therapy may include systematic desensitization or real life exposure to the feared situation. With systematic desensitization, the person imagines the frightening situation and works through his or her fears in a safe and relaxed environment, such as the therapist’s office. Real life exposure gradually exposes the person to the situation but with the support of the therapist”.

People do not talk about social anxiety and therefore goes undiagnosed and untreated. The result is people who are lonely, isolated and depressed without understanding why. Take a moment to look at yourself and how much social fears and anxieties limit the amount of time is spent in social situations.

– See more at: http://www.thehomoculture.com/2015/08/29/social-anxiety/#comments

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Gay Men and Denial

Author: December 7, 2015 0 Comments

Denial: coming to grips with feelings and the path to happiness

Nobel Prize winner Patrick White denied being gayDenial is refusing to accept reality or fact, acting as if in a painful event, thought, or feeling did not exist.

Gay men are very good at denial. It’s considered to be one of the most primitive defense mechanisms, characteristic of childhood development. It’s used to avoid dealing with painful feelings that people don’t want to admit.

For gay men, denial starts early, often denying that they are gay. It’s a frequent response to initial internal feeling of attraction to other guys. It’s learned at an early age. Gay boys learn to hone denial, turning it into a useful way of dealing with issues and situations they don’t like or want to avoid.

In the work environment, gay men will claim to be bisexual. Yes, they could have sex with women, but these same guys haven’t looked sexually at a women in decades, let alone have sex with them. Not all guys who identify as bisexual are in denial, but some certainly are. Their dishonesty is giving bisexuals a bad rep.

Denial serves to protect the person from facing uncomfortable feelings. This can last either a short time, minutes or hours, or can go on form months, years, or even decades.

It’s a defence mechanism that is used and necessary, but it can easily cripple a person, and hold them back from growth and movement. It can distort reality, making an image that is more acceptable at the expense of truth. Facing the truth is hard. For more people, the path to living a gay life begins with denial of gay feelings.

Denial is not pathological, but gay men often find denial as a go-to method of coping with unwanted information. It’s recognized as part of understanding gay men.

David Marr in A Life: Patrick White described Nobel Prize winner, Patrick White:

“As he grew up he had been faced with the choice of all homosexuals must make between sticking to rules-perhaps for a lifetime-or making sense of life by following the irrational, often painful truths revealed within themselves. Curiosity, scepticism and doubt are second nature to those who choose the second path.”

While a gay man may try to ‘stick to the rules’, or follow the irrational, often painful truths, using denial is a way of avoiding the truth of what may happen if you face the gay feelings head-on.

Men who identify as gay have moved past their denial and see the truth, that they are attracted to men. Guys who want to find trust fulfillment have to go beyond just acceptance.

Acceptance is not the opposite of denial. It is tolerating, admitting, and recognizing. It doesn’t always bring about changes in life, it’s just the next phase of moving towards fulfillment.

– See more at: http://www.thehomoculture.com/author/billcoleman/#sthash.izn6gr3H.gWdkW4Vv.dpuf

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Guys who are Givers and Guys who are Takers; What are you?

Author: November 21, 2015 0 Comments

Are you a giver or a taker?

Are you a giver or taker?

The world is made up of both givers and takers. Givers are people who like to do things for other people and go out of their way to help those in need. Takers, on the other hand, are people who like to have someone to accommodate their desires and give them what they want. Some people only give, some only take, but the majority of people fall somewhere in between these extremes, where it’s comfortable to both give and take.

Most gay men find themselves in the middle of being givers and takers. Knowing if you are more of a giver or a taker is important to helping understand your relationships with others. Givers tend to be more passive, accommodating, and unassertive. Givers like to give to their partner, and feels less comfortable when receiving from others. Even receiving praise is difficult, but giving it comes easily and naturally.

