Sexual Health

Gays and Straights have differing health needs

Posted by HIM on Thursday December 16th, 2010

When it comes to health, gay men and straight men are the same - NOT

“Let’s get one thing straight: Gay men and straight men are the same, we all die of the same things and we’re all dying younger than women,” says Greg Millan in an interview with DNA (Australia) about his new book ‘Men’s Health and Well-Being; An A-Z guide’. But I would suggest quite the opposite (later in the article Greg also points out the disparities between gay and straight men) – whilst there are cultural similarities in the way all men  deal with their health issues; for example our western culture projects the image of ‘strength’ in men. So strong is this ‘cultural construct’ that we should “suck it up and be a man” that it often leads men to not seek help until a problem has advanced to a stage where it is too late to intervene.  However, the obvious physical, mental and emotional impact HIV has had on gay men’s health over the last three decades is only one obvious difference between gay and straight men’s health. Other recent research highlights other health disparities:

An article published in the journal BMC Psychiatry (August 13, 2009 by Sarah Anderson) cites a study by the UCLA School of Public Health stating- “gay and bisexual men are twice as likely as heterosexual men to seek help from mental health professionals”.

An editorial in the September issue of the Journal of Adolescent Health (August 20, 2009) states- “Research indicates that the social stigma that surrounds lesbian, gay, bisexual, and transgender (LGBT) teens leads to a variety of health risks such as substance use, risky sexual behaviors, eating disorders, suicidal ideation, and victimization”.

Gay youth appear to be at higher risk for certain adverse health outcomes, and to have several personal, cultural and structural barriers to accessing healthcare. For example in the recently released ManCount study 21% or respondents report that they have not told their doctor about their sexual identity.

I am obviously biased as a gay men’s health worker at HIM, but I see many unique needs that are either silenced or under-served by mainstream health services. HIM is building capacity to understand these issues on a micro level in individuals and macro level by educating health care workers and supporting research on gay men’s health.

Other than Greg Millan’s opening statement, the rest of his interview is comprehensive and practically informative for gay guys:

“Speaking generally, Greg says there are three main areas of health that men need to be aware of. The first is keeping an eye out for conditions like cancer and the early signs of heart disease, as these are the big killers of men. The second is maintaining a proper diet and remaining active. “We need to be active because most of us sit around all day long in front of the TV or a computer screen. If you then eat a lot of high-fat and high-sugar foods you put on weight and are a prime candidate to drop dead from a heart attack.”

The third component of men’s health is one of those that has been traditionally neglected: mental health, particularly relating to stress, anxiety and depression. “If we’re feeling any of that stuff we need to talk to somebody about it, not keep it inside or drink a lot. Don’t go out and trash yourself because you’re feeling bad – that won’t help, it’ll only make you feel worse.”

Although the article and Greg’s book is Australian specific it is very transferable into any (including Canadian) western culture. What Greg fails to address is the intersectionality of the many different groups of men, ethnicity, socio-economic circumstances, physical and mental ability and what I often see missing in a discussion of oppression – lookism or appearancism – which is a whole other blog – stay tuned.

A - Z Guide from DNA Mag

-Darren Usher

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