Health Risk in Sexual Activity in Gay Practices

Tigerwiccan · 05-15-2008, 02:03 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by fxashun

Great. But I'm still curious how you could come to the conclusion that I am "preoccupied with anal sex" from our last exchange. You weren't lying were you?

It's called sarcasm.

fxashun · 05-15-2008, 03:59 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Tigerwiccan

It's called sarcasm.

Really? LOL.

deekers79 · 05-15-2008, 06:42 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by OhDear

In this article, the sexual practices of the gay community are cited as those with greater risk. Both oral and anal sex are cited as what these young people are turning to in lieu of "vaginal sex"...

Do you agree that gay practices are of a higher risk for disease?

The article is saying that the riskier sexual practices are oral and anal sex.

That is the only kind of sex that gay people can engage in using their very own bodies, both being of the same sex. And if it is riskier sex for heterosexuals to engage in oral and anal sex, would it not stand to reason that it is also riskier for same sex couples to engage in as well?
. . . The mainstay of sexual practices within the gay community were cited. Reasonably, I could "and" together the fact that anal and oral sex were cited and anal and oral sex are the mainstay of sexual acts in the gay community.

It has been repeated over and over again here that the sexual practices of gay people are not of any higher risk than the sexual practices of straight couples. And yet here in this article, even when heterosexuals make use of anal and oral sex, it is stated as a fact that those particular sexual practices put young people at greater risk of STDs.

It is reasonable to conclude then that those same practices protected here ad nauseum in hundreds or thousands of posts by the gay members of the DTT are putting them and their community at a higher risk too. And since they cannot resort to vagina/penis sexual acts, they need to realize from the article cited that they too are in need of re-education concerning the safety of what they do. For their own sakes.

Now this is in the gay forums as appropriately requested, it is not about the sexual practices of heterosexuals, be they monogamous or promiscuous.

OhDear

Dear OhDear,

I do not have the time or energy to read all the posts in this thread. I will give you my take on your original post. This is for you, and not intended to be a contribution to the ongoing debate in this thread. If the points I make have already been made by others, then I apologize for wasting your time.

I have three main points:

First, you have failed to take into account the condom factor. Among forms of sexual contact without a condom, the most risky behavior is anal sex, followed by vaginal intercourse, with oral sex being the least risky of the three (although still risky).

So in essence, you are correct in stating that anal sex is riskier than vaginal intercourse but incorrect about oral sex being riskier than vaginal intercourse. However, this study does not explain WHY gay men are at more risk of contracting HIV/AIDS than heterosexual people. There are a lot of factors that contribute to the decision not to use a condom, the decision to have multiple sexual partners, and the decision to engage in riskier sexual behavior in general. Many studies have been done on this topic and they overwhelmingly point to the social stigma that society places on homosexuality as the major factor leading to all of these poor judgements. If you would like to read some of these studies, I will definitely post the references for you.

Secondly, what about lesbians? You stated, "That is the only kind of sex that gay people can engage in using their very own bodies, both being of the same sex." So what is your explanation of the health risks for lesbians? Or are we simply disregarding half of the gay population in this argument?

Lastly, You did not state the purpose of your post, nor an argument based on the information you put forth. Yet it seems that you are implying that homosexuals should not engage in anal sex because anal sex is riskier than vaginal intercourse. I don't think I need to do much arguing to point out that people do a lot of risky things, and just because a behavior is riskier than another behavior does not mean that it should be avoided.

Here's a thought for you: Who engages in healthier sexual behavior? A man who has had sex with dozens of women without a condom? Or a man who has only ever had sex with one man, his partner, and never uses a condom? Whose behavior is riskier?

OhDear · 05-15-2008, 07:10 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by deekers79

Dear OhDear,

I do not have the time or energy to read all the posts in this thread. I will give you my take on your original post. This is for you, and not intended to be a contribution to the ongoing debate in this thread. If the points I make have already been made by others, then I apologize for wasting your time.

I have three main points:

First, you have failed to take into account the condom factor. Among forms of sexual contact without a condom, the most risky behavior is anal sex, followed by vaginal intercourse, with oral sex being the least risky of the three (although still risky).