“Givers are people whose primary motivation is to take care of others, to make sure others are well, and to contribute to others and society,” said Emma Seppala in a November 2013 article published in Psychology Today. “In a relationship, these are people who are always thinking about gifts for their partner, who take their partners’ interests into consideration, and who are always thinking ‘What else can I do for you?’ They’re pretty awesome.”

Takers tend to be more assertive, aggressive, and even demanding. They have a sense of entitlement, expect to be pampered, and want all their needs looked after.

“Takers are just that—takers. They usually treat people well only if and when those people can help them reach their goals,” explained Emma Seppala. “They know how to work the crowd and seduce, but under the surface, they are primarily motivated by self-interest. You can recognize a taker by how poorly they treat people they believe are of no use to them. You know you’re in a relationship with a taker when you feel sucked dry for all you have—money, affection, time, etc. Once the taker has everything they want, you may be relegated to the unimportant sphere of their life.”

Givers are often attracted to takers who enjoy having their needs accommodated. In the long run these kind of relationships often fail because the giver wants something in return from his partner. Very often the taker will find another giver, and the giver will find another taker.

It is not uncommon for a guy who is a more extreme giver to become more balanced in his giving. Takers find it harder to change, often finding guys who want to look after their needs. Extreme givers are more likely to go to counselling because their life is not working well for them.

Guys in the middle tend to fall on one side or the other of the giver-taker continuum. These guys have a tendency to be either giver or taker, but in a more balanced approach.

So is there are relationship between giver-taker and top-bottom? You could assume that the giver will be more likely to give his body to be taken, meaning that he is more likely a bottom. The taker would more likely take what he wants from his partner. The giver isn’t always a bottom, but he would tend to be in most cases.

It is important to understand if you are a giver or taker in your friendships and relationships. It could affect your choice of friends or partners and to ensure your emotional needs are being met based on the relationships in your life.

– See more at: http://www.thehomoculture.com/author/billcoleman/#sthash.izn6gr3H.gWdkW4Vv.dpuf

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Gay Guys have to find their Own Way in the World; Straight guys are given a Life Plan

Author: October 26, 2015 0 Comments

The complexities of the life path for gay men

The complexities of the life path for gay men

Heterosexual people’s lives are pretty straight forward. Go to school, get a job, find a girl friend, get married, have kids, retire, and enjoy having grandchildren. It’s been this way for generations. It’s engrained as the ideal North American lifestyle path that every man shall follow for a successful, happy life. At least that’s what we are told and meant to believe. But wait, what if you’re gay? That doesn’t work at all.

Gay men don’t follow the same path at their heterosexual counterparts. Essentially, there is not template for gay men to follow. While you think it might be obviously for a gay man to come out, find a partner, settle down, and live a great life with dual-incomes, it doesn’t exactly work that way.

Some gay men never come out of the closet, fearing retribution or rejection by friends and family. Some guys aren’t interested in finding a life-long partner or want to settle down in a relationship. Other gay men have no interest in investing in real estate or creating an estate to pass on. Without a model to follow (or to rebel against), for gay men, finding their way through life can be incredibly difficult and pose challenges along the way. On the flip side, gay men often have stronger character, are independent thinkers, and are creative problem solvers.

Young gay men often feel alone, scared, and lost because they aren’t able to follow the same path as heterosexual men. They face separate challenges of coming out, dating, bullying, and relationships. Their struggles are tougher. Young gay men who finally figure out they are gay, and accept the heteronormative idea of what a traditional man’s life is like, often has a harder time coping and adapting.

For men who realize they are gay when they are at an older stage of life have completely different challenges to face. A young gay man merrily goes along, creating his own template and expectations of life, throwing away the ideals of a heterosexuals life path into the trash. Whereas men who are further along in life feel confused about how to proceed on who he is, how it will impact his life, and what changes need to be made. Many men at this stage discard their old identify and create a new one. It’s a huge challenge. Going from having a planned out life to creating a new path in an incredible change, and it’s not easy.

