Same-sex Experience Research Articles

Why Is It So Hard to Talk About Same-Sex Experience? A Case Study of Veiled Silence in a Research Relationship through Reflexive and Autoethnographic Lens

Research into intimate details of human life can be challenging for the parties involved. This article is a case study of a research situation in which I, as an interviewer, failed to elicit information from a male Vietnamese interviewee who evaded discussing specific details of his romantic life. I argue that this situation—the man’s avoidance of sharing details of his feelings toward people of the same sex and my discomfort in facing his avoidance—reveals a culture of silence regarding same-sex experiences in Vietnam. The study utilizes autoethnographic anecdotes of my experience of growing up in such a culture and observing similar evasive attitudes. It also adopts a reflexive approach that delves into segments of my second research encounter with the interviewee as well as my internal struggles, including feelings of anxiety and guilt about probing into an informant’s romantic life. It seeks to enrich Lisa A. Mazzei’s concept of “veiled silence,” which describes the deliberate non-engagement with taboo topics by linking it with the idea of a “culture of silence,” or a disempowering social environment, and discussing these concepts in the context of Vietnam. It also contributes to the literature on LGBTQ+ matters in Vietnam and qualitative research methods by recommending greater attention to silence in research encounters, which can offer unexpected insights for studies into sensitive issues.

Sexual orientation disparities in gestational diabetes and hypertensive disorders of pregnancy.

Sexual minority (SM) individuals (e.g., those with same-sex attractions/partners or who identify as lesbian/gay/bisexual) experience a host of physical and mental health disparities. However, little is known about sexual orientation-related disparities in gestational diabetes mellitus (GDM) and hypertensive disorders of pregnancy (HDP; gestational hypertension [gHTN] and preeclampsia). To estimate disparities in GDM, gHTN and preeclampsia by sexual orientation. We used data from the Nurses' Health Study II-a cohort of nurses across the US enrolled in 1989 at 25-42 years of age-restricted to those with pregnancies ≥20 weeks gestation and non-missing sexual orientation data (63,518 participants; 146,079 pregnancies). Our primary outcomes were GDM, gHTN and preeclampsia, which participants reported for each of their pregnancies. Participants also reported their sexual orientation identity and same-sex attractions/partners. We compared the risk of each outcome in pregnancies among heterosexual participants with no same-sex experience (reference) to those among SM participants overall and within subgroups: (1) heterosexual with same-sex experience, (2) mostly heterosexual, (3) bisexual and (4) lesbian/gay participants. We used modified Poisson models to estimate risk ratios (RR) and 95% confidence intervals (CI), fit via weighted generalised estimating equations, to account for multiple pregnancies per person over time and informative cluster sizes. The overall prevalence of each outcome was ≤5%. Mostly heterosexual participants had a 31% higher risk of gHTN (RR 1.31, 95% CI 1.03, 1.66), and heterosexual participants with same-sex experience had a 31% higher risk of GDM (RR 1.31, 95% CI 1.13, 1.50), compared to heterosexual participants with no same-sex experience. The magnitudes of the risk ratios were high among bisexual participants for gHTN and preeclampsia and among lesbian/gay participants for gHTN. Some SM groups may be disparately burdened by GDM and HDP. Elucidating modifiable mechanisms (e.g., structural barriers, discrimination) for reducing adverse pregnancy outcomes among SM populations is critical.

Same-sex romantic cruise experiences: the moderating effect of the personal openness trait

ABSTRACT The aim of this study is to evaluate the romantic cruise experiences that influence same-sex travellers’ satisfaction with cruise travel. The results of a face-to-face survey on a cruise ship on the route from Southern China to Vietnam indicate that self-esteem and social recognition experiences have the strongest effect on satisfaction, followed by escape and relaxation, romantic love, and learning and discovery experiences. In addition, openness moderates the effects of self-esteem and social recognition experiences on satisfaction. This study enriches our understanding of same-sex travellers by indicating their strong need for self-esteem and social recognition while cruise travel.

