Gay Friends Research Articles

Intention to care for gay and lesbian patients and knowledge about homosexuality: A comparison of Taiwanese nurses in 2005 and in 2017.

To examine the differences in the levels of intention to care for gay and lesbian patients and knowledge regarding homosexuality among Taiwanese nurses between 2005 and 2017 and the moderators of these differences. This two-wave survey study was conducted on nurses in 2005 (N=1,176; Survey 2005) and 2017 (N=1,519; Survey 2017) recruited from three hospitals. An anonymous self-report questionnaire was used. In Survey 2017, the nurses expressed both a higher intention to care for gay and lesbian patients and degree of knowledge regarding homosexuality than did those in Survey 2005. The experience of providing care for gay or lesbian patients moderated the association between the time of the survey and intention to care for gay and lesbian patients. Moreover, having gay or lesbian friends or relatives moderated the association between the time of the survey and knowledge about homosexuality. Nurses' intention to care for gay and lesbian patients and knowledge regarding homosexuality in Taiwan significantly increased from 2005 to 2017. The experience of providing care for gay and lesbian patients and having gay or lesbian friends or relatives moderated the increase of nurses' intention to care and knowledge.

Psychosocial Correlates of HIV Testing Frequency Among Men Who Have Sex with Men in Guangzhou, China.

We examined sociodemographic and psychosocial factors associated with HIV testing patterns in the past 2years among 492 HIV-negative men who have sex men (MSM) at an HIV testing center in Guangzhou, China. MSM who tested for HIV frequently were more likely to be older, reside in Guangzhou, and have higher monthly income. Compared with MSM who tested frequently, MSM who never tested were less likely to report that their sexual partner(s) had ever received HIV tests or that their good friends had ever received HIV tests, and were less likely to report having an HIV-positive gay friend or ever discussing HIV with sexual partners; they were more likely to report perceiving barriers to HIV testing. Compared with MSM who tested frequently, those who tested irregularly were less likely to report having HIV-positive gay friends or to disclose their sexual orientation to non-gay friends; reported greater barriers to HIV testing; and higher internalized homophobia.

Attitudes and Perceived Social Norms toward Drug Use among Gay and Bisexual Men in Australia

Background: Gay and bisexual men (GBM) report distinctive patterns and contexts of drug use, yet little has been published about their attitudes toward drug use. Objectives: We developed measures of attitudes and perceived social norms toward drug use, and examined covariates of more accepting attitudes and norms among GBM in Australia. Methods: We analyzed baseline data from the Following Lives Undergoing Change (Flux) study. Flux is an online prospective observational study of drug use among Australian GBM. We used principal components factor analysis to generate two attitudinal scales assessing “drug use for social and sexual enhancement” and “perceptions of drug risk.” A third perceived social norms scale examined “acceptability of drug use among gay friends.” Results: Among 2,112 participants, 61% reported illicit drug use in the preceding six months. Stronger endorsement of drug use for social and sexual engagement and lower perceptions of drug risk were found among men who were more socially engaged with other gay men and reported regular drug use and drug use for sex. In multivariate analyses, all three scales were associated with recent drug use (any use in the previous six months), but only the drug use for social and sexual enhancement scale was associated with regular (at least monthly) use. Conclusions: Drug use and sex are difficult to disentangle for some GBM, and health services and policies could benefit from a better understanding of attitudinal and normative factors associated with drug use in gay social networks, while recognizing the role of pleasure in substance use.

