In his article, “The Health Risks of Gay Sex,” medical doctor John R. Diggs, Jr. writes that “The current media portrayal of gay and lesbian relationships is that they are as healthy, stable and loving as heterosexual marriages — or even more so. Medical associations are promoting somewhat similar messages.” But that portrayal is not consistent with facts.
Dr. Diggs warns that the consequences of homosexual sexual activity are distinct from the consequences of heterosexual activity. Just as it is his duty as a physician to recommend behaviors that are beneficial to our health and wellbeing, likewise it is his duty to inform patients of the health risks of gay sex — “Sexual relationships between members of the same sex expose gays, lesbians and bisexuals to extreme risks of Sexually Transmitted Diseases (STDs), physical injuries, mental disorders and even a shortened life span.”
There are at least 5 major areas of differences between gay and heterosexual relationships, each with specific medical consequences. Those differences include:
- Levels of promiscuity
- Physical health
- Mental health
- Life span
- Definition of “monogamy”
1. PROMISCUITY
The “extreme” health risks of homosexual sex are a direct consequence of sexual promiscuity. Simply put, homosexuals are more promiscuous than heterosexuals. Prior to the AIDS epidemic, a 1978 study found that:
- 75% of white gay males (3 of every 4) claimed to have had more than 100lifetime male sex partners;
- 15% claimed 100-249 sex partners;
- 17% claimed 250-499;
- 15% claimed 500- 999;
- 28% (that’s more than 1 of every 5 white gay men!) claimed more than 1,000 lifetime male sex partners.
Levels of promiscuity subsequently declined but, with the advent of AIDS drugs, they are again approaching those of the 1970s. From 1994 to 1997, the percentage of homosexual men reporting multiple partners and unprotected anal sex rose from 23.6% to 33.3%, with the largest increase among men under 25. The medical consequence of this promiscuity is that gays have a greatly increased likelihood of contracting HIV/AIDS, syphilis and other STDs.
While similarly high rates of promiscuity have not been documented among lesbians, an Australian study did find lesbians to be more promiscuous than straight women:
- 93% of lesbians reported having had sex with men. Other studies similarly show that 75-90% of women who have sex with women have also had sex with men.
- Lesbians were 4.5 times more likely than heterosexual women(9% of lesbians vs. 2% of heterosexual women) to have had more than 50 lifetime male sex partners.
- In addition to diseases that may be transmitted during lesbian sex, a study at an Australian STD clinic found that lesbians were 3 to 4 times more likely than heterosexual women to have sex with men who were high-risk for HIV.
It goes without saying that any degree of sexual promiscuity carries the risk of contracting STDs.
2. PHYSICAL HEALTH
Excessive sexual promiscuity and certain common sexual practices among gay men result in epidemics like AIDS and serious medical consequences, some of which are virtually unknown among heterosexuals. A British researcher summarizes the danger as follows:
“penile-anal, mouth-penile, and hand-anal sexual contact is usual for both [male homosexual] partners, and mouth-anal contact is not infrequent…. Mouth-anal contact is the reason for the relatively high incidence ofdiseases caused by bowel pathogens in male homosexuals. Trauma may encourage the entry of micro-organisms and thus lead to primarysyphilitic lesions occurring in the anogenital area…. In addition to sodomy, trauma may be caused by foreign bodies, including stimulators of various kinds, penile adornments, and prostheses.”
a. Anal intercourse:
Beginning in the “gay” culture, anal sex has now been “popularized” among heterosexuals via systematic propaganda of pornography.
But the simple truth is this: The human body was not designed to accommodate anal intercourse.
The rectum is significantly different from the vagina with regard to suitability for penetration by a penis. The vagina has natural lubricants and is composed of a mucus membrane with a multi-layer stratified squamous epithelium that allows it to endure friction without damage and to resist the immunological actions caused by semen and sperm. In contrast, the anus is a delicate mechanism of small muscles that comprise an “exit-only” passage. With repeated trauma, friction and stretching, the sphincter loses its tone and its ability to maintain a tight seal. Consequently, anal intercourse leads to leakage of fecal material that can easily become chronic. Moreover, the intestine has only a single layer of cells separating it from blood. Therefore, any organisms that are introduced into the rectum have a much easier time establishing a foothold for infection than they would in a vagina. The single layer tissue cannot withstand the friction associated with penile penetration, resulting in traumas that expose both participants to blood, organisms in feces, and a mixing of bodily fluids.
