Concerning "Ex-Gay" Reparative Therapy, the American Psychoanalytic Association tells us:

This issue deserves coverage in the news as long as individuals and the "ex-gay movement" use faulty science and bias to advance their agenda. APsaA states in its 1999 position statement on reparative therapy that efforts to "convert" or "repair" an individual's sexual orientation are against the fundamental principles of psychoanalytic treatment and often result in substantial psychological pain by reinforcing damaging internalized homophobic attitudes. We emphasize that anti-homosexual bias, just like any other societal prejudice, negatively affects mental health and contributes to feelings of stigma and low self-worth. Reparative therapy is nothing more than quackery fueled by bias.

Gens Hellquist: Why we're taking on homophobia in Canada's healthcare system
[XTRA, May 12, 2010]

In February 2009, I - along with five others - filed a complaint with the Canadian Human Rights Commission (CHRC) against Health Canada and the Public Health Agency of Canada (PHAC). All of us have worked extensively in our communities addressing the broad range of health issues that exist, often as a result of homophobia.

Health Canada claims to be "responsible for helping the people of Canada maintain and improve their health" while PHAC claims they are "committed to reducing health disparities between the most advantaged and disadvantaged Canadians," but both seem unwilling to assume their responsibility and commitment when it comes to the health of queer Canadians.

It's long been understood that when a population is marginalized the result is a much poorer health status for that population, and it's no different for the queer community. As a result of the marginalization that results from homophobia, queer people have rates of suicide, alcohol use, illicit drug use, depression, mental health problems, smoking, HIV/AIDS and STIs that are substantially higher than the general population. Queer people also experience higher rates of certain types of cancer and are more often victims of violence resulting in physical injuries. A 2003 literature review estimated that more than 5,000 queer Canadians die prematurely each year as a result of living in a homophobic environment and a 2001 study indicated that homophobia costs the Canadian economy at least $8 billion a year.

One of the roles that Health Canada and PHAC play in our health care system is to assume a leadership position in identifying health issues and health disparities and then partnering with provincial and terrritorial governments to address those issues. Frequently this involves funding research into the issues and developing strategies and funding streams to address the issues. They've done this for other populations such as women, First Nations and Inuit, immigrants and children.

[Continued here]

• Human Rights Complaint Against the Government of Canada: Health Canada and the Public Health Agency of Canada (a *.pdf file) [XTRA]
• Canada's healthcare system is homophobic, says group: Six queers file human rights complaint [XTRA, February 17, 2009 ]

"The constitution of this country guarantees equality to all Canadians in all areas but that still does not hold for gay, lesbian, bisexual Canadians when it comes to our health," said Gens Hellquist, one of the complainants and executive director of the Canadian Rainbow Health Coalition, at a press conference in Toronto on Feb 17.

"We're tired of watching many senseless premature deaths in our community that result from homophobia while government health agencies sit on the sidelines. It's time both agencies live up to their missions and visions when it comes to gay, lesbian, bisexual Canadians."

Hellquist, along with fellow complainants Art Zoccole of Toronto and Sheri McConnell of St John's, were on hand for the press conference. The other complainants are Vancouver's Phillip Banks, Saskatoon's Charlotte Rochon and Montreal's Daniel Lanouette.

The complaint, presented as a 10-page document, charges that the government agencies are ignoring queer health issues that have been brought to their attention through multiple, government-funded reports.

"Over the past 10 years [Health Canada and the Public Health Agency of Canada] have contracted with experts on gay, lesbian, bisexual health to produce studies on the many health issues that are endemic to our community and ask for recommendations how to address those issues," said Hellquist. "To date none of those reports have been acted on and none of the numerous recommendations have been acted upon.

"Health Canada and the Public Health Agency of Canada have developed policies, strategies and funding initiatives for most other populations in this country but they seem unwilling to do the same for gay, lesbian, bisexual Canadians even though we have one of the poorest health statuses in this country."

The report's list of health issues affecting queer Canadians includes lower life expectancy than the average Canadian, suicide, higher rates of substance abuse, depression, inadequate access to care and HIV/AIDS.

"There are all kinds of health issues that are endemic to our community," said Hellquist. "We have higher rates of anal cancer in the gay male community, lesbians have higher rates of breast cancer. These are all issues that need to be addressed."