Factors associated with lifetime history of eating disorder in non-psychotic patients with suicidal ideation.

Data on the sociodemographic, biographical, and clinical factors associated with a lifetime diagnosis of eating disorders (ED) in patients with non-psychotic mental disorders (NPMD) and suicidal ideation (SI) are scarce. A cohort study was conducted at the Moscow Research and Clinical Center for Neuropsychiatry. The sample consisted of consecutive patients with non-psychotic mental disorders and SI, aged 1845 years. Participants with a lifetime diagnosis of anorexia and/or bulimia (then in remission or recovery) were compared with those without ED in terms of their sociodemographic profile, clinical characteristics, lifetime traumatic events, and some behavioral patterns. All participants underwent the Russian version of the Self-Injurious Thoughts and Behaviors Interview and completed the Brief Reasons for Living Inventory, the State and Trait Anxiety Inventory, and the Beck Depression Inventory. A total of 892 patients with non-psychotic mental disorders and SI were included in the study. The mean age was 25.7 years, and 84% were assigned female at birth. Same-sex experience was more common in the ED group. Patients with an ED were more likely to have a history of physical and sexual abuse and to have witnessed domestic violence. The proportion of participants with piercings, tattoos, or severe body modifications was significantly higher in the ED group. Patients with a lifetime ED were more likely to engage in nonsuicidal self-injurious behaviors and to have a history of suicide attempts. Lifetime ED in NPMD patients with SI is associated with younger age, being assigned female at birth, having an alternative gender identity, having same-sex experience, having more than one psychiatric diagnosis, having been diagnosed with bipolar disorder, experiencing severe depression and anxiety, being exposed to multiple traumatic experiences, having various body modifications, practicing NSSI, and having a lifetime story of suicide attempts.

Doing Knowledge through Knowing Women

Doing Knowledge through Knowing Women

What Does Heterosexuality Mean? Same-Sex Attraction, Behaviors, and Discomfort Among Self-identified Heterosexual Young Adults from Spain

Sexuality has been censored by Spanish culture, where legal progress in the form of new policies about sexual diversity rights has not been followed by lower levels of social discrimination. This has affected sexual development across the lifespan for both sexual minorities and heterosexual people who experience their sexuality outside of heteronormativity. However, the literature has regularly excluded the possible consequences of the experience of sexuality within prescriptive categories, particularly in heterosexual people. This study delves deeper into the same-sex experiences of heterosexual women and men and the discomfort they may feel toward such experiences in Spain. A total of 2900 young Spanish people who self-identified as heterosexual completed a questionnaire on sexual diversity and experiences related to sexual orientation. The mean age was 24.22 years (SD = 5.71), 71.1% were women, and 28.9% were men. More heterosexual women than heterosexual men reported having had same-sex attraction, fantasies, desires, and behavioral intentions. However, these men and women reported having similar levels of same-sex sexual intercourse. The discomfort level experienced was higher among heterosexual men and younger people, suggesting the possibility that traditional norms restrict behavioral expression of sexuality among these individuals. At least in the Spanish context, these gender differences should be taken into account to adjust all psychological and educational interventions in the future to improve inclusive sexual attitudes and the treatment of discomfort with sexual orientation. Following these results, research on sexual diversity should focus on young heterosexual people who have different same-sex experiences according to gender differences.

Social Support and Depressive Symptoms Among Men and Women With Same-Sex Experiences in Later Life.

Social support is a vital psychological health resource for well-being in later life. However, research on the associations of social support has largely excluded sexual minorities. This study compares the association between sources of social support and depressive symptoms across groups of older heterosexual and sexual minority men and women. Sexual minority status herein is based on self-reported sexual histories of having same-sex and opposite-sex only experiences (SSE and OSO). Based on a pooled cross-sectional data set drawn from 3 waves of the National Social Life, Health, and Aging Project, we used ordinary least squares regression and moderation tests to evaluate how 3 sources of social support-partner, family, friend-are related to depressive symptoms for SSE and OSO men and women. Results show OSO men and women both had significant negative associations between depressive symptoms and social support regardless of the source. SSE women, in contrast, only have a significant association between high levels of friend support, and SSE men only show significant effects in relation to high levels of partner support. These results suggest the effects of social support on psychological health are significantly constrained/circumscribed for sexual minority men and women. Interventions designed to decrease symptoms of depression in older sexual minorities through social support are discussed.