Furthermore, ejaculate has components that are immunosuppressive, designed to allow the sperm to evade the immune defenses of the female. The fragility of the anus and rectum, along with the immunosuppressive effect of ejaculate, make anal-genital intercourse a most efficient manner of transmitting HIV and other infections. Below is a list of diseases found with extraordinary frequency among male homosexual practitioners as a result of anal intercourse. Sexual transmission of some of these diseases is so rare in the exclusively heterosexual population as to be virtually unknown. Lesbians are also at higher risk for these STDs:
- Anal cancer
- Chlamydia trachomatis
- Cryptosporidium
- Giardia lamblia
- Herpes simplex virus
- Human immunodeficiency virus
- Human papilloma virus
- Isospora belli
- Microsporidia
- Gonorrhea
- Viral hepatitis types B & C
- Syphilis: gay men contracted syphilis at 3 to 4 times the rate of heterosexuals.
- HIV/AIDS: A study based upon statistics from 1986 through 1990 estimated that 20-year-old gay men had a 50% chance of becoming HIV positive by age 55. As of June 2001, nearly 64% of men with AIDS were men who have had sex with men.
b. Oral-anal contact (aka “rimming”):
It is because of “rimming” that intestinal parasites ordinarily found in the tropics are encountered in the bodies of American gay men. An extremely high rate of parasitic and other intestinal infections is documented among male homosexual practitioners because of oral-anal contact. There are so many infections that a syndrome called “the Gay Bowel” is described in the medical literature. Gay bowel syndrome includes such diseases as Hepatitis A, Giardia lamblia, Entamoeba histolytica,Epstein-Barr virus,Neisseria meningitides,Shigellosis, Salmonellosis, Pediculosis, scabies, Campylobacter, and typhoid.
c. Human Waste
Some gay men engage in coprophilia, which means sexual contact with (including ingesting) highly infectious fecal wastes. This practice exposes the participants to all of the risks of anal-oral contact and many of the risks of analgenital contact.
d. Fisting
“Fisting” refers to the insertion of a hand or forearm into the rectum, and is far more damaging than anal intercourse. Tears can occur, along with incompetence of the anal sphincter. The result can include infections, inflammation and, consequently, enhanced susceptibility to future STDs. 22% of homosexuals (nearly 1 of every 4) in one survey admitted to having participated in this practice.
Al Pacino and the director William Friedkin got a lot of flak from “gay rights” activists for the 1980 movie Cruising, about an undercover cop investigating a serial killer who targets gay men, especially those involved in the S&M “culture.” The YouTube video below is an excerpt from the movie, showing scenes from a gay bar. Beginning at the 0:40 mark, you’ll see a man smearing talcum powder on his right fist and wrist, followed by another man being fisted. If this isn’t evil, I truly don’t know what is.
e. Sadism
Sadism is the sexualization of pain and cruelty, named for the 18th Century novelist, the Marquis de Sade. The medical consequences of such activities range from mild to fatal, depending upon the nature of the injuries inflicted. As many as 37% of homosexuals (more than 1 of every 3) have practiced some form of sadism.
3. MENTAL HEALTH
Multiple studies have identified high rates of psychiatric illness, including depression, drug abuse and suicide attempts, among selfprofessed gays and lesbians. Gay activists argue that mental illness is induced by other people’s homophobia and intolerance.
But that argument is undermined by an extensive study in the Netherlands — a country of legalized same-sex marriages where GLBTs are widely accepted.The Dutch study, published in the Archives of General Psychiatry, found a high rate of psychiatric disease associated with same-sex sex. Gay men were much more likely to experience major depression, bipolar disorder, panic disorder, agoraphobia and obsessive compulsive disorder. Lesbians were more often diagnosed with major depression, social phobia or alcohol dependence. The researchers found “that homosexuality is not only associated with mental health problems during adolescence and early adulthood…but also in later life.”
Depression and drug abuse, in turn, can lead to reckless sexual behavior, even among those who understand the deadly risks, such as older professional gay men.
4. LIFE SPAN
The only epidemiological study (from Vancouver, Canada) to date on the life span of gay men concluded that gay and bisexual men lose up to 20 years of life expectancy. Compare that to cigarette smokers, who lose on average about 13.5 years of life expectancy. The Canadian study concluded that the probability of a 20-year-old gay or bisexual man living to 65 years was only 32%, compared to 78% for men in general.
5. MONOGAMY
Monogamy means long-term sexual fidelity. The most extensive survey of sex in America found that a vast majority of heterosexual committed couples are faithful: 94% of married people and 75% of cohabiting people had only one partner in the prior year.But long-term sexual fidelity is rare among GLB (gay, lesbian, bisexual) couples, particularly among gay males. Even during the coupling period, many gay men do not expect monogamy. One study reported that 66% of gay couples reported sex outside the relationship within the first year, and nearly 90% if the relationship lasted 5 years.
The average gay or lesbian relationship is also short lived. In one study, only 15% of gay men and 17.3% of lesbians had relationships that lasted more than 3 years. In other words, whatever data we have show very little long-term monogamy in GLB relationships, which then raises the question of why homosexuals are so insistent on their “unions” being legalized as marriages
