Sexual orientation and occupational rank

This paper presents a study of differences in occupational rank between gay and heterosexual males as well as between lesbian and heterosexual females. We estimate different specifications of an ordered probit model on register data from Sweden. Our data consist of married heterosexual men and women and homosexual men and women living in civil unions. We find that homosexual men have a lower probability of working in a profession demanding a longer university education or a management profession than heterosexual men. In contrast, we find that homosexual women are more likely than heterosexual women to work in such professions.Sexual orientation, labour market, occupational rank

Increase in HIV sexual risk behaviour in homosexual men in Scotland, 1996–2002: prevention failure?

<b>Objective</b>: To investigate trends in homosexual men’s sexual risk behaviour for HIV infection in Scotland. <b>Methods</b>: Cross sectional surveys in 1996, 1999, and 2002 were carried out in "gay" bars in Glasgow and Edinburgh, Scotland. 6508 men—2276 (79% response rate) in 1996, 2498 (78%) in 1999, and 1734 (62%) in 2002. <b>Results</b>: In 1996, 10.7% of men surveyed and in 1999, 11.2% reported unprotected anal intercourse (UAI) with casual partners, compared with 18.6% in 2002 (p<0.001). There was also a significant increase in men reporting that they "knew" their casual partners’ HIV status, despite no increase in HIV testing among men who reported UAI with casual partners. In 2002, increases in UAI with more than one partner, in UAI with casual partners and in reporting seroconcordance remained significant after adjusting for confounding factors including HIV testing status and demographic characteristics. <b>Conclusions</b>: High risk sexual behaviour among homosexual men in Scotland increased between 1999 and 2002. Men showed increased confidence of shared antibody status, despite no increase in HIV testing, or evidence of discussion of HIV status. Explanations for this must include consideration of a cultural shift in the perception of HIV and "prevention failure" on the part of governments and health agencies

Reported sexually transmitted disease clinic attendance and sexually transmitted infections in britain: prevalence, risk factors, and proportionate population burden.

BACKGROUND: We examined attendance at sexually transmitted disease (STD) clinics and the prevalence, distribution, and associated demographic and behavioral factors of self-reported sexually transmitted infections (STIs) in a population survey of sexual attitudes and lifestyles. METHODS: We analyzed data from stratified probability sample surveys obtained through the British National Surveys of Sexual Attitudes and Lifestyles (Natsal), which was undertaken in 1990 (n=13,765) and 2000 (n=11,161) among men and women aged 16-44 years. National STD surveillance data for 1999 were used to determine disease- and risk factor-specific proportionate population burden (PPB). RESULTS: Between 1990 and 2000, the number of subjects who reported having attended an STD clinic during the past 5 years increased from 4.3% to 7.6% among men and from 3.3% to 6.6% among women. In 2000, 3.0% of men and 4.0% of women reported having received a diagnosis of an STI during the past 5 years; 77.6% of men and 60.3% of women with an STI had attended an STD clinic. Reported STI acquisition was independently associated with age, increasing numbers of sex partners, male homosexual partners, and partners from abroad (for women only). Of all reported STIs during the past 5 years (PPB, 10.2%), 10.2% were reported by the 2.9% of men who reported having had homosexual partners during the past 5 years. Of all reported STIs in the past 5 years (PPB, 41.6%), 41.6% were reported by the 4.0% of women who reported having > or =10 sex partners during that time. Analysis of national STI surveillance data showed that the PPB for new episodes of Chlamydia trachomatis diagnosed among homosexual men was 2.8%, that for gonorrhea was 17.4%, and that for syphilis was 32.1%. CONCLUSIONS: Numbers and types of sexual partnerships remain the dominant individual and population risk factors for STI acquisition. Combined population behavior and surveillance data demonstrate the high PPB for STIs attributable to key risk factors. PPB may be a useful indicator of epidemic "phase" and may help target resources and guide prevention strategies

Increasing prevalence of male homosexual partnerships and practices in Britain 1990-2000: evidence from national probability surveys.

OBJECTIVES: To estimate the prevalence and timing of homosexual experience among British men; to explore the patterns of sexual practices and partnerships in 2000, and behavioural and attitudinal changes between 1990 and 2000 among men who have sex with men (MSM). DESIGN: Two large, stratified probability sample surveys of the general population. METHODS: Trained interviewers administered a combination of face-to-face and self-completion questionnaires to men aged 16 to 44 years resident in Britain (n = 6000 in 1990 and n = 4762 in 2000). RESULTS: In 2000, 2.8% of British men reported sex with men in the past 5 years. 46.0% of MSM reported five or more partners in the past 5 years, and 59.8% reported unprotected anal intercourse in the past year. A total of 33.0% of MSM reported one or more female partner(s) in the past year. In comparison with 1990, there was a significant increase in the proportion of MSM in the population in 2000, and among these men, in the proportion reporting receptive anal intercourse in the past year [age-adjusted odds ratio (OR), 2.08; 95% confidence interval (CI), 1.08-4.00], but no significant change in self-perceived HIV-risk (age-adjusted OR, 1.11; 95% CI, 0.49-2.51) or HIV testing in past 5 years (age-adjusted OR, 1.14; 95% CI, 0.57-2.25). CONCLUSIONS: Evidence of increasing prevalence of homosexual intercourse among the British male population coupled with increases in some HIV-risk behaviours among MSM suggests overall increasing numbers at risk in the population. Although these changes may partly reflect an increased willingness to report these behaviours, our results are consistent with increasing incidence of sexually transmitted infections and behavioural surveillance data

Homosexual rights and the non-western world: a postcolonial reading of homosexual rights in international human rights law

