Homosexual Research Articles

Analysis of multi-site HPV infection and vaccination willingness among men who have sex with men in Tianjin, China.

Men who have sex with men (MSM) are vulnerable to HPV infection. This study aims to explore the HPV infection status at different sites among HIV-positive MSM, HIV-negative MSM, and men who have sex with women (MSW), and to investigate their willingness to receive HPV vaccination. From September 2023 to April 2024, three groups were recruited in Tianjin, China. Participants completed an electronic self-administered questionnaire, which included demographic information, knowledge related to sexually transmitted diseases, behavioral information, and willingness to receive the HPV vaccine. Samples were collected from the anal region, genitals, and oral cavity for HPV typing. A total of 1,559 participants were recruited, including 300 HIV-positive MSM, 600 HIV-negative MSM, and 659 MSW. The HPV infection prevalence for any site were 62.0, 53.7 and 8.3%, respectively (p < 0.001). The infection prevalence for HPV genes covered by the 9-valent vaccine were 47.0, 36.8, and 3.5%, respectively (p < 0.001). Co-infection prevalence at anal and genital were 20.3, 14.2, 0.6%, respectively. Co-infection prevalence at anal and genital and oral were 1.3, 0.3%, 0, respectively. A total of 77.0% HIV-positive MSM and 75.3% HIV-negative MSM expressed willingness to receive the HPV vaccine, whereas 58.9% of MSW were unwilling (p < 0.001). Being HIV-positive (aOR, 3.119; 95% CI, 2.213-4.395), being over 46 years old (aOR, 1.994; 95% CI, 1.266-3.142), with an occupation classified as "white collar workers" (aOR, 1.620; 95% CI, 1.111-2.362) and "freelancing" (aOR, 2.025; 95% CI, 1.371-2.993) and a history of homosexual behavior in the past 6 months (aOR, 5.338; 95% CI, 3.802-7.495) were risk factors for HPV infection among men in Tianjin. Consistently using condoms in the past 6 months (aOR, 0.667; 95% CI, 0.513-0.867) were protective factors. The HPV infection prevalence among MSM in Tianjin is significantly higher than among MSW, with higher prevalence in the anal region compared to the genital and oral region. HPV infection is associated with HIV infection, older age, and homosexual behavior. Most MSM showed a positive willingness to receive the HPV vaccine, indicating the necessity to implement targeted HPV vaccination programs for MSM and to enhance necessary preventive knowledge and behavioral interventions.

Sexual Orientation-Related Disparities in Neonatal Outcomes.

To evaluate whether disparities exist in adverse neonatal outcomes among the offspring of lesbian, gay, bisexual, and other sexually minoritized (LGB+) birthing people. We used longitudinal data from 1995 to 2017 from the Nurses' Health Study II, a cohort of nurses across the United States. We restricted analyses to those who reported live births (N=70,642) in the 2001 or 2009 lifetime pregnancy questionnaires. Participants were asked about sexual orientation identity (current and past) and same-sex attractions and partners. We examined preterm birth, low birth weight, and macrosomia among 1) completely heterosexual; 2) heterosexual with past same-sex attractions, partners, or identity; 3) mostly heterosexual; 4) bisexual; and 5) lesbian or gay participants. We used log-binomial models to estimate risk ratios for each outcome and weighted generalized estimating equations to account for multiple pregnancies per person over time and informative cluster sizes. Compared with completely heterosexual participants, offspring born to parents in all LGB+ groups combined (groups 2-5) had higher estimated risks of preterm birth (risk ratio 1.22, 95% CI, 1.15-1.30) and low birth weight (1.27, 95% CI, 1.15-1.40) but not macrosomia (0.98, 95% CI, 0.94-1.02). In the subgroup analysis, risk ratios were statistically significant for heterosexual participants with past same-sex attractions, partners, or identity (preterm birth 1.25, 95% CI, 1.13-1.37; low birth weight 1.32, 95% CI, 1.18-1.47). Risk ratios were elevated but not statistically significant for lesbian or gay participants (preterm birth 1.37, 95% CI, 0.98-1.93; low birth weight 1.46, 95% CI, 0.96-2.21) and bisexual participants (preterm birth 1.29, 95% CI, 0.85-1.93; low birth weight 1.24, 95% CI, 0.74-2.08). The offspring of LGB+ birthing people experience adverse neonatal outcomes, specifically preterm birth and low birth weight. These findings highlight the need to better understand health risks, social inequities, and health care experiences that drive these adverse outcomes.