Disclosure of same-sex practices and experiences of healthcare stigma among cisgender men who have sex with men in five sub-Saharan African countries

BackgroundFor men who have sex with men (MSM) across sub-Saharan Africa (SSA), disclosure of same-sex practices to family and healthcare workers (HCWs) can facilitate access to HIV prevention services and support, but can also lead to experiences of stigma.MethodsWe performed mixed-effects regressions on pooled data from MSM in Cameroon, Senegal, Côte d’Ivoire, Lesotho, and eSwatini to assess associations between disclosure and sexual behavior stigma in healthcare contexts; we used logistic regressions to analyze country-specific data.ResultsCompared to participants who had not disclosed to either family or HCWs, those who had disclosed only to family were more likely to have been gossiped about by HCWs (aOR = 1.70, CI = 1.18, 2.45); the association between having disclosed to family and having felt mistreated in a health center approached, but did not achieve, statistical significance (aOR = 1.56, CI = 0.94, 2.59). Those who had disclosed only to HCWs were more likely to have feared to seek health services (aOR = 1.60, CI = 1.14, 2.25), avoided health services (aOR = 1.74, CI = 1.22, 2.50), and felt mistreated in a health center (aOR = 2.62, CI = 1.43, 4.81). Those who had disclosed to both were more likely to have feared to seek health services (aOR = 1.71, CI = 1.16, 2.52), avoided health services (aOR = 1.59, CI = 1.04, 2.42), been gossiped about by HCWs (aOR = 3.78, CI = 2.38, 5.99), and felt mistreated in a health center (aOR = 3.39, CI = 1.86, 6.20). Country-specific analyses suggested that data from Cameroon drove several of these associations.ConclusionsResearch to determine the factors driving disclosure’s differential effect on healthcare stigma across contexts is needed. Ultimately, supportive environments enabling safe disclosure is critical to understanding HIV-acquisition risks and informing differentiated HIV-prevention, treatment, and testing services for MSM across SSA.

Virginity beliefs in lesbian, gay, and bisexual individuals experiencing same- and different-sex “first” times

The purpose of the current study was to explore first sex experiences in lesbian, gay, and bisexual individuals (LGB) using the Virginity Beliefs Framework ( Carpenter, 2001 ; Humphreys, 2013 ; Eriksson & Humphreys, 2014 ). The specific focus was on LGB individuals who have had both a sexual experience with a member of a different sex and a member of the same sex. This phenomenon is what the current study is defining as second virginity loss. Participants consisted of 275 self-identified LGB individuals; the sample was approximately half women (57%) between the ages of 18 and 56. Further, six semi-structured interviews were conducted to gain a clearer understanding of LGB individuals first sex experiences. Two primary research questions were proposed: (1) how do the virginity belief frames map onto the two “first” sexual experiences of LGB individuals? and (2) are there differences in the virginity belief frames between the two “first” times? Results found that LGB individuals hold stronger process beliefs than gift or stigma beliefs for both of their “first” times. The qualitative interviews suggested that the process of understanding virginity was enmeshed with a larger exploration, and eventual validation, of sexual identity. There was also a significant drop in the strength of some of the gift, process, and stigma beliefs from different-sex experience to same-sex experience for many in the gay and bisexual samples, but not in the lesbian sample. The current study is the first to explore the phenomenon of second virginity loss in LGB individuals and could be used as a foundation for future research on LGB first sexual experiences.