• Fighting HIV in Saskatoon: Hellquist plans new STI campaign for gay men [XTRA, December 31, 2011]

The Avenue Community Centre for Gender and Sexual Diversity in Saskatoon will soon be home to a new sexual health clinic for men. The clinic will offer the full range of testing for Sexually Transmitted Infections (STIs) in a queer environment.

"People don't get tested because they don't feel comfortable about it," says Gens Hellquist.

Hellquist is developing a new social marketing campaign for The Centre aimed at improving sexual health for gay men and men who have sex with men. Part of that campaign will encourage gay men the Saskatoon area to get tested regularly for STIs.

"In a homophobic culture, going to a medical professional and exposing that you're gay, or you might be gay - that you had sex with another man - is scary for a lot of people, and for good reason," he says. "I think the more options we provide people to be tested, especially in environments they feel comfortable, the better success we're going to have at getting people tested."

• Liz Margolies, L.C.S.W.: Breaking Down the One-Two LGBT Cancer Punch, and Fighting Back with Resources for Welcoming, Accessible Care [HuffPo, April 23, 2012]

Looking carefully, we see that there is little to no difference in the biology or physiology of LGBT bodies compared with the general population. The increased cancer risks result from behaviors, many of which can be traced back to the stress and stigma of living as sexual and gender minorities. On close inspection, we also see that the decreased screening rates are due to multiple barriers LGBT face in accessing safe, affordable, welcoming health care.

It is impossible to overstate the impact of minority stress. We use and abuse alcohol at higher rates. Lesbians are also more likely to be overweight, eat a high-fat diet, and not have a biological child before age 30, all increasing their cancer risks. As a group, we smoke at nearly twice the national rate. Gay men not only smoke and drink more than their heterosexual brothers but are more likely to be infected with HPV and/or HIV, both increasing their risk for multiple types of cancer. There is little supplemental data on transgender cancer risks, although the hormones used for transitioning have been implicated in cancers found in cisgender people.

• Stonewall survey: NHS 'failing gay and bisexual men' [Pink News, April 24, 2012]

The survey, conducted by Stonewall, of 6,861 men is reported to be largest of its kind in the world, and found that nearly a third have had a negative experience with the NHS due to their sexuality. The levels of trust in confidentiality and openness were so low that an equal proportion of men were not even out to their regular GP or nurses, though they had no problem coming out to their colleagues at work.

In the year covered by the survey, 3% of gay men and 5% of bisexual men had tried to kill themselves, the proportion being 0.4% for all men. Similarly, self-harm rates among gay and bisexual men stood at 7% as opposed to 3% for men at large. ...

One 23-year old respondent says: "I overheard the reception staff say to a nurse: 'The poof is here for his appointment.'" Another said that his doctor wrote 'homosexual' in capital letters on a letter he had to take to hospital after breaking his wrist, a label which would appear every occasion his file came up. Many also reported that health professionals assumed they were HIV positive merely on account of their sexuality.

• Stonewall's Gay and Bisexual Men's Health Survey [Stoenwall, April, 2012]

With 6,861 respondents from across Britain, this is the largest survey ever conducted of gay and bisexual men's health needs in the world. However, it demonstrates that many of those needs are not being met and that there are areas of significant concern - most particularly in mental health and drug use - that have been overlooked by health services which too often focus solely on gay men's sexual health.

These findings send a stark message that Britain's health services need to rethink how they approach many of their patients.

(Survey available as a *.pdf file.)

• Rural Ontario seminar for straight professionals: Workshop aims to educate everyone from doctors to teachers on gay issues [XTRA, May 11, 2012]

An upcoming seminar in Sault Ste Marie, Ontario, seeks to educate straight, small-town professionals on how to meet the needs of local queer people.

The Welcome Friend Association is calling on doctors, nurses, social workers, legal workers, teachers, private sector workers - everyone! - to take part in the two-day seminar conducted by Deborah Woodman.

"I teach both the social construction of gender and the social construction of sexuality. One of the things that keeps coming up is how much a lot of the information needs to be presented to wider society," Woodman says.

The seminar will cover the basics of sexuality, gender identity, sexual health and safety, as well as more complicated issues such as understanding the needs of queer people at every stage in life, how to meet those needs, and how to create safe spaces.

The seminar is called Deconstructing Sexuality: Beyond Sensitivity Training -- Moving from Tolerance to Acceptance and Inclusion in Everyday Life, and that's what Woodman is hoping it will accomplish.