Psychoanalytic Interpretation of the Killings by Javed Iqbal Mughal aka Kukri

The current case study article is an attempt to interpret the killings by notorious serial killer of Pakistan, Javed Iqbal Mughal aka “Kukri” via a psychoanalytic prism. For this purpose, facts about the case were collected from authentic secondary sources (like international news reports, books and encyclopaedic works) and analyzed. It utilized case study method. The analysis reveals that he was a homosexual paedophile sex offender who was a psychopath and megalomaniac. He had a high need for dominance and control. Before the precipitating event, he was dominated by his sexual drive and was using his ability to fulfil it by creating opportunities of encounter with his preferred sex objects. But in response to the attack, he developed a very strong vengeance fantasy and due to a lack of superego, he was dominated by death instinct and executed his vengeance fantasy. It appears that what forced him to complete this process was his desire of fame that was present even before he was attacked by a masseur but was intensified as it glorified his revenge. This article revels the psychological process that manifested in the killings by Javed Iqbal and explains the phenomenon in context of the thinking and behaviors of a psychopath.

Photogallery. HIV infection and neoplastic skin diseases

Malignant neoplasms constitute a group of the most important secondary diseases that develop in people infected with the human immunodeficiency virus (HIV). The first neoplastic disease described in HIV-infected patients is Kaposi's sarcoma. In contrast to other types of Kaposi's sarcoma, its epidemic (AIDS-associated) type is more common in young and middle-aged HIV-positive individuals, especially among men who have same-sex sex. Epidemic Kaposi's sarcoma does not have a favourite localisation. However, there is a tendency to lesions of the scalp (face, ear flaps), upper extremities, anogenital area, oral mucosa. On the trunk, the pathological process spreads along the Langer lines. Skin rashes are represented by spotty, papular, nodular elements of red-brown or purple colour. The aggressive course is characteristic: rapid dissemination and generalisation of rashes. Plasmoblastic lymphoma is associated with immunodeficiency states and is rare. The tumour lesion is usually located in the oral cavity. Few cases of plasmoblastic lymphoma with skin and soft tissue involvement have been described in the literature. Squamous cell skin cancer in the context of HIV infection is a dangerous disease. In people living with HIV, it manifests at a significantly earlier age and is associated with a high risk of local recurrence. The extent of invasion and the likelihood of metastasis are influenced by HIV-associated immunodeficiency. In the vast majority of cases, risk factors and clinical manifestations of basal cell skin cancer do not differ from those in immunocompetent individuals. Basal cell carcinomas rarely metastasise. Nevertheless, metastatic forms lead to unfavourable outcome. Here is a photo gallery of cases of neoplastic skin lesions developed in HIV-positive patients.

Does sexual rehabilitation work for gay and bisexual prostate cancer patients? Acceptability, feasibility, and efficacy results from the Restore-2 randomized controlled trial.

