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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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Dealing with Gonorrhea

Author: May 11, 2015 0 Comments

Go-away Gonorrhoea

Posted on May 11, 2015 by Bill Coleman, PhD | Sexual Health | Leave a comment
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Gonorrhoea

It’s Wednesday morning. You got up early, went to the gym, had a great breakfast, and enjoyed a cup of coffee on your way to work. As you start to settle in for a long work day, all the sudden you realize something doesn’t feel right. As you sit at your desk you get the sensation like you’re dripping pre-cum, only, you haven’t been hard all morning. You run to the washroom and when you piss, it burns like fire. It’s at this point you realize, the random guy you hooked up with on Saturday night must have given you gonorrhoea.

Gonorrhoea is the second most commonly reported sexually transmitted infection (STI). It’s a bacterial infection that is transmitted through sex. A 2006 study found six per cent of gay men had gonorrhea in their throat, two per cent in their rectum, and one per cent in their urethra. When you realize you have gonorrhoea, you just want it to go away, fast.

Symptoms

It can take two to ten days for gonorrhoea symptoms to show up. In some cases, you may not have any symptoms at all. For people who do, they can experience:

White, yellow or green discharge from the penis
A burning sensation when urinating
Itchiness, pain, and/or mucus with bowel movements
White or green fluid leaking from the rectum
A dry and/or sore throat
Swollen neck glands
Inflammation of the eyelid
Transmission

Oral, anal sex, and fisting are all methods that gonorrhoea can be transmitted. It’s spread by skin-to-skin contact and through infected cum.

Even if you use condoms every single time you have anal sex, you can still get gonorrhoea. Transmission is as easy as putting your cock in someone’s mouth who has gonorrhea. It can happen that fast, and that easy.

Getting Tested

Testing for gonorrhoea is easy. Simply visit your health care professional or your doctor. It is a simple swab taken of your throat, urethra, and/or anus. Test results usually take 24-48 hours.

Treatment

In 2004, the treatment of gonorrhoea changed, based on new medication that was proven to be found more effective. The two common types of treatments are either a 125mg injection of Ceftriazone, or a 400mg pill of Cifixime taken orally. If either of these two options don’t treat the STI, then other treatments may be considered.

In some cases, gonorrhoea can resolve itself, about 50% of the time in cases where there is an infection in the throat. While it can take up to three months, it is possible. While taking no action is possible, you would have to live with the symptoms and be aware that you are knowingly and deliberately transmitting the infection to your other partner.

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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.

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

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