Atitudes e crenças dos estudantes portugueses sobre a homossexualidade: implicações para a cidadania e pedagogia universitárias

Este estudo teve por objetivo analisar as crenças e atitudes dos/as estudantes do ensino superior português sobre a homossexualidade. Participaram 108 estudantes da Licenciatura em Ciências da Educação da Universidade de Coimbra, os quais responderam ao Inventário de Crenças sobre a Homossexualidade e à Escala de Atitudes face à Homossexualidade – Versão para estudantes do ensino superior. Os resultados obtidos permitiram identificar a existência de crenças disfuncionais sobre a homossexualidade, associando-a erradamente a problemas de identidade e de expressão de gênero, a grupos de risco na transmissão do Vírus da Imunodeficiência Humana/Síndrome da Imunodeficiência Adquirida (HIV/AIDS), a uma escolha individual e a ser resultado da influência de uma família homossexual. Por outro lado, as estudantes apresentam mais atitudes de defesa pelos direitos dos homossexuais, os/as estudantes que se consideram religiosos/as têm atitudes de maior rejeição à proximidade de pessoas homossexuais, os/as estudantes que têm um amigo gay ou uma amiga lésbica ou que falam com os/as amigos/as sobre o tema da orientação sexual apresentam atitudes menos discriminatórias e os/as estudantes mais interessados em ver o tema da orientação sexual debatido na Universidade foram os/as que apresentaram atitudes mais positivas e menos discriminatórias face à homossexualidade. Verificou-se ainda que as crenças funcionais sobre a homossexualidade estão associadas às atitudes positivas face à homossexualidade. Considerando estes resultados, apresentam-se algumas implicações para os currículos na área da cidadania e para as práticas pedagógicas de atenção à diversidade em contexto universitário.

Barriers and Facilitators to Seeking HIV Services in Chicago Among Young Men Who Have Sex with Men: Perspectives of HIV Service Providers.

Young men who have sex with men (YMSM) are disproportionally impacted by HIV, and continue to lag behind other age groups in the receipt of HIV prevention and care services. To inform the development of interventions to improve pre-exposure prophylaxis and HIV care engagement outcomes among YMSM, a growing number of studies have reported the barriers and facilitators YMSM encounter when accessing HIV services. Few studies, however, have assessed how HIV service providers perceive these facilitators and barriers. In total, 21 interviews were conducted with HIV service providers in Chicago about barriers and facilitators they perceived affected YMSM's engagement in HIV services. Barriers included lack of comprehensive wraparound services, lack of trust of providers, unfamiliarity with seeking HIV services, feelings of invincibility, lack of knowledge of HIV service providers, intersectional and structural concerns (e.g., not thinking the site's services were for YMSM), geography and distance to clinic, and HIV stigma. Facilitators included presence of comprehensive wraparound services, high trust in providers, a clinic's willingness to serve uninsured patients, community engagement, word-of-mouth recommendations from lesbian, gay, bisexual, and transgender (LGBT) friends, intersectionality (e.g., offering LGBT-tailored services), geography and distance, lack of HIV stigma. Axial coding revealed that five conceptual themes cut across multiple barriers and facilitators, including health system characteristics, intersectionality, geography and transportation, community outreach, and stigma. These conceptual themes map closely onto Bronfenbrenner's ecological model. Overall, these findings highlight the importance of a multi-level approach to future intervention development to increase engagement in HIV services among YMSM.

Social Support and Health-Related Quality of Life Among Gay and Bisexual Men With Prostate Cancer.

To describe social support patterns of gay and bisexual men with prostate cancer (GBMPCa) and how social support is associated with prostate cancer outcomes. A cross-sectional online survey with 186 GBMPCa recruited from a national cancer support group network. Descriptive statistics of social support and linear regression of social support on general and prostate cancer-specific quality of life (QOL). Social support and health-related QOL were assessed generally and specific to prostate cancer. Participants primarily relied on partners or husbands, gay and bisexual friends, chosen family, and men from support groups for support. The most common types of support received were informational and emotional social support. Low general social support was significantly associated with worse prostate cancer symptom bother and general mental QOL. Wanting more social support was significantly associated with worse prostate cancer-specific and general QOL. Clinicians should be aware of the different social support networks and needs of GBMPCa and refer them to relevant support groups to improve QOL.