"Tolerance just means I allow you to live. Acceptance means we're working together, and that's a big deal," she says.

New study finds genderqueer people face unique patterns of abuse and discrimination
[The Task Force, April 23, 2012]

A Gender Not Listed Here [a *.pdf file] found that, when compared to transgender-identified respondents surveyed in Injustice at Every Turn, genderqueer respondents said they were more likely to be unemployed (76 percent vs. 56 percent); suffer physical assaults (32 percent vs. 25 percent); experience harassment by law enforcement (31 percent vs. 21 percent); and forgo healthcare treatment due to fear of discrimination (36 percent to 27 percent). There were other measures in which transgender respondents suffered higher levels of discrimination or harassment.

"These findings aren't just groundbreaking for our academic understanding of the genderqueer experience," says study author Jack Harrison of the National Gay and Lesbian Task Force's Policy Institute. "As with Injustice at Every Turn, they are a call to action. No one should have to get up in the morning fearing they will be denied a job, abused by police, mistreated by a doctor or attacked while walking down the street simply because of their gender identity and expression. For genderqueer people, this is a harsh and unacceptable reality."

[Continued here]

Neil G. Giuliano: Creating an AIDS-Free Generation
[Huffington Post, November 9, 2011]

On the evening Dec. 1, San Francisco City Hall will be bathed in red light in honor of World AIDS Day. It will be a fitting recognition of all we have lost and all we have yet to accomplish. I look forward to a future World AIDS Day when all the pictures captured of City Hall are historical images. For many in this country, that may seem like a day we will never realize -- a day without HIV/AIDS. We still have tremendous hurdles to overcome in communities across the United States. But now is the time for our country to ask: do we have the will and the wisdom to seize on a climate of tremendous opportunity to end this disease once and for all?

[Continued here]

How to use a male condom

Ten Things Gay Men Should discuss with Their Healthcare Provider [GLMA]

Following are the health issues GLMA's healthcare providers have identified as most commonly of concern for gay men. While not all of these items apply to everyone, it's wise to be aware of these issues.

[Continued here]

Thomas Rogers: 38 years of self-love
[Salon, February 18, 2012]

Without Betty Dodson, America would be a lot less good at masturbating. Almost four decades ago, the sex educator, artist and feminist activist self-published her book "Sex for One" under the name "Liberating Masturbation" and began selling it at small feminist bookstores around the country. The book, a guide to pleasuring oneself, caught on like wildfire, teaching a generation of women and men about an act that was still considered shameful to a large cross section of Americans - and utterly mysterious to a huge number of others. It has remained a touchstone. ...

TR: Obviously, the sexual climate was very different in 1974. How did people think about masturbation back then?

BD: Who needed it? There was so much sexual freedom and there were so many groups and threesomes and couples getting together. It was very fluid in New York, L.A., San Francisco. I went to sex parties in the U.K., London, Amsterdam. I was one of the darlings of the jet set, so they'd invite me everywhere. I couldn't have been happier. Then all of the sudden AIDS happened and the bottom crashed out of casual sex. That's why the publisher in 1986 figured that they could finally deal with masturbation as the safest sex.

TR: Do you think there's less guilt associated with masturbation now?

BD: I don't think we've made any progress. If anything we've gone backwards.

[Continued here]

Canada: New frosh week focus: mental wellness
[Globe & Mail, September 9, 2011]

The growing number of students seeking help with mental-health issues is changing the face of frosh week.

The first week of university was once consumed largely by school spirit and partying, but with campus counselling services encountering many more students who report severe stress, loneliness and depression, orientation organizers across the country are seizing the chance to put a strong focus on mental wellness.

Between the barbecues and pep rallies, students at many schools are being taken on tours of on-campus support centres by peer mentors, who in turn have more training in how to watch for early signs of mental distress and intervene before it turns serious.

While alcohol use is still a primary concern on most campuses - a 19-year-old Acadia University student died this week, reportedly after a night of heavy drinking that left him with alcohol poisoning - suicide is a leading cause of student deaths. When the University of Alberta Students' Union surveyed 1,600 students last spring, 52 per cent said they had felt "overwhelming anxiety" and 7 per cent admitted to seriously considering suicide.

[Continued here]

• Student stress battering the Ivory Tower [Toronto Star, November 28, 2011]

In a panel Monday on mental health and higher learning hosted by Colleges Ontario, Woolf was one of several educators who warned mental illness on campus has become a question of life and death for which schools are scrambling to find answers.