Gay men have to find their own way through life, developing valuable skills and taking pride in their accomplishments along the way. But the awareness of this lifelong challenge is daunting. When gay men become aware of their altered path, they often feel alone on their life path and that they want to give up. Suicide, drugs, and alcohol are common coping mechanisms used to overcome the overwhelming feelings of stress and confusion.

The great news is that many gay men do find their way and create their own life path. Their paths are usually much more vibrant and very unique to their own personal needs, compared to their heterosexual counterparts, because their plans take into account the challenges they face along their journey. It may seem scary, but in fact, it’s beautiful and full of wonderful experiences many heterosexual men don’t get to understand.

– See more at: http://www.thehomoculture.com/author/billcoleman/#sthash.izn6gr3H.gWdkW4Vv.dpuf

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Gay Men and Mental Health; Being Gay is Not always Easy

Author: October 6, 2015 0 Comments

Gay men experience more mental health issues compared to heterosexuals

Gay men experience more mental health issues compared to heterosexuals

Depression impacts almost everyone at one time or another. Traumatic experiences throughout childhood involving bereavement, neglect, or abuse can increase the chances of depression. According to the Archives of General Psychiatry1, the lifetime prevalence rates of major depressive disorders among gay men, bisexuals and lesbians is 71.4% compared to 38.2% for heterosexuals.

Gay men experience more mental health issues compared to heterosexual people because of the complexities in the development of their personality, plus learning how to cope with stressful environments.

It’s normal to visit the doctor to seek medication to deal with depression. Often there is little or no in-depth look at the causes, a referral to a counsellor, or other tools used to deal with depression. With little focus, it can take years to resolve it self, all the while also having to deal with the negative side effects of taking medication to treat the depression symptoms. It’s not unusual for this to have an adverse effect on self-esteem and identity, or the additional need of psychotropic medication to copy with the world. These antidepressants make it difficult to get an erection, to stay hard, and to ejaculate. The sexual frustration leads to more isolation, and further depression.

Doctors and medical experts see depression as a reaction to anxiety. While anxiety is usually not initially recognized, the results include social withdrawal and subsequent depression. A study in the Canadian Journal of Psychiatry2 found gay and bisexual men have twice the rate of anxiety disorders as heterosexuals.

People who live full, active, social lives are rarely depressed. Social interactions with friends must be enjoyable, not just tolerated. Both anxiety and depression are major factors which impact happiness.

What to do about anxiety and depression

Recognizing the signs of anxiety and depression in its early stages is key. Anxiety and depression is much harder to resolve once a person becomes immobilized by their feelings. Seek help when you start to feel signs of either anxiety or depression. A counsellor who is familiar with gay men’s issues and gay culture can create a better outcome. If counselling doesn’t help, prescription medication could be used for treatment. As with all medications, it is best to take medication for as short of period of time as possible.

1 Bolton, Shay-Lee and Sareen, Jitender. (2001) Sexual Orientation and its relation to mental disorders and suicide attempts: Findings from a nationally representative sample. Canadian Journal of Psychiatry, 56(1), 35-43. 

2 Prevalence of mental disorders, psychological distress, and mental health services use among lesbian, gay, and bisexual adults in the United States. Cochran, Susan D.; Sullivan, J. Greer; Mays, Vickie M. Journal of Consulting and Clinical Psychology, Vol 71(1), Feb 2003, 53-61

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Development of Gay Identity; Growing up Gay

Author: August 17, 2015 0 Comments

The challenges gay men face, from young boys to gay men

The challenges gay men face, from young boys to gay men, and how it impacts their life

Everyone has different childhood experiences and upbringings. It’s what makes each person unique and different, and helps to sculpt their morals, ethics, beliefs, personalities, and more. However, many gay men often learn that their childhood has commonalities with other gay men. Understanding the challenges gay men face, from young boys through to gay men, can impact the rest of their lives.