Sexual minority prostate cancer patients have worse health-related quality of life outcomes than heterosexual patients. We conducted the first study to test whether sexual and urinary rehabilitation tailored for sexual minority patients was acceptable, feasible, and efficacious at improving their sexual and urinary function. Restore-2 was a 24-month randomized controlled trial of an online biopsychobehavioral rehabilitation study for sexual minority men treated for prostate cancer experiencing sexual and/or urinary problems. Participants were 401 US sexual minority men treated for prostate cancer and experiencing sexual and/or urinary problems at baseline. Intervention components included phosphodiesterase-5 inhibitors, sexual aids, a pelvic floor exercise regimen and video, a guide to good gay sex following treatment, and coaching. Quality of life assessments were completed at baseline, 3, 6, 12, 18, and 24months. We confirmed good acceptability and feasibility, but only minimal improvement was observed over time and no differences were found between treatment and control arms. We found no evidence that the intervention improved sexual or urinary outcomes for participants. However, we confirmed excellent acceptability and feasibility for a sexual rehabilitation program tailored to sexual minority participants. In addition, participants reported enduring usage and acceptability of sexual aids (including vacuum pump, anal dilators, and penile constriction rings) as well as masturbation and pelvic floor exercises to accommodate their sexual challenges. Sexual "accommodation," rather than "rehabilitation," may be a more accurate and realistic goal for this population. Patients should be provided sexual aids to help accommodate their sexual and urinary challenges. This study was retrospectively registered with ClinicalTrials.gov, study number: NCT03923582; date: 22/04/2019.

What Sexual Orientation Change Efforts Change: Evidence From a United States Sample of 72 Exposed Men.

Voluntary non-coercive therapeutic interventions for adults arecollectively known assexual orientation change efforts (SOCE).Research on SOCE has reported global or average sexual orientation change, but not in more detail. This study addresses two questions: Does change consist primarily of reduced homosexual orientation or increased heterosexual orientation?Does change consist primarily of change in behavior or change in attraction? Method:Aconvenience sample of 72 men who had completed SOCEwas examined for the decrease in homosexual attraction, increase in heterosexual attraction, and corresponding changes in sexual behavior among those experiencing a homosexual-to-heterosexual shift.All measures were self-reported. Participants reported extremely high religiosity. A third (32%, N=23) reported a shift from general homosexual attraction (score of 4-6) to general heterosexual attraction (score of 0-2) on the Kinsey scale, which ranges from "exclusively heterosexual" (0) to "exclusively homosexual" (6). Among these, effect sizes (Cohen's d) for sexual fantasy and desire for romantic intimacy were larger for homosexual reduction (fantasy: -2.3, desire: -1.5) than for heterosexual increase (fantasy: +1.8, desire: + 1.0). Effect sizes for sexual behaviors, measured by kissing and sex relations, dropped the largest possible amount for homosexual behavior (kissing: -1.0, sex: -1.5, both statistically significant at p<0.004) while there was little to no increase in heterosexual behavior (kissing: +0.36, sex +0.38, both statistically non-significant at p>0.13). Change consisted primarily of reduced homosexual orientation and change in behavior was much stronger than change in attraction.SOCE supported conformity to strong religious norms against homosexual behavior, but not attractions, for this group of extremely religious men.Implications for understanding SOCE-related sexual orientation change are discussed.

Sisters, Bottoms, and “Exotic Combo”: Homonormative Misogyny and Respectable Masculinity of Middle-Class Gay Sex Workers in Hong Kong

This article brings together queer studies and masculinities studies to discuss how middle-class gay sex workers in Hong Kong manage the stigma of same-sex sex work. Based on 11 months of ethnographic fieldwork in a gay erotic massage parlor in Hong Kong, I examine how middle-class gay sex workers in Hong Kong deploy locally specific notions about gender, class, and border to mitigate their anxiety about sex work and to establish a form of gay masculinity. The middle-class gay masseurs claim a respectable self through narrating multiple disrespectable others—women streetwalker, bottom masseur, and lower-class migrant sex worker. In everyday banter, satire, and bawdy jokes around these three figures, masseurs invoke homonormativity through misogynistic discourses about migrant women, femininity, effeminacy, and penetration. In so doing, they simultaneously produce gay masculinity and gay misogyny, a process I term “homonormative misogyny.” In neoliberal Hong Kong, this form of gay respectability politics is emergent in an increasingly gentrified sexual economy.

Same-Sex Sexual Behavior, Age-Class, and Coalitions in Male Rhesus Macaques (Macaca mulatta).