"My gut instinct is there's a fear of failure among students today, partly because they're insecure about long-term job prospects, but also because they were never allowed to fail by so-called helicopter parents - this is a generation where everyone got a loot bag, no one came in last," said Woolf - but at university, students can experience failure for the first time.

Because of the rash of suicides and alcohol-related deaths on campus, mental health has become a priority at Queen's. Woolf has made a powerful suicide-awareness video with the father of Jack Windeler, one of the Queen's students who took his life. Woolf and Eric Windeler are working on a follow-up video to show students, through role-playing, how to ask someone if they're feeling at risk.

• Binge drinking health concern among Ontario teens [CBC, November 29, 2011]

"There's a culture among young people of binge drinking that's potentially dangerous, and the challenge is how do you break into that," Dr. Robert Mann, the report's main author, said in an interview Tuesday.

His research showed that alcohol was the substance used by the largest number of students, with 55 per cent saying they'd had a drink in the past year, and one in 10 students reporting binge drinking at times of psychological distress.

"The rate of driving after cannabis also remains high, and is in fact, in this population, higher than the rate of driving after drinking, and that's a concern because there's increasing evidence that cannabis can impair your ability to drive, much in the same way as alcohol can," Mann said.

• Teenagers admit going too far sexually while drunk, leading to pregnancies and spread of diseases [Daily Mail, December 31, 2011]

The organisation highlighted research showing that a fifth of 14- and 15-year-old girls said they did more sexually than they wanted to while drunk.

And more than 80 per cent of 16- to 30-year-olds said they drank before sexual activity.

Labour backs calls for children to be taught about gambling
[The Guardian, December 3, 2011]

The shadow education secretary, Stephen Twigg, said children should learn about gambling to 'prepare them for the adult world'.

Labour has backed calls for children as young as 12 to learn about gambling in school.

Gamcare, a gambling addiction support service, has proposed that pupils should be taught about fruit machines, how to study sports teams to improve chances of winning and how to calculate odds.

The organisation, which reportedly receives £3m a year in funding from the gambling sector, has submitted its proposals to a government review of personal, social and health education (PSHE).

The shadow education secretary, Stephen Twigg, said pupils needed information to prepare them for the adult world.

"This is something that shouldn't be left to chance," he said. "With the rise of online gambling, there is clearly a need for children and young people to be given good advice.

"It is right that, just like drug and alcohol addiction, teenagers and children are given information to prepare them for the adult world.

[Continued here]

Gay Men's Body Image: Near 50 Percent Would Sacrifice 1 Year Of Their Lives For The
Perfect Body, Survey Finds [Huffington Post, January 6, 2012]

Exactly how far would you go for cast-iron pecs or the perfect six-pack?

Indeed, gay men have been stereotypically cast as gym bunnies by popular culture for some time, but a new British poll has now revealed a slightly more disturbing fact about that population's fractured relationship with body image. A study commissioned by the Central YMCA, the Succeed Foundation and the University of the West of England's (UWE) Centre for Appearance Research in Bristol found that 48 percent of gay male respondents would sacrifice a year or more of their lives in exchange for a perfect body. Perhaps even more onerous: researchers also found that 10 percent of those men would agree to die more than 11 years earlier if they could have their ideal body right now, according to Pink News.

[Continued here]

• Half of gay men "would die a year early" for the perfect body [Pink News, January 6, 2012]

HPV vaccine recommended for boys in U.S.
[CBC, October 25, 2011]

Doctors argue that it could protect boys against genital warts and some kinds of cancers. But they also say vaccinating 11- and 12-year old boys could also help prevent the spread of the sexually transmitted virus to girls. ...

Gardasil is approved in Canada as a treatment to prevent genital warts in males aged nine to 26 in Canada.

[Continued here]

• Op-ed: HPV Infection Is a Gay Men's Health Crisis [The Advocate, October 28, 2011]

Discomfort with sexuality in general, and homophobia in particular, have played an insidious role in delaying needed HPV vaccine recommendations for boys, writes Dr. Ilan H. Meyer of The Williams Institute. ...

HPV is a gay men's health issue. Anal cancer affects about two in 100,000 people in the U.S., but the rate of anal cancer among gay and bisexual men is as much as 44 times higher. Although vaccination is an important step, this recommendation is not enough. Prejudice and stigma continue to hinder an adequate public health response to HPV. As with HIV/AIDS, for HPV and anal cancer silence equals death. ...