It’s around the age of 5-10 years old that boys discover they are not like other boys. They do not understand how they are different, but they do know things are not the same. The reaction to this awareness is to try to fit it with the other boys, trying hard not to be the centre of attention. They will try hard to let people look at them too closely and discover their differences.

The emotional reaction includes fear, isolation, and confusion. Self-esteem starts to take its first big hit. They begin to self-monitor, checking if their behaviour is similar to other boys. This hyper self-monitoring leads to a loss of being able to feel comfortable and spontaneous. It’s a dangerous path, where the child spends more time focusing on what others expect them to act like rather than exploring who they really are.

When a boy realises that he is different, and that he prefers boys over girls, it can be extremely traumatic. Fears and questions begin to arise. Boys will ask themselves if other boys will find out, will they be bullied, how will his family react, will these feelings go away, and what will happen to him as he gets older.

This realization will also cause strong emotional reactions. These emotions and doubts often last into his adult life. Fitting in becomes the name of the game, requiring him to hide who he is and how he feels. Everything from appearance to gestures become very sensitive. This is when the boy will not be himself anymore. They doubt that their family and friends would accept them for who he really is, and he can become overwhelmed with feelings of isolation and loneliness. It’s about this same time that he will teach himself not to trust loving and caring relationships.

As the boy becomes a teenager, he will begin to have crushes on other guys but he is trapped because he cannot do anything about his feelings, other than to hide them. It’s extremely frustrating and lonely. There isn’t the opportunity to fall in love, go out on a date, or experience a relationship, unless it’s with a girl and under false pretences, which adds even more confusion. There are many hurt feelings seeing friends fall in love and not being able to have those same experiences. It’s a sensitive time when he will wonder if he will ever find love and acceptance.

Growing up in this environment isn’t fun; however, in spite of all these problems with self-esteem and lack of a strong sense of self-knowledge, gay youth train themselves to be alone and how to conform with the rest of the world, pleases others.

It’s not until he is in his 20’s or even 30’s that the gay man is able to explore dating and falling in love. This comes with consequence because he never experienced these feelings growing up, so it’s all new and often overwhelming. Relationships are overwhelmed with emotions. This is normal for teenangers, but because he never experienced that, he’s now battling these feelings much later in life, making him feel like a silly teenager all over again.

Gay men do survive their very difficult and trying childhoods. It’s now easy to see why early life experiences can lead to problems later in adult life. Anxiety and depression are common amongst gay men. Anxiety is an extension of the hyper monitoring, with large amounts of self-criticism. Relationships will almost always be difficult because of the lack of practice and not allowing others to get too close to him. Sexual experiences are also hampered because he wasn’t able to experiment with his sexuality and desires when he was at his sexual peak, making sex a quicker and easier way to connect with guys, rather than the long process of dating and building an emotional relationship.

– See more at: http://www.thehomoculture.com/author/billcoleman/#sthash.izn6gr3H.fdaDSKhW.dpuf

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Looking at Why You use Drugs

Author: June 8, 2015 0 Comments

Is your substance use masking a bigger problem?

Gay men are known to be anxious, inhibited, fear criticism, and have a need for connection to others. Party drugs are one of the easiest and most common ways for gay men help cope with these feelings and fears. While drugs my help cope, they never deal with unwanted feelings or address insecurities.

When drug use begins to cause problems most people admit that it’s time to make a change, which often results in discontinuing with the drug use. But it’s important to understand why guys are turning to drugs or alcohol as coping mechanisms.

Most people turn to drugs or alcohol because the substance helps in dealing with a scary world and make things more comfortable. Gay men have learned that to survive as youth you need to fit in and be nice to others. That means looking outside and not being true to you. It’s not being genuine or authentic to you. But this is how confused youth learn how to survive.