In the present study, relations between same-sex sexual behavior (SSB), age-class, and coalitional behavior in male rhesus macaques were examined in a re-analysis of data first analyzed and reported by Clive et al. (2023). Age-class as a focal variable was indicated in an extensive literature review, which showed that male non-adult (juvenile, adolescent) participation in SSB is extensive in this and related primate species and associated with various benefits. Clive et al. (2023) excluded juveniles from their analysis. In the re-analysis (n = 995 mounting events), it was found that non-adult involvement was substantial (51%). Most dyads contained at least one non-adult (76%). Young and prime adult mounters most often selected non-adults to mount. Mounters were often sexually motivated: most for adolescents (72%); equally for juveniles (57%) and adults (56%). Finally, the highest rate of SSB with coalitional context appeared in adolescent-adult dyads involved in multiple repeated mounts. SSB, age-class, special friendships, bonding, and coalitions were linked, as reported in some other primate species and human societies cross-culturally. Employing age-class in male SSB analysis improved description and explanation.

Religious Affiliation, Internalized Homonegativity and Depressive Symptoms: Unveiling Mental Health Inequalities among Brazilian Gay Men.

Different religious narratives associate same-sex sexuality, in its various manifestations, with moral deviation or sin. Gay men who are socialized in more religious communities appear to experience and internalize greater levels of homonegativity, as well as to present greater indicators of depressive symptoms. The purpose of this study was to evaluate indicators of perceived homonegativity in the community and internalized, and signs/symptoms of depression reported by Brazilian gay men with a nominal religion and compare them to those reported by Atheists or Agnostics. Our sample comprised 194 Brazilian gay men, distributed into three groups: Christians (Protestants and Catholics, n = 71; 36.6%); Spiritualists (Kardecists or religions of African origin, n = 52; 26.8%) and Atheists or Agnostics (n = 71; 36.6%). The following measurement instruments were used: sociodemographic questionnaire, Internalized Homophobia Scale and Beck Depression Scale. High mean scores of depression were verified in all groups, and 60% of the sample presented some level of depression. There was a higher level of self-reported homonegativity among Christians and Spiritualists compared to that reported by Atheists or Agnostics, with the differences between the groups being significant. The regression analysis indicated a significant effect of religion on homonegativity, but not on depression. Our results suggest that gay men's chronic exposure to non-affirming religious affiliation contexts may harm the construction of a positive gay identity and should be taken into consideration when addressing mental health inequalities of sexual minorities.

Shaun Cole, Gay Men's Style, Fashion, Dress and Sexuality in the 21st Century

Shaun Cole, <i>Gay Men's Style, Fashion, Dress and Sexuality in the 21st Century</i>

PERLUKAH KRIMINALISASI TERHADAP PERILAKU AMORAL? PERDEBATAN PATRICK DEVLIN DAN H.L.A. HART

The famous debate in the mid-20th century between Patrik Devlin and H.L.A. Hart about the relationship between law and morality in discussing the limits of criminal law in matters of individual behaviour that are considered contrary to public morality, a debate which was sparked by the Report of the Wolfenden Committee on Homosexual Offenses and Prostitution (The 1957 Report of the Wolfenden Committee on Homosexual Offense and Prostitution) for decriminalize private male homosexual activity. Although the focus of the initial debate was limited by the framework of the debate about criminal law in general and homosexual offenses in particular with the harm principle from John Stuart Mill to illustrate the sharp distinction between law and morality and a static conception of the relationship between the two, this article seeks to explore how Devlin developed the application of moral standards in areas of law other than criminal law. Regarding the debate between the two thinkers, the author will decontextualize the debate within the framework of enforcing Indonesian criminal law against sexually immoral behaviour.

Sexual behaviors and HIV-related knowledge among GBMSM: evidence from 2011 to 2021 in Hangzhou, China.