So in essence, you are correct in stating that anal sex is riskier than vaginal intercourse but incorrect about oral sex being riskier than vaginal intercourse. However, this study does not explain WHY gay men are at more risk of contracting HIV/AIDS than heterosexual people. There are a lot of factors that contribute to the decision not to use a condom, the decision to have multiple sexual partners, and the decision to engage in riskier sexual behavior in general. Many studies have been done on this topic and they overwhelmingly point to the social stigma that society places on homosexuality as the major factor leading to all of these poor judgements. If you would like to read some of these studies, I will definitely post the references for you.

Secondly, what about lesbians? You stated, "That is the only kind of sex that gay people can engage in using their very own bodies, both being of the same sex." So what is your explanation of the health risks for lesbians? Or are we simply disregarding half of the gay population in this argument?

Lastly, You did not state the purpose of your post, nor an argument based on the information you put forth. Yet it seems that you are implying that homosexuals should not engage in anal sex because anal sex is riskier than vaginal intercourse. I don't think I need to do much arguing to point out that people do a lot of risky things, and just because a behavior is riskier than another behavior does not mean that it should be avoided.

Here's a thought for you: Who engages in healthier sexual behavior? A man who has had sex with dozens of women without a condom? Or a man who has only ever had sex with one man, his partner, and never uses a condom? Whose behavior is riskier?

Dear Deekers,

The purpose of my post was to ask and learn. And yes, I do already have a formed opinion. And even somewhat informed...

I did not mean to leave out lesbians. I guess they would be included though in either the cited article speaking about oral sex. Or if they use objects or other means to penetrate the anus.
Deekers, truth be told, if you were to read ALL the posts in this thread that went South, you would discover that others really did leave out the lesbians, both the gay and straight who spoke to the questions regarding the health risks of sexual activity in gay practices. But then I do believe that more gay men have been diagnosed with HIV than lesbians.

As to which is safer, a man with multiple female partners without a condom, or a man with one partner of the same sex...well, you tell me of a gay man who has had only one partner for his whole life, and I will have to guess he is still very young! And I was not trying to establish a comparative study between hetero- and homosexual people and the health risks of each. And if I was, you would have to also use the same criteria for each. So if you are speaking of monagamy then speak of it in both populations and then when you speak of promiscuity then speak of it in both populations.

And I do post this with the hope that everyone stays healthy and does not do injury to themselves or others through the expressions of their sexuality.

OhDear

hot dragon · 05-15-2008, 07:26 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by fxashun

This thread IS about homosexuality though. And homosexual sexual relations, at least the male variant, require some kind of alternative sexual techniques. So you shouldn't be surprised that someone might talk about homosexuality in a thread entitled " Health Risk in Sexual Activity in Gay Practices".

sure the thread is called that, but the article cited is not about that, it is about sexual behaviour of heterosexual people who have had abstinence only sex ed. you are making assumptions about homosexuality that this article does not discuss. go find another article where the authors actually say what you think they are saying, or rename this thread.

forester814 · 05-15-2008, 08:11 PM

Looks like lesbians got left out of this thread, in an attempt to justify a pre-conceived notion about homosexuals.

I refer you back to post #2.

Quote:

But, in any case, lesbians (such as yours truly) have the lowest rates of infection and transmission for any sexually transmitted disease, compared with sex between any other combination of two people.

fxashun · 05-15-2008, 08:17 PM

Probably has a lot to do with the lack of actual natural tools to penetrate like men. Rubbing two electrical outlets together won't make a computer work either. Kinda like gay men usually have no risk of getting pregnant.

fxashun · 05-15-2008, 08:19 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by hot dragon

sure the thread is called that, but the article cited is not about that, it is about sexual behaviour of heterosexual people who have had abstinence only sex ed. you are making assumptions about homosexuality that this article does not discuss. go find another article where the authors actually say what you think they are saying, or rename this thread.

Whoa flashback. That was post 10, we're a little further than that. I didn't create the thread. Talking to the wrong person.

forester814 · 05-15-2008, 08:20 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by fxashun

Probably has a lot to do with the lack of actual natural tools to penetrate like men. Rubbing two electrical outlets together won't make a computer work either. Kinda like gay men usually have no risk of getting pregnant.

It may not make a computer work, but done properly, it generates a HECK of a spark.

fxashun · 05-15-2008, 08:23 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by forester814

It may not make a computer work, but done properly, it generates a HECK of a spark.

Not quite an honest standard. People "spark" with a lot of stuff.

Some women "spark" sitting on a washing machine. Bet they don't catch many diseases or get pregnant either.