Unfortunately, most queer youth don’t get the opportunity to learn what being gay is, or how to be themselves. As they enter adulthood, most don’t even have basic dating experience. Pile on top of that the stereotype of gay men being creative, artistic, fashion conscious, obsessed with being neat and tidy, and having exemplarity behavior. Except for being creative and artistic, these are similar characteristics of someone who may have anxiety with concerns of fitting in and pleasing others.

Substance use helps get out of this restrictive box, but only temporarily. Drugs work short term, but they don’t fix or address the problem. They just mask them. The hard work comes by addressing the need of the substance use.

If you feel you have a drug or alcohol problem, consult with a physician or medical professional

– See more at: http://www.thehomoculture.com/author/billcoleman/#sthash.izn6gr3H.fdaDSKhW.dpuf

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Using Drugs and Parting (part two)

Author: June 1, 2015 0 Comments

Using drugs and alcohol could be a symptom of a bigger problem

Matinee Las Vegas 2015 Circuit Party

Addiction traditionally it relates powerlessness and bad behaviour, especially in the gay community. Gay men do not need any more negativity; they have enough to deal with as it is. It’s important to understand that while many gay men do drugs or drink alcohol, which is not the problem. It’s the symptom. If you only focus on the symptom and not the problem, then the problem remains unaddressed. Reasons for taking drugs or alcohol need to be understood or the opportunity to grow will be missed.

Drugs and alcohol are often used to help cope with difficult life situations. It’s a positive way to conquer fears and give an illusion or sense of control and understanding about why they are used.

Just because someone may use drugs or alcohol does not mean they have a problem. What can the problem is when substances begin to interfere with allowing yourself to be you. When your job or relationship is being hurt it’s time to take a step back and understand why drugs and alcohol are being used. Gay men especially need to find other ways to meet the needs these substances are giving them, instead of relying on them as a crutch.

As example, a young guy name Joe goes to a gay nightclub and he is nervous. He decides to bring a friend along to be more socially comfortable. Early in the evening they spend most of the time focused on each other and enjoy small talk. After a few drinks they begin to relax and the rest of the room comes into focus. Eventually smiles and eye contact begins, followed by dancing and conversations with others at the bar. It might even lead into Joe going home and having sex.

For Joe, alcohol helped him cope with his social anxiety. However, if Joe doesn’t learn how to get past his social anxiety, because the alcohol seems to do the work for him, it may become the only way Joe is comfortable in socializing with other gay men. Alcohol then becomes the solution to the problem, but years later the alcohol becomes the symptom of the real problem, which Joe never learned how to resolve in the first place.

Understanding why people use drugs and alcohol is important. The most common reason gay men use drugs and alcohol is because they have social anxiety, lack self-esteem, and have sexual inhibitions. Sometimes substance abuse is so destructive that halting or significantly reducing the use is necessary before learning how to move forward with self-examination.

Here are a few common drugs people use and the general effects each have:

  • Alcohol: Generally relaxes and lowers inhibitions. Can allow you to feel freer to express yourself.
  • Cocaine (coke): Generally gives the feeling of empowerment, strength and confidence.
  • Ecstasy (molly): Generally feel less inhibited, enjoy the sense of touch, and the feeling of connecting with others. Other feelings of increased sexuality and less stress.
  • Crystal meth: Generally inhibitions are greatly reduced. Emotional feelings with others.

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Gay men and Syphilis

Author: May 4, 2015 0 Comments

You could have syphilis and not even know it

Syphilis

The rate of new cases of syphilis is on the rise among men who sleep with men, especially in British Columbia, Canada. This isn’t because there are more gay men, or more gay sex, but because condom use in on the decrease.

Syphilis is a sexually transmitted infection (STI), and is spread by skin-to-skin contact. Oral sex, rimming, and anal sex are the most common ways syphilis is transmitted. A person can have sores in their mouth or anus, which would not be visible to a partner.