Considering that many new HIV infections are transmitted by homosexual behaviors, gay, bisexual, and other men who have sex with men (GBMSM) are more likely to be infected with HIV than other groups due to the higher risk associated with unprotected anal intercourse. It is important to explore the changes in sexual behaviors and HIV-related knowledge among GBMSM in the last 10 years, which could provide evidence for improving public health interventions to reduce HIV infections. The study sought to explore the changes of 3 sexual behaviors and HIV knowledge among men who have sex with men from 2011 to 2021. Data were collected from national HIV sentinel surveillance among GBMSM in Hangzhou conducted between 2011 and 2021. Univariate and multivariate logistic regression were used to analyze the associated factors of sexual behaviors. The variation trend of variables was evaluated based on the linear trend test in the regression model. A total of 5111 GBMSM with an average age of 32.00years were incorporated in the analysis. From 2011 to 2021, the HIV-related knowledge score of GBMSM ranged from 6 to 7.5, and it increased significantly (P trend < .001). The rate of homosexual sex in the past 6months remained at a high level (75.06%-82.75%). Homosexual behavior was associated with a higher HIV-related knowledge score (P = .004). Heterosexual sex was associated with an increase in the old age, married persons, and domicile outside the province (P < .05). Commercial sex was associated with an increase in drug users (P <.001). In the past 10 years, HIV-related knowledge of GBMSM increased and the rate of unprotected sex was at a high level among GBMSM, especially in heterosexual behaviors. Moreover, the likelihood of having homosexual behaviors is raised with the increasing HIV-related knowledge. Conducting precise behavioral interventions for GBMSM are crucial for preventing HIV infection.

Evaluation of the psychometric properties of the homophobia scale in religious-based university students in Indonesia

This study aims to evaluate the psychometric properties of the homophobia scale in students attending religion-based universities in Indonesia. This research is important as homosexuality is a controversial issue in the country and is still a topic of debate. The Homophobia Scale is a tool that assesses attitudes towards homosexuality through 17 items measuring positive affirmation, negative cognition, and the perceived threat of homosexual behavior. The scale was adapted for the Indonesian context, which is predominantly religious, based on The Heterosexual Attitudes Towards Homosexuality (HATH) Scale and Items, originally translated by bilingual experts. The translated scale was then reviewed for content by psychologists and communication experts, and field-tested for reliability and validity. Data from 327 students aged 18–35 from both state and private religion-based universities were analyzed using Rasch model analyses, including principal component analysis (PCA), reliability analysis, and differential item functioning (DIF) assessment. The study found that the homophobia scale accounted for 42.4 % of the raw variance, indicating its unidimensionality. The scale demonstrated an acceptable level of personal reliability and excellent reliability for individual items. Results revealed significant demographic effects, with age and study program showing more differential item functioning (DIF). Male students were more tolerant towards homosexuals than females. Additionally, students at state universities tended to be more tolerant but held negative views of homosexuality when associated with AIDS. In conclusion, the homophobia scale assessed in this study exhibits promising construct validity and sufficient psychometric properties. The findings indicate that negative stigma towards homosexuals and homophobia still persist among students at religion-based universities in Indonesia, despite limited interaction with homosexuals.

Clinical and genomic diversity of Treponema pallidum subspecies pallidum to inform vaccine research: an international, molecular epidemiology study