Moralistic attitudes are perhaps not the only reason for the five-year delay in recommending HPV vaccination for boys. Other reasons included the claim that there was insufficient research evidence on the effect of the vaccine in boys. But the very same evidence that had been available to American authorities in 2006 led the European Union authorities to recommend vaccination to all - girls and boys. I have no doubt that discomfort with sexuality in general, and homophobia in particular, have played a key role. ...

Screening and early detection of cervical cancer - through Pap smear and later HPV typing - is responsible for it being one of the most treatable cancers. Similarly, early detection and treatment of HPV-related morbidities could significantly reduce the incidence and increase survival of anal cancer in gay and bisexual men....

• Study: Vaccine Protects Against Anal Cancer [Edge Boston, October 29, 2011]

A new study shows that a vaccine already in use to protect women against the human papilloma virus (HPV), which can cause cervical and other forms of soft tissue cancer, can also be effective at warding off anal cancer.

"Men who were vaccinated against human papillomavirus developed 75 percent fewer anal lesions that lead to cancer than their counterparts who were given a placebo," an Oct. 27 APF story reported.

The study showing the results was published in the New England Journal of Medicine, the article said. The day before the study's publication, the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) advised that boys as well as girls should be given inoculations against HPV.

• HPV vaccine recommended for boys [Parent Central, January 25, 2012]

A federally appointed panel of experts has endorsed use of HPV vaccine in males in Canada, potentially opening the door to wider use of the vaccine in boys and young men.

Until now HPV vaccine in Canada has been recommended solely for girls and women.

The National Advisory Committee on Immunization said in a statement published online this week that the evidence is strong - Grade A in NACI-speak - that the vaccine protects males against a number of forms of cancer, pre-cancerous lesions and genital warts.

• Female physicians urge provinces to pay for HPV vaccine for boys [Globe & Mail, February 8, 2012]

A group representing female doctors in Canada is calling on provincial governments to pay for HPV vaccine for boys.

The Federation of Medical Women of Canada said vaccinating only girls isn't fair, and it isn't using the vaccine to its maximum advantage.

"Both sexes contribute to the transmission of HPV. Both sexes are at risk of developing a variety of HPV-related diseases - including cancer. So it follows that both sexes should be protected. But currently, that's not the case," Vivien Brown, Toronto branch president, said on behalf of the organization. ...

A federal government expert panel recently ruled there is strong evidence for use of the HPV vaccine Gardasil in boys and young men aged 9 to 26. The group also said there is strong evidence for its use in males 9 and older who have sex with other males. Nine is the minimum age for which the vaccine is approved for either gender.

• Glenn D. Braunstein, M.D.: Let's Immunize Boys Against HPV and Educate Them About Sexual Responsibility at the Same Time [HuffPo, April 2, 2012]

We now have a vaccine against HPV and its considerable harms. The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), American Academy of Pediatrics, American Academy of Family Physicians and Society for Adolescent Health and Medicine all now advise that, in addition to girls, boys ages 11 and 12 get these safe and effective shots. The three-shot vaccine is recommended for preteens because the levels of antibodies against HPV are higher than those achieved when the vaccine is given to older adolescents or adults.

The vaccine not only gives us the opportunity to decrease the spread of the HPV virus, but it provides us with an important opportunity to teach boys about sexual health and responsibility. Historically, boys have been given inadequate attention regarding these issues.

• Free HPV vaccine urged for boys [CBC, April 15, 2012]

This week, the Canadian Cancer Advocacy Coalition called on provinces to pay for the vaccine for boys, too. In January, the National Advisory Committee on Immunization recommended HPV vaccination for males aged nine to 25.

"Now is the time for governments to apply universal vaccine coverage for our boys and our girls to protect them from disease in the future," the coalition's report concluded.

Mental illness? Yes, but also homophobia
[Globe & Mail, October 7, 2011]

Recent media coverage surrounding the seeming rise in youth suicides has suggested as much, working hard to warn us against a veritable epidemic of mental illnesses thought to be mysteriously infecting Canadian teenagers. But arguing that mentally ill youth are both more susceptible to, and the root cause of, suicidal ideation endorses a cultural passivity surrounding suicide. This lacklustre approach also enables each of us to overlook our responsibility in creating a culture that accepts teen suicide as inevitable and as an enigma beyond the scope of our comprehension or accountability.