Even if condoms are used, a person can still get syphilis if the condom does not cover the sore. You don’t have to have intercourse to get syphilis. In a dark room you may not be aware your partner has a sore. Simply touching the infected area and then your partner can easily transmit the infection. It’s that easy!

Gay men need to get tested for syphilis on a regular bases, and treated as necessary.

Signs and symptoms of syphilis

Syphilis is a bacterium. It is easy to get; but luckily, it’s also easy to cure. The trouble is, you may not know you even have it.

First 2-12 weeks

  • Painless sore, it is a small round sore with raised edges usually without pain
  • Usually on or near the penis, balls, inside mouth or anus.
  • The sore goes away without treatment in 1-5 weeks

6 weeks to 6 months after infection

  • Rash on palms or soles of feet, sometimes torso or limbs
  • Fatigue
  • Fever
  • Mucous patches in mouth or urethra or anus
  • Moist heaped wart-like lesions
  • Patchy hair loss
  • Symptoms go away without treatment

Up to 1 year after infection

  • No symptoms but can be infectious

1+ year after infection

  • Neurological problems including mental health, deafness, tremors, and blindness

Diagnosis and treatment

Syphilis is detected through a simple blood test. It should be part of your regular quarterly HIV testing, along with other STI tests. Syphilis is difficult to diagnose after one year of infection; however, if caught early, it is completely curable.

Syphilis is easily treated with a single dose of two needles of penicillin, one in each cheek of the ass. Sometimes guys who are HIV positive may need to have additional treatments for two or three weeks.

Sexually active guys should be checked for syphilis on a regular basis. Some guys get tested every six or eight weeks if they are really sexually active. If you have a red mark on your cock, in your mouth, or on your butt, don’t ignore it. It will go away in time, but the syphilis will not.

– See more at: http://www.thehomoculture.com/author/billcoleman/#sthash.izn6gr3H.fdaDSKhW.dpuf

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Gay Guys need to know about Anal Cancer; Get immunized for Anal Cancer

Author: April 22, 2015 0 Comments

Gay men need to be concerned about anal cancer

Cervical cancer in women is caused by a wart virus called human papilloma virus (HPV). A man’s penis transmits the virus to the cervix, which the virus can sit there, dormant, for years, and may cause cancer and could kill the woman.

Gay men also have to worry about the same wart virus and cancer. While gay men do not have a cervix, a man can still pass HPV when a guys cock or even a finger comes into contact with your anus. You don’t have to have big, ugly, painful warts to have the virus or get cancer.

Most gay men do not know enough or even feel comfortable talking about anal cancer, the symptoms, the cause, or even the treatment. The Bottom Line, a new Australian website, has done a great job at covering the topic.

It’s important to know that HPV is spread for skin-to-skin contact. A guy can touch his cock and then put his finger on your ass, exposing you to the virus. Many physicians say almost 100% of HIV positive men have HPV in their anus.

HPV can lay dormant in the body for years, without any side effects or issues; however, it can still slowly, over time, cause cancer. It’s best to speak with your doctor or a nurse that specialises in STIs, to check your anus. It’s not always as easy to see the small changer in pre-cancer growths.

Gay men need to be concerned about anal cancer

Men should also conduct their own self-exam, looking for small bumps and inflamed areas just inside the anal canal. You can also do this with a partner who, over time, would be aware of changes in your anus. After all, your partner can look at your anus better than you can! You only need to explore 3-4 centimeters, but you can always explore more, just for fun.

HPV is a terrible cancer to get, and you do not want to die from anal cancer. The good news is that you can get vaccinated. The vaccine has almost no side effects and new studies have shown even if you have been exposed to the virus that the vaccine may be helpful in fighting the virus.

Most people can get the vaccine covered through their health insurance. Some government assistance programs also cover the cost. There are also some gay men health clinics that offer the vaccine free of charge. If you cannot access one of these free resources, then you can try your local pharmacy where you can get it for about $450 CDN.

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