The increase in syphilis rates worldwide necessitates development of a vaccine with global efficacy. Weaimed to explore Treponema pallidum subspecies pallidum (TPA) molecular epidemiology essential for vaccine research by analysing clinical data and specimens from early syphilis patients using whole-genome sequencing (WGS) and publicly available WGS data. In this multicentre, cross-sectional, molecular epidemiology study, we enrolled patients with primary, secondary, or early latent syphilis from clinics in China, Colombia, Malawi, and the USA between Nov 28, 2019, and May 27, 2022. Participants aged 18years or older with laboratory confirmation of syphilis by direct detection methods or serological testing, or both, were included. Patients were excluded from enrolment if they were unwilling or unable to give informed consent, did not understand the study purpose or nature of their participation, or received antibiotics active against syphilis in the past 30days. TPA detection and WGS were conducted on lesion swabs, skin biopsies, skin scrapings, whole blood, or rabbit-passaged isolates. We compared our WGS data to publicly available genomes and analysed TPA populations to identify mutations associated with lineage and geography. We screened 2802patients and enrolled 233participants, of whom 77 (33%) had primary syphilis, 154 (66%) had secondary syphilis, and two (1%) had early latent syphilis. The median age of participants was 28years (IQR22-35); 154 (66%) participants were cisgender men, 77 (33%) were cisgender women, and two (1%) were transgender women. Of the cisgender men, 66 (43%) identified as gay, bisexual, or other sexuality. Among all participants, 56(24%) had HIV co-infection. WGS data from 113participants showed a predominance of SS14-lineage strains with geographical clustering. Phylogenomic analyses confirmed that Nichols-lineage strains were more genetically diverse than SS14-lineage strains and clustered into more distinct subclades. Differences in single nucleotide variants (SNVs) were evident by TPA lineage and geography. Mapping of highly differentiated SNVs to three-dimensional protein models showed population-specific substitutions, some in outer membrane proteins (OMPs) of interest. Our study substantiates the global diversity of TPA strains. Additional analyses to explore TPA OMP variability within strains is vital for vaccine development and understanding syphilis pathogenesis on a population level. US National Institutes of Health National Institute for Allergy and Infectious Disease, the Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation, Connecticut Children's, and the Czech Republic National Institute of Virology and Bacteriology.

The strength of sexual signals predicts same-sex pairing in two Coptotermes termites

Abstract Same-sex sexual behavior (SSB) is an enigma in behavioral ecology as it does not result in reproduction. Proximately, the effect of sexual signals on SSB could be distinct between signal receivers and senders. For receivers, the absence of sexual signals leads to smaller phenotypic sex differences, leading to frequent accidental SSB between receivers. Alternatively, for senders, sexual signals could help locate another sender, enhancing intentional SSB. Here, we demonstrate this link between sex pheromone signaling and the frequency of same-sex pairing in two Coptotermes termites that use the same chemical as sex pheromones but in different quantities. In termites, mating pairs engage in tandem runs, where a female emits sex pheromones to guide a male as they move together in searching a potential nest site. So, females are signal senders, and males are signal receivers for sexual communication. We found that female-female tandems were more stable in C. formosanus, whose females produce more pheromones. On the other hand, although both species did not show stable male-male tandems, males of C. gestroi, whose females produce fewer pheromones, spent more time attempting to follow another male. Thus, stronger pheromones lead to sender-sender SSB, while weaker pheromones lead to receiver-receiver SSB. The proximate mechanism of SSB is diverse according to the properties of sexual communications in heterosexual contexts.

Same-sex sexual behavior in brown-headed spider monkeys (Atelesfuscicepsfusciceps) during grappling between two subadult males.

Sexual behavior in animals fulfills reproductive and social functions, extending beyond the traditional focus on reproduction. Same-sex sexual behavior, defined as genital contact or manipulation between individuals of the same sex, occurs in various primate species. In spider monkeys, grappling, a behavior involving prolonged mutual embraces, face greeting, tail intertwining, and genital manipulation, occurs primarily between males. Here, we report a novel incidence of same-sex sexual behavior and grappling between two subadult male brown-headed spider monkeys (Atelesfuscicepsfusciceps). Our observation contributes to the understanding of the social functions of sexual behavior and to the broader appreciation of primate sexuality.

Patient and Provider Opinions Regarding Chaperones for Sensitive Exams.

Recommendations for chaperone use during sensitive exams have been left mostly to individual institutions, despite a paucity of data providing guidance. The purpose of this study was to survey patients and medical providers on their attitudes toward chaperone use and explore factors that may influence these attitudes. A survey was administered at a single tertiary military medical center to providers and patients across multiple specialties, and further sub-analysis of the data were completed. For patients, sub-analysis was done for gender, age, history of sexual abuse, and clinic seen. For providers, sub-analysis was done for provider gender and training status. Before data collection, this study was deemed exempt from institutional review board approval by the Eisenhower Army Medical Center Human Research and Protections Office. A total of 319 patient surveys and 61 provider surveys were collected. Fifty seven percent of patients have no preference regarding chaperone use, 19% prefer having a chaperone, and 24% prefer to not have a chaperone. Female patients and patients with a history of sexual abuse are more likely to prefer a chaperone. Forty two percent of providers always use a chaperone, 79% are more likely to use a chaperone if a patient is of the opposite gender, and 43% select a chaperone based on the gender of the patient. Male providers and providers still in training are more likely to use a chaperone. The majority of patients do not have a preference regarding chaperone presence during sensitive exams; however, female gender and history of sexual abuse increase the likelihood of a patient preferring to have a chaperone present. These factors should be considered when creating an institutional policy regarding chaperone use. Future research should focus on homosexual and transgender patient preferences as this has yet to be explored.