Factors associated with same-sex experience in people with non-psychotic mental disorders and suicidal ideation

IntroductionPeople with mental disorders who had same-sex experience (SSE) are at increased risk of self-injurious behavior probably due to the double stigma phenomenon, which severity varies in different societies. So far, there is a knowledge gap on factors associated with SSE in Russian psychiatric patients.ObjectivesWe aimed to investigate variables associated with homosexual experience in Russian patients with non-psychotic mental disorders (NPMD) and suicidal ideation (SI).MethodsIn a case-control study (1:1.5): 92 female patients with NPMD and SI with lifetime SSE were compared with 138 patients without homosexual experience. All patients underwent a psychiatric examination, Self-Injurious Thoughts and Behaviors Interview (Nock MK, 2007) and semi-structured interview to assess demographic, clinical, and behavioral features. Mann-Whitney, Fishers exact test and Pearson’s chi-squared were used as statistical methods.ResultsGroups did not differ in education level, marital status, family history of suicidal behavior, traumatic events exposure and lifetime eating disorders (all:p>0.05). More patients with SSE had family history of non-suicidal self-injuries (NSSI), were dissatisfied with their parenting style, had a higher number of unprotected sexual contacts with unfamiliar persons, practiced group sex, had a history of sexual abuse, illicit drug use experience, were smokers, had piercing and severe body modifications. Lifetime history of suicide plan, attempts and NSSI were significantly more common in people with SSE (all:<0.05).ConclusionsA number of suicide risk factors were found to be more prevalent in people with SSE. Homosexual experience in people with mental disorders is associated with an increased risk of NSSI, suicide plan development and suicide attempts.DisclosureNo significant relationships.

Anal Intercourse among Heterosexual Young Adults: A Population-Based Survey in Switzerland

ABSTRACT Anal intercourse (AI) among heterosexuals is an understudied and taboo subject. This 2017 Swiss national study aimed to describe the characteristics and motivations of heterosexual young adults practicing AI. Participants with any same-sex experience, same-sex attraction or non-heterosexual identity were excluded. The Federal Statistical Office provided the initial sample and potential participants were recruited through postal mail inviting them to an online survey (response rate 15.1%). The sample comprised 3892 participants (52% males; 54% of the overall sample, mean age 26.3 years). Overall, 55% of women and 56% of men had never experienced AI, 17% and 12% had done it once and 28% and 32% more than once, respectively. We found that participants engaging in AI had higher odds of practicing intercourse while intoxicated, being younger at first sexual experience, not using a condom at last intercourse and reporting a history of sexual transmitted infections. The main reason reported by both genders for engaging in their first AI was being curious followed by being in love. In conclusion, AI is a widespread practice among heterosexual young adults and health professionals should be especially attentive to it.

Sexual Health Among Lesbian, Gay, Bisexual, and Heterosexual Older Adults: An Exploratory Analysis

ABSTRACT Objectives: A significant gap in our knowledge concerns sexual health among the older lesbian, gay, and bisexual (LGB) population. Methods: We compared a community-based sample of self-identified LGB older adults (n = 128) with population-based samples of behaviorally-defined LGB older adults (i.e., reporting same-sex experiences) (n = 112) and behaviorally-defined older heterosexuals (i.e., reporting no same-sex experiences) (n = 2,893) from the National Social Life, Health and Aging Project (NSHAP). Differences in sexual activity and sexual problems were examined. Results: Older LGB adults were as likely to remain sexually active as older heterosexuals. Gay and bisexual men were more likely than heterosexual men to report some sexual problems. Regardless of sexual orientation, older adults rarely had their sexual health needs addressed in healthcare settings. Conclusions: Results highlight the need for more research on LGB older adult sexual health. Clinical Implications: The lack of attention to LGB older adults’ sexual health in healthcare settings may be exacerbated by ageism and heterosexism, leading these individuals to avoid disclosing their sexual orientations and avoid conversations about sexuality. Mental health practitioners require education on associations between sexual health and mental health, and how sexual health problems may contribute to mental health concerns in vulnerable populations like older LGB adults.

Sex-specific plasticity across generations I: Maternal and paternal effects on sons and daughters.