Determining Homophobic Attitudes of Turkish Nursing Students and The Factors

Objective: The investigation of homophobic attitudes of nursing students is an important issue as it may result in homosexual individuals’ refraining from health services. The study was carried out to determine the homophobic approaches of nursing students and factors affecting them. Methods: In this descriptive study (n:295), the data were collected using a personal information form developed by the researchers and a homophobic scale developed by Hudson and Rickett, which is called as Hudson and Rickett Homophobic Scale (HRHS). Frequency and percentage calculations, sample T-test, one-way Anova analysis and Tukey HSD test were also used for the statistical analysis. Results: In the light of the findings of the research, it was revealed that 87.8 % of the students had no homosexual friends, and 71.9 % said their family would not approve a homosexual friend. 98.6% of the students has had no experience of caring a homosexual patient yet. 74.6% of them reported that their attitudes towards a patient would not change when the patient was homosexual; however, the mean HRHS score (91.83±23.83) indicates the opposite. In addition, mothers’ having a higher education level, taking sexual health courses, having a homosexual friend, and the approval of the family were the effective parameters in reducing homophobic attitudes (p<0.05). Conclusion: In the study, nursing students have a negative attitude towards homosexuality. Homophobic attitudes are one of the factors affecting the health care of homosexual individuals. It is therefore important to plan initiatives to reduce negative attitudes.

Challenges of Coming Out: Inputs in Improving Mental Health

Homosexuals face challenges in unraveling their personality, thus, the process of coming- out becomes a very difficult experience. Most of the homosexuals are craving for the liberty to express their personalities which they believe would give essence to their existence. They are hampered by various factors in the society in which they need to come across and gain acceptance and respect. This queer study reports on the process and findings of a mini- ethnography conducted in a gay organization in the Philippines. The aims of the study were to acquire a comprehensive understanding on the challenges encountered by the homosexual gay members during the process of coming out and to identify structural and cultural enablers or barriers in revealing their homosexual personality. Four themes were strongly identified: “internalized homophobia”, “perceived rejection”, “presence of homosexual friends” and “strong desire”. These themes were seen to influence the homosexual’s coming out process. If the culture of orientation disables gay homosexuals to come out, they would find a culture or make their own culture that would be worthy of their homosexual personality, giving them the liberty of life and security

Placing Newton Arvin in Queer History

Placing Newton Arvin in Queer History

A is for Aria

A is for Aria

Intensive sex partying with gamma-hydroxybutyrate: factors associated with using gamma-hydroxybutyrate for chemsex among Australian gay and bisexual men - results from the Flux Study.

Factors associated with GHB use, its relationship to sexual risk behaviour, and the contexts, consequences, and motivations for its use were examined. The Following Lives Undergoing Change (Flux) Study is an online prospective observational study of Australian GBM. At baseline, a total of 3190 GBM provided details about their use of GHB. Data on frequency, methods, pleasures and consequences of their drug use, alongside key demographic variables were collected. Mean age was 35.0 years. One in five men (19.5%) had a history of GHB use and 5.4% reported use within the past 6 months, with 2.7% having used it monthly or more frequently. Overdose had been experienced by 14.7%, this was more common among men who used GHB at least monthly. Being HIV-positive, having more gay friends, greater social engagement with gay men who use drugs, a greater number of sexual partners, group sex, and condomless anal intercourse with casual partners were independently associated with GHB use in the past 6 months. Greater social engagement with gay men who use drugs and group sex were independently associated with at least monthly use. More frequent GHB use was independently associated with experiencing overdose among GHB users. Most men used GHB infrequently and it was often used explicitly to enhance sexual experiences, often in the context of intensive sex partying. Men who used GHB frequently, were at greater risk of overdose and other negative health outcomes. GHB use should be considered alongside other drugs that have been implicated in sexual risk behaviour and HIV transmission. Harm-reduction interventions need to consider the particular impact of frequent GHB use.