This paper examines the calls for the international legal recognition and protection of rights for homosexual men and women. To undertake such an examination, the paper utilises theoretical paradigms from within the field of postcolonial studies. Opening with an overview of the theoretical bases and preconceptions of postcolonial analysis, the paper then examines the extant bases for the protection of the rights of homosexuals at international law. It then goes on to examine Dutch-American scholar Eric Heinze's calls for atreaty-based instrument to codify and enforce principles of non-discrimination on the basis of sexual orientation in international law. The paper argues that while homosexual rights are indeed worthy of protection at international law, the current means by which they are protected, and the current proposals for international legal reform in this area, articulate colonialist and specifically Western understandings of homosexuality and sexual orientation

Sexually transmitted infection as a risk factor for homosexual HIV transmission: a systematic review of epidemiological studies

Existing reviews suggest some sexually transmitted infections (STIs) are risk factors in heterosexual HIV transmission. This may not be so in homosexual HIV transmission, about which reviews make no specific conclusions. This paper reviews published studies which report on the relative risk of STIs in HIV seroconversion in homosexually-active men in order to examine this matter. Papers obtained via various searches were judged adequate if they were prospective cohort or cohort-nested case-control studies; used HIV seroconversion as the outcome; assessed STI exposure objectively; and controlled for potential confounding from age and sexual behaviour. Sixteen papers were obtained, of these 3 were judged adequate. Adequate papers reported little association. Inadequate papers were more likely to report association. Evidence from adequate studies does not suggest STIs are risk factors in homosexual HIV transmission. Some caution is needed in interpreting the results because of the paucity of adequate studies

Serum Serotonin Levels Among Homosexual and Heterosexual Men

Background: Variations in sexual preferences and orientations have both proximate and ultimate causes. Serotonin (5-HT) system is a key in the regulation of reward-related behaviors, from eating, drinking to sexual activity. Recent study demonstrated that a serotonin level is involved in sexual preference in rodent as animal models. This study focuses on the profile of serotonin levels from blood among homosexual compared to heterosexual men.Methods: Eight adult (34.5±7.69) homosexual men were purposively collected from homosexual communities in Surabaya, as well thirteen adult (27.61±5.14) heterosexual men from Semarang. Complete psychological examinations were done, then serum serotonin levels were measured using ELISA. Furthermore age and Zung-self-rating depression scale were cross matched, then serum serotonin levels were tested using Mann-Whitney U Test to determine the difference of serotonin levels among two groups.Results: Our data demonstrated that 25% of homosexual men suffered from depression. There was no difference on serum serotonin levels among homosexual men compared to heterosexual men (p=0.41).Conclusion: There is no significant difference on serum serotonin levels among homosexual and to heterosexual men

Is Gaydar Affected by Attitudes Towards Homosexuality? Confidence, Labelling Bias, and Accuracy

Previous research has largely ignored the relationship between sexual orientation judgement accuracy, confidence, and attitudes towards homosexuality. In an online study, participants (N = 269) judged the sexual orientation of homosexual and heterosexual targets presented via a series of facial photographs. Participants also indicated their confidence in each judgement and completed the Modern Homonegativity Scale (Morrison & Morrison, 2002). We found that (i) homosexual men and heterosexual women were more accurate when judging photographs of women, as opposed to photographs of men, and (ii) in heterosexual men, negative attitudes towards homosexual men predicted confidence and bias when rating men’s photographs. Findings indicate that homosexual men and heterosexual women are similar in terms of accuracy in judging women’s sexuality. Further, especially in men, homophobia is associated with cognitive biases in labelling other men, but does not have a relationship with increased accuracy

“It is only extra information…”: Social representation and value preferences of gay men in Hungary

Nowadays the grounds for existence of homosexual identities can be questioned: in an increasing number of societies we can witness that homosexuality loses its identity constructing capacity. In these places homosexuality is not a focal point of social attention any longer, and while same-sex attraction can remain an important factor in organising one’s individual life, it will not hinder the social integration of individuals. Thus if homosexuality still has a strong identity constructing capacity in a society, it can suggest that the given society is dominated by exclusive monolithic homosexual and heterosexual identity patterns which can threaten the successful social integration of people. The presupposition of my research is that the salience of homosexual identities—attributed by outgroups, and internalised by ingroup members— is a social symptom. The (potentially unifying) concept and the practical realisation of homosexual identity can be seen as the product of social stigmatisation and discrimination: the greater the proportion of signs of rejecting individual difference, the more widespread personal and group identities are organised by and around these differences. This type of stigmatisation can be interpreted in general as a social symptom reflecting the rejection of the right to be different. This paper presents findings of empirical research conducted between 1998 and 2000 in Hungary on the social representation and the value preferences of Hungarian men identifying themselves as gays.1 In the first part of the paper I will present quantitative research findings on the specific value preferences of Hungarian gay men that could be interpreted as indicators of the existence of homosexual identities. In the second part I will present qualitative findings focusing on the connection between social representation of homosexuality and the development of threatened identities

Emergence of the Hungarian Homosexual Movement in Late Refrigerator Socialism

Based on archive research and interviews with activists who were affiliated with the early homosexual subculture in Budapest, this article traces the transformation of a secretive and socially invisible subculture (that was based mainly on sexual exchange between men) to the establishment of the first formal homosexual organization and the emerging homosexual movement at the end of the 1980s. The article illustrates how the emergence of HIV/AIDS worked as a catalyst in transforming the Hungarian gay subculture into a more organized homosexual movement. Rather than state-socialism being in crisis, it was a crisis of public health and perceived danger to the members of the community that instigated the creation of the first formal homosexual organization