Lou's Men

This article proposes that the personal writing of gay trans activist and diarist Lou Sullivan represents an erotic theoretical project akin to Leo Bersani's “homo-ness,” which Bersani describes as gayness's capacity to “manifest not the limits but the inestimable value of relations of sameness.” Sullivan's rigorous interlacing of gender and sexuality is founded on a desire for sameness, an eroticized recognition of his developing selfhood in the men he loves. In framing Sullivan's work with Bersani, this article argues that Bersani's framework of homo-ness is limited by its conceptual basis in genital parallel, creating an inability to speak to trans sexuality. Sullivan's writing, on the other hand, founds relations of sameness between himself and the gay men he desired in a conceptual architecture that understands gayness as an already trans position. In close reading Sullivan's diaries and personal correspondence, alongside artifacts of their reception by contemporary gay trans artists, this article substantiates a sense of Sullivan as a kind of sex symbol for the enfolding of gay and trans erotic worlds in the desire for sameness. Such an analysis allows gay and trans studies to speak to each other anew on the question, What is this same in same-sex sexuality?

Psychometric Evidence That Paraphilia Is a Natural Kind.

Is the category paraphilia a natural kind? That is, do different paraphilias share anything scientifically interesting or are they classified together because they are unusual and sometimes problematic? We investigated this question systematically in 11 samples of paraphilic males (N = 4,617) and 11 samples of control males (N = 1,494). Primary data consisted of responses to the 11-item Paraphilic Interests Scale. Contrary to our initial hypothesis, the scale mean was similar for paraphilic and control samples. Using logistic regression and the same items, we derived three highly correlated measures that robustly discriminated paraphilic and control samples (ds ranging from 0.86 to 0.92). These successful measures capitalized on the unanticipated fact that some items (especially those assessing transvestism and masochistic humiliation) were positively associated with membership in paraphilic samples, while others (especially those assessing voyeurism) were negatively associated with such membership. Subsequent analyses focused on one of the measures, the Paraphilic Interests Scale Contrast (PISC). Consistent with prior findings distinguishing paraphilias and homosexual orientation, PISC was not elevated among homosexual males compared with heterosexual males among the control groups. Within four paraphilic samples, PISC was positively associated with additional paraphilic phenomena. Results provide tentative support for both the proposition that paraphilia is a natural kind and the usefulness of PISC as a measure of paraphilia.

Sexual behavior and personal initiative to take the HIV test among men who have sex with men in Semarang, Indonesia.

The HIV test is an important strategy for HIV prevention and treatment, starting from screening individuals who are unaware of being infected with HIV and requiring antiretroviral therapy. Information about sexual behavior factors related to HIV testing initiatives among MSM in Indonesia is still limited. Previous studies only showed the correlation of various sexual behavior variables with the decision whether to obtain an HIV test or not; but did not learn whether the HIV testing was obtained due to personal initiative or invited by others. This research can be used as a reference for developing an HIV testing program based on sexual behavior variables. This research aims to study the sexual behavior factors related to the personal initiative on taking the HIV test among men who have sex with men (MSM). We used cross-sectional study among 300 MSM who had an HIV test. This research found that homosexual orientation was negative factor related to the personal initiative for obtaining an HIV test. Sexual behavior among MSM is correlated with the personal initiative to take HIV testing. Further investigation should emphasize among homosexuals because they do not have the initiative to take an HIV test.