HIV-testing patterns and psycho-social factors associated with frequency of testing by men who have sex with men: implication for scaling up HIV testing in China

BackgroundThe HIV epidemic is growing among men who have sex with men (MSM) in China. Frequent HIV testing is associated with reduced HIV risk among MSM. However, little is known about factors associated with frequency of HIV testing in this population. We aimed to characterise sociodemographic characteristics and psychosocial factors associated with frequent HIV testing in HIV-negative MSM in Guangzhou, China. MethodsWe did this cross-sectional survey among MSM who were visiting a gay-friendly community clinic in Guangzhou between Sept 2 and Nov 24, 2016. Men were eligible if they were aged 18 years or more, self-identified biological males, and reported sexual contact with male partners in the past 12 months. Surveys were self-administered via a handheld electronic tablet. We collected sociodemographic characteristics and psychosocial measurements. HIV testing frequency was defined by three groups based on testing history: never tested, irregularly tested, or frequently tested. Irregularly tested MSM tested less than twice per year or tested less than every 6 months. Frequently tested MSM tested twice per year or tested more than once every 6 months. We compared sociodemographic and psychosocial measurements among MSM who never tested, irregularly tested, and frequently tested using χ2 testing or one-way ANOVA. Multinomial logistic regression and ordinal logistic regression were used to identify independent correlates that were associated with differences in frequency of HIV testing. Ethics approval was obtained from the ethics review boards of the Guangzhou Center for Disease Control and Prevention and the University of Pittsburgh. Findings495 MSM participated in this survey. Three participants refused to answer HIV testing history information and were excluded from this present analysis. Among the 492 MSM, 67 (13·6%) were never tested, 207 (42·1%) were tested irregularly, and 218 (44·3%) were tested frequently in the past 2 years. MSM who tested for HIV frequently were more likely to be older (p=0·001), reside in Guangzhou (p=0·016), and have higher monthly income (p=0·016). Compared with MSM who tested frequently, MSM who never tested were less likely to report that their sexual partner had ever received HIV tests (adjusted odds ratio 0·27; 95% CI 0·11–0·63) or that their good friends had ever received HIV tests (0·42; 0·22–0·78). Compared with MSM who tested frequently, those who never tested were also less likely to report having HIV-positive gay friend (0·39; 0·19–0·78) or ever discussing HIV with sexual partners (0·24; 0·12–0·47); they were more likely to report perceiving barriers to HIV testing (1·13; 1·03–1·24). Compared with MSM who tested frequently, those who tested irregularly were less likely to report having HIV-positive gay friends (0·65; 0·43–0·97) or to disclose their sexual orientation to non-gay friends (0·59; 0·38–0·92). Compared with MSM who tested frequently, those who teested irregularly reported greater barriers to HIV testing (1·07; 1·01–1·13) and higher internalised homophobia (1·06; 1·01–1·11). Ordinal logistic regression showed HIV testing frequency was associated with HIV testing by sexual partners and good friends, knowing gay friends who were HIV-positive, discussing HIV with sexual partners, disclosing sexual orientation to non-gay friends, barriers to HIV testing, and internalised homophobia. InterpretationFrequency of HIV testing could be improved among sexually active, HIV-negative MSM in Guangzhou, China. Enhanced interventions using HIV testing promotion via social networks, reducing structural barriers to HIV testing, and creating a gay-friendly environment could increase the frequency of HIV testing among MSM and increase the percentage of HIV-positive MSM receiving antiretroviral therapy, thus contributing to reducing HIV incidence in this population. FundingamfAR, the Foundation for AIDS Research.

Queer nostalgia in Mad Men

Abstract Rich in 1960s period detail, the television series Mad Men (2007–15, US: AMC) nevertheless disrupts escapist nostalgia by exploring the injustices underlying the American Dream. As part of this portrayal, Mad Men shows us the pain and possibility of queer life before Stonewall. First, Mad Men spotlights the period’s homophobia and the sadness of closeted life, prompting viewers to be critical of benighted attitudes, sympathetic to queer characters, but also distanced from the period’s bigotry. Second, Mad Men documents the richness of 1960s queer life, especially detailing the growing acceptance of queer people in advertising. However, the series projects the present onto the past through tropes of the ‘gay best friend’ (GBF) and ‘helper homosexual’. Lastly, in the unexpected Glen Bishop–Betty Draper ‘romance’, the series moves beyond models of queerness rooted in identity and identity politics into a more modern exploration of ‘queer’ as non-normative, even queering time itself to propose new future potentialities. Through these different forms of nostalgia, Mad Men functions as a site of negotiation for contemporary approaches to ‘queerness’, oscillating between anti-homophobic unmasking of past injustice, neo-liberal faith in identity politics that celebrates diversity and inclusion, and a more transgressive queer challenge to normativity itself.