Intergenerational plasticity or parental effects-when parental environments alter the phenotype of future generations-can influence how organisms cope with environmental change. An intriguing, underexplored possibility is that sex-of both the parent and the offspring-plays an important role in driving the evolution of intergenerational plasticity in both adaptive and non-adaptive ways. Here, we evaluate the potential for sex-specific parental effects in a freshwater population of three-spined sticklebacks Gasterosteus aculeatus by independently and jointly manipulating maternal and paternal experiences and separately evaluating their phenotypic effects in sons versus daughters. We tested the adaptive hypothesis that daughters are more responsive to cues from their mother, whereas sons are more responsive to cues from their father. We exposed mothers, fathers or both parents to visual cues of predation risk and measured offspring antipredator traits and brain gene expression. Predator-exposed fathers produced sons that were more risk-prone, whereas predator-exposed mothers produced more anxious sons and daughters. Furthermore, maternal and paternal effects on offspring survival were non-additive: offspring with a predator-exposed father, but not two predator-exposed parents, had lower survival against live predators. There were also strong sex-specific effects on brain gene expression: exposing mothers versus fathers to predation risk activated different transcriptional profiles in their offspring, and sons and daughters strongly differed in the ways in which their brain gene expression profiles were influenced by parental experience. We found little evidence to support the hypothesis that offspring prioritize their same-sex parent's experience. Parental effects varied with both the sex of the parent and the offspring in complicated and non-additive ways. Failing to account for these sex-specific patterns (e.g. by pooling sons and daughters) would have underestimated the magnitude of parental effects. Altogether, these results draw attention to the potential for sex to influence patterns of intergenerational plasticity and raise new questions about the interface between intergenerational plasticity and sex-specific selective pressures, sexual conflict and sexual selection.

When Does Sexuality Matter? Cross-cultural Analysis of Gay Identity

Many scholars have studied migrant gay men, but few have examined the changing salience (i.e., a subjective importance a person attributes to a particular identity) of sexual identity across cultural contexts. Drawing on 45 in-depth interviews, this study investigates the experiences of two groups of Polish migrant gay men—one that migrated from various parts of Poland to Warsaw, and one that emigrated from Poland to Chicago—to examine the differences in their respective sexual identity salience. I find that the interaction of the cultural climate, structural factors, and respondents’ individual status characteristics can better account for between- and in-group differences among the Chicago and Warsaw men. Respondent’s occupation, educational attainment, work environment, race, same-sex experiences before migration, the timing of migration, and English langue fluency variably affected how and when sexual identity mattered to these men.

Nursing Children and Young People award winners revealed

This year’s winners looked at parental experiences of neonatal care and same-sex couples with adopted children

Sexual orientation, partnership status, and work patterns among US young adults

Past research has shown that sexual minority women have a higher rate of labor force participation and work more hours than heterosexual women, and that men show the opposite sexual orientation differences. Little is known, however, about sexual orientation differences in work history. Further, many past studies, especially US studies, defined sexual orientation by the gender of residing partners and therefore excluded people who do not have a partner from analysis. This study sought to overcome these limitations by analyzing US data from the National Longitudinal Study of Adolescent to Adult Health, Wave 4 (n = 14,707). The analysis showed that compared to women in different-sex marriage, those in same-sex partnerships had a higher rate of labor force participation, worked more hours, and had a greater number of jobs in their work histories, although these women showed very small differences from those in different-sex cohabitation. In contrast, single women did not show any sexual orientation differences in these outcomes. Although partnered men and single men also showed very little sexual orientation differences, single men with same-sex experience had more jobs in their work histories than those with different-sex experience, partly due to their greater chance of experiencing involuntary job loss.

Sexual Attraction, Sexual Identity, and Same-Sex Sexual Experiences of Adult Offspring in the U.S. National Longitudinal Lesbian Family Study.