Bloated with uncertainties and obscure opinions about the unknown psychological problems of our youth, much of the coverage of teen suicide firmly places the onus of suicidal thoughts on the teens themselves. By suggesting suicidal youth would benefit from more professional care and "psychiatric beds," this prognosis not only exonerates each of us from our social responsibility to create safe spaces, policies and programs for our teens but strategically overlooks the evidence that there are other risk factors that go beyond mental illness.

The media, for instance, have habitually avoided the relationship between youth suicide and queer sexuality. This omission is glaring, given that studies have overwhelmingly cited lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgender and queer (LGBTQ) youth as one of the most at-risk groups for suicide (with a 32-per-cent rate of attempt, compared with the cited 7 per cent for heterosexual teens).

[Continued here]

• Part 1: Teen suicide: 'We're not going to sit in silence' [Globe & Mail, September 24, 2011]
• Part 2: 'If we had known': Richardsons turn suicide tragedy into community cause [Globe & Mail, September 25, 2011]
• Part 3: Why do teens turn to suicide? Superstar scientist tries to find out [Globe & Mail, September 26, 2011]
• Part 4: A four-part action plan in the battle against teen suicide [Globe & Mail, September 27, 2011]
• Bob Rae calls for national suicide prevention strategy [Globe & Mail, October 4, 2011]
• Suicide and Suicide Risk in Lesbian, Gay, Bisexual, and Transgender Populations: Review and Recommendations [Journal of Homosexuality Volume 58, Issue 1, 2010]
• Jason Mannino: Heal Homophobia and Save Our Youth [Huffington Post, October 9, 2011]
• This is what bullying feels like [Globe & Mail, December 2, 2011]

Every year in Canada more than 200 teenagers feel alone and scared enough to kill themselves. For many, including Marjorie Raymond, life has been made unbearable by bullies.

The 15-year-old Montrealer's suicide earlier this week, and the apologetic note she left for her mother, have prompted Quebec to review the anti-violence programs in its schools. In Ontario, where two other tormented teens recently took their own lives, policy makers and educators are considering new laws that would create tougher consequences for bullies.

• Phillip M. Miner: Our Community's Lack of Internal Cohesion May Contribute to LGBTQ Suicides [Huffington Post, January 6, 2012]

The increased rate of depression for people in our community is understandable; I don't think I'm breaking any ground by pointing out that society treats the LGBTQ population incredibly poorly. We grow up hearing that we are abominations/wrong/confused/inferior/genetic abnormalities -- none of this is easy on the ol' psyche. On top of that, as a community we're engaged in a battle to prove that old belief systems are wrong and have to change. It's a Herculean task, and some people succumb to the negativity that surrounds it.

That said, Durkheim had other ideas about suicide that are relevant to suicide among the LGBTQ community. One of them, "groups with low social status and integration who are denied society's usual privilege and rights are at risk for alienation and suicide unless protected by internal cohesion, religion or anti-suicide norms," highlights one potential, suicide-prevention area LGBTQ folk are pretty much ignoring. We're terrible at the whole "internal cohesion" thing. ...

A few examples: the fact that racism within the LGBTQ community has been well documented; the fact that the isolation that LGBTQ people often feel in rural communities is frequently ignored or belittled ("Why don't they just move to cities?"); the volume of homeless LGBTQ youth that we leave to fend for themselves; the fact that the rights of transgender citizens have been sacrificed so that gay men and lesbians can gain their rights first; the fact that to fit a rigid and rather unrealistic body image, gay men have a higher prevalence of eating disorders than their heterosexual counterparts; and the fact, according to some, that it's the upper-middle-class, white men who dictate what is important to the LGBTQ community.

• Chris Murray: Changing the Game for LGBT Students in School [Huffington Post, January 6, 2012]

As a high school teacher and coach in Bethesda, Md., I have found our school to be a generally safe and wonderful place for our 2,500 students and faculty. However, like any community of this many people, there is a wide range of views and opinions in terms of acceptance for lesbian, gay, bisexual and transgender (LGBT) issues. But three specific and upsetting instances at school this year caused me to take action.

In September I had an idea for every teacher to display an equal sign in their classroom in order to show faculty support for all of our students. When I proposed this idea to the sponsor of our high school's Gay-Straight Alliance (GSA), she questioned how many teachers would actually put them up. She added that the student club had tried this activity before and was met with resistance.