Portuguese Medical Students' Knowledge and Attitudes Towards Homosexuality.

Lesbian, gay, bisexual and transgender people still face discrimination in healthcare environments and physicians oftenreport lack of knowledge on this population's specific healthcare needs. In fact, recommendations have been put forward to includelesbian, gay, bisexual and transgender health in medical curricula. This study aimed to explore factors associated with medical students'knowledge and attitudes towards homosexuality in different years of the medical course. An anonymous online-based questionnaire was sent to all medical students enrolled at the Faculty of Medicine- University of Porto, Portugal, in December 2015. The questionnaire included socio-demographic questions, the MultidimensionalScale of Attitudes Toward Lesbians and Gay Men (27 items) and a Homosexuality Knowledge Questionnaire (17 items). Descriptivestatistics, ANOVAs, Chi-square tests and Pearson's correlations were used in the analysis. A total of 489 completed responses was analyzed. Male gender, religiosity and absence of lesbian, gay or bisexual friendswere associated with more negative attitudes towards homosexuality. Attitudinal scores did not correlate with advanced years inmedical course or contact with lesbian, gay or bisexual patients. Students aiming to pursue technique-oriented specialties presentedhigher scores in the 'Modern Heterosexism' subscale than students seeking patient-oriented specialties. Although advanced years inmedical course correlated significantly with higher knowledge scores, items related with lesbian, gay or bisexual health showed thelowest percentage of correct answers. There seems to be a lack of exploration of medical students' personal attitudes towards lesbians and gay men, andalso a lack of knowledge on lesbian, gay or bisexual specific healthcare needs. This study highlights the importance of inclusiveundergraduate curriculum development in order to foster quality healthcare.

Criminal Justice Students and Sexual Prejudice

This paper examines sexual prejudice against gays and lesbians by college students. The sample consisted of 325 undergraduate students at a mid-sized Midwestern university. Respondents completed Herek’s Attitudes Toward Lesbians and Gay Men scale (short form) to determine levels of sexual prejudice. Comparisons were then made by respondent major to determine whether criminal justice students displayed higher levels of sexual prejudice than other students. Unlike prior research on criminal justice students and sexual prejudice, the criminal justice respondents in this study were not significantly more prejudiced against gays and lesbians. Male and female students scored similarly on their attitudes toward lesbian women, but male students were more likely to have higher levels of prejudice against gay men. Students who had gay friends and/or family members held significantly lower levels of prejudice against both gay men and lesbians than those who had no gay friends or family members.

Internalized Homonegativity, Sense of Belonging, and Depressive Symptoms Among Australian Gay Men

ABSTRACTInternalized homonegativity has been directly linked to depression among gay men. The aim of the study was to test whether internalized homonegativity is indirectly related to depressive symptoms via a sense of belonging to the broad gay community, gay groups, gay friends, and the general community. A sample of 246 self-identified Australian gay men, aged 18–82 years, completed the Internalized Homophobia Scale, the Psychological subscale of the Sense of Belonging Instrument, the Sense of Belonging Within Gay Communities Scale, and the Centre for Epidemiological Studies Depression Scale. Results indicated that the final model was an excellent fit to the data. Internalized homonegativity was indirectly related to depressive symptoms via sense of belonging to gay groups, with gay friends, and to the general community. Interventions aimed at reducing internalized homonegativity among gay men have the potential to enhance sense of belonging and, in turn, decrease depressive symptoms.

The relationship between living alone and depressive symptoms among older gay men: the moderating role of sense of belonging with gay friends.