The U.S. National Longitudinal Lesbian Family Study has followed offspring with sexual minority parents from conception into adulthood. It was initiated in 1986, and it has a 92% retention rate to date. In the current investigation, the 25-year-old offspring answered questions about sexual attraction, sexual identity, and sexual experiences; their responses were compared with those of same-age adults from a population-based survey. The analytic samples consisted of 76 offspring of lesbian parents and 76 demographically matched participants from the National Survey of Family Growth. All 152 respondents were 25years old, 48.7% were female, 90.8% identified as White, 9.2% were people of color, and all had attended at least some college. Although most respondents in each sample identified as "heterosexual or straight," compared to their matched counterparts in the population-based survey, the female and male offspring of lesbian parents were significantly more to likely to report same-sex attraction, sexual minority identity, and same-sex experience. These findings suggest that adult offspring from planned lesbian families may be more likely than their peers to demonstrate diversity in sexual attraction, identity, and expression.

Same-sex relationship experiences and expectations regarding partnership and parenthood

Whereas recent years have brought comprehensive demographic accounts of the gay and lesbian population in the United States and several European countries, relatively little is yet known about gays’ and lesbians’ family-related attitudes and expectations.

Trajectories of Suicidal Ideation from Adolescence to Adulthood: Does the History of Same-Sex Experience Matter?

The fluidity of same-sex experience (SSE) can be conceptualized as both a risk and a resource that impacts suicidal ideation over time. Considering whether SSE occurs in adolescence, adulthood, or both, this study suggests that SSE in both adolescence and adulthood is associated with depression and low self-esteem throughout the life course, resulting in chronic susceptibility to suicidal ideation. Yet due to variation in both accumulation of risk and resources over time, trajectories of suicidal ideation during the transition to adulthood likely vary by timing of SSE. To test these hypotheses, we fit latent growth curve models to a gender-stratified sample taken from the National Longitudinal Study of Adolescent to Adult Health (7608 men, 8070 women). We created four groups of SSE: no SSE (6322 men, 5981 women), SSE in adolescence only (634 men, 480 women), SSE in adulthood only (372 men, 1081 women), and SSE in adolescence and adulthood (280 men, 528 women). Men and women with SSE in both life stages had the greatest risk of suicidal ideation in adolescence and in adulthood. Yet women with first SSE in adulthood had less of a decline in suicidal ideation over time, relative to those with no SSE and those with SSE in adolescence only, and this was partially due to higher depression and lower self-esteem. Results suggest greater support is needed for adolescents expressing non-normative sexualities and for those with first SSE in adulthood, a group that is more difficult to identify in schools.

Heterosexual College Students Who Hookup with Same-Sex Partners.

Individuals who identify as heterosexual but engage in same-sex sexual behavior fascinate both researchers and the media. We analyzed the Online College Social Life Survey dataset of over 24,000 undergraduate students to examine students whose last hookup was with a same-sex partner (N = 383 men and 312 women). The characteristics of a significant minority of these students (12% of men and 25% of women) who labelled their sexual orientation "heterosexual" differed from those who self-identified as "homosexual," "bisexual," or "uncertain." Differences among those who identified as heterosexual included more conservative attitudes, less prior homosexual and more prior heterosexual sexual experience, features of the hookups, and sentiments about the encounter after the fact. Latent class analysis revealed six distinctive "types" of heterosexually identified students whose last hookup was with a same-sex partner. Three types, comprising 60% of students, could be classified as mostly private sexual experimentation among those with little prior same-sex experience, including some who did not enjoy the encounter; the other two types in this group enjoyed the encounter, but differed on drunkenness and desire for a future relationship with their partner. Roughly, 12% could be classified as conforming to a "performative bisexuality" script of women publicly engaging in same-sex hookups at college parties, and the remaining 28% had strong religious practices and/or beliefs that may preclude a non-heterosexual identity, including 7% who exhibited "internalized heterosexism." Results indicate several distinctive motivations for a heterosexual identity among those who hooked up with same-sex partners; previous research focusing on selective "types" excludes many exhibiting this discordance.