Living alone is a risk factor for depressive symptoms among older adults, although it is unclear if it is a risk factor for older gay men. A sense of belonging to the gay community is protective and might compensate for living alone. This research investigated whether a sense of belonging with gay friends weakened the relationship between living alone and depressive symptoms among older gay men. A community sample of 160 Australian gay men aged 65-92 years completed the Center for Epidemiologic Studies Depression Scale and two visual analogue scales assessing a sense of belonging with gay friends. Results supported the moderation model, with increasing levels of belonging with gay friends weakening the relationship between living alone and depressive symptoms. Results imply that enhancing a sense of belonging with gay friends among older gay men who live alone is likely to be a protective factor in relation to depressive symptoms.

The Social Determinants of Polymorphous Prejudice Against Lesbian and Gay Individuals: the Case of Portugal

In the present article, we analyze polymorphous prejudice against lesbians and gays according to a sample of Portuguese heterosexual individuals. We tested the differential importance of demographic-, ideological-, and psychological-level variables to predicting this phenomenon. Our results show that male, Catholic, right-wing respondents with fewer lesbian and gay (LG) friends prove the group exhibiting the highest levels of polymorphous prejudice. Furthermore, the introduction of psychological-level variables into the regression models increased the explained variance in polymorphous prejudice, above and beyond the remaining predictors. Additionally, we report different patterns of results when deploying regression analyses at the level of the sub-scales of polymorphous prejudice. We discuss our results within the light of contemporary sexual prejudice frameworks before reviewing the utility of results to interventions targeting discriminated LG individuals.

In/formal sex education: learning gay identity in cultural and educational contexts in Mexico

ABSTRACTThis paper addresses how educational and cultural contexts incorporate lessons around sexuality, particularly sexual and gender identity, and how these contexts impact on identity construction of gay men in Mexico City. We analyse the experiences of 15 gay men reported through semi-structured in-depth interviews and how they incorporate sexuality through socialisation with primary social institutions in Mexico's contemporary educational political context. The sample was divided into three generations, and was selected through maximum variability. Results show that men incorporate negative meanings around same-sex sexuality, and themselves from institutions such as school and family. Men are able to deconstruct these meanings through interactions with educational tools such as the Internet and interactions with gay friends. These results are discussed using post-structuralist perspectives to understand how identity is fluid and changing constantly, as well as the need to incorporate stigma-free curricular content in educational contexts.

Awareness and knowledge of HIV pre-exposure prophylaxis among Australian gay and bisexual men: results of a national, online survey.

Background: Expanded access to HIV pre-exposure prophylaxis (PrEP) is being actively debated in Australia. Awareness and knowledge of this HIV-prevention method have not been assessed in detail in the primary affected population, gay and bisexual men. Methods: Awareness and knowledge of PrEP were assessed among Australian gay and bisexual men, who were asked to complete a national, anonymous, online survey in 2015. Associations with PrEP awareness were identified with multivariate logistic regression and associations with PrEP knowledge were identified using multivariate linear regression. Results: Among 1251 participants, 954 (77%) were aware of PrEP. The most common sources of information were gay community media, Australian websites and friends. Awareness of PrEP was independently associated with older age, living in a capital city, having a university degree, being tested for HIV, being HIV-positive, having condomless anal intercourse with regular male partners, and ever having taken post-exposure prophylaxis. Men in monogamous relationships were less likely to be aware of PrEP. Among men who were aware of PrEP, the mean PrEP knowledge score was 6.8 out of 13. Relatively few participants knew that taking PrEP involved regular clinical monitoring and that in Australia PrEP was only recommended for people at risk of HIV. Better knowledge was independently associated with living in a capital city, having a university degree, being in full-time employment, being HIV-positive, and ever having taken post-exposure prophylaxis or PrEP. Conclusions: To assist in appropriate PrEP uptake, we recommend educating gay and bisexual men about current Australian prescribing guidelines and how PrEP is accessed in Australia.