I was bewildered. It had never crossed my mind that a teacher would not be accepting of a student because of their sexual orientation or gender identity. Why would an educator bring their personal beliefs into the classroom when we're supposed to support the needs of each student?

• STUDY: Bullying LGBT People Can Lead To Suicide, Accepting Homes Minimize Risk [Think Progress, February 15, 2012]

A new study from researchers at Northwestern and Brown Universities found that bullying and harassment of LGBT people can have a significant impact on suicidal thoughts and self-harm for young people, particularly for those who have attempted suicide before:

        The victimization of LGBT youth is widespread and has been characterized as an important but unexamined reason for higher rates of self-harm. The current study found that victimization experienced across the assessment waves prospectively predicted self-harm and suicidal ideation. Indeed, after suicide attempt history, LGBT victimization was the strongest predictor of self-harm, being associated with a 2.5-fold increased risk. Similarly, gender nonconformity was another LGBT-specific risk factor with significant effects.

The researchers pointed out to NPR that family acceptance without judgment is key to deterring suicidal thoughts. If young people are ostracized or bullied at school, they need to be able to find social support at home. The Family Acceptance Project has similarly found that there is a high correlation between family rejection and suicide attempts, as well as illegal drug use.

• High school confidential: What teens really think about themselves [Globe & Mail, February 17, 2012]

High school boys fret about being too thin and high school girls worry about being too fat, according to a Queen's University-led national study that examined the mental health of Canada's adolescents, as well as their physical activity, cannabis use and experiences with bullying.

More than 26,000 students aged 11 to 15 attending 436 different schools participated in the survey, which involved Health Canada and the World Health Organization as well as research teams from 43 countries.

• Anti-bully program seeks non-court solutions [Globe & Mail, March 11, 2012]

The anti-bullying program at West Scarborough Neighbourhood Community Centre is a pilot "diversion" program - an alternative measure to the court system, with the aim being rehabilitation. Organizers say increasingly bullying is being found to be a factor in the lives of children who have had brushes with the law.

• Michael Jascz: Bullying: Why Social and Emotional Learning in Schools Is Paramount to Prevention [HuffPo, April 8, 2012]

Let's get in before the bullying starts. If that sounds obvious, I'm not talking about just educating children about the damage that bullying causes -- although those teachings have much merit. Rather, I'm suggesting we educate children on the very basics of human relationships -- the stage before thoughts of aggression and conflict and separation develop into bullying.

Because where and when does bullying begin? How does a child reach the point that they become a bully? Could the things our caregivers say and do, while well-intentioned, set the stage for bullying behavior to later surface? Child psychology has emerged in the last few generations to offer some answers, yet social cruelty among adolescents is increasing. Blame is laid at the door of home life, media, video games, peers, etc. The average American child witnesses 8,000 murders on television before they finish elementary school. Other sources say it reaches 16,000 by the time they graduate high school. We cannot control the home life, cultures, friends, media influence of the children in our school systems. Everyone has a different story, and everyone's story is complex. Pointing fingers does not resolve anything.

Stephanie Hallett: Definition Of Rape Officially Changed, Impacts Men As Well As Women
[Huffington Post, January 6, 2012]

On Friday morning at 7:30 am PST, I dialed into a conference call with representatives from the FBI, the White House and the Department of Justice to hear them announce that the FBI will officially change its 83-year-old definition of "forcible rape."

Until now, the FBI has defined forcible rape as "The carnal knowledge of a female, forcibly and against her will." The new definition, which excludes the word forcible, defines rape as: "penetration, no matter how slight, of the vagina or anus with any body part or object, or oral penetration by a sex organ of another person, without the consent of the victim."

This call was very important to me. Eight months ago, I wrote an article for Ms., magazine that exposed the FBI's faulty definition of rape to a broad audience and described the real-life impacts it has on victims, law enforcement practices and society at large. Feminists had been working to get the definition changed since 2001, but criticism of the FBI's terms had been largely absent from news reports.

In Ms., I wrote about all the sexual assault survivors who were excluded from the FBI's official count -- including all men and boys, those raped with fingers or objects, and women with physical and mental disabilities, among others.

I wrote about how having the word "forcible" in the definition allowed police to exclude rapes of women who were intoxicated or unconscious when they were assaulted: Police told me that a woman who is out cold can't be "forced" into sex. This despite the fact that at least 22 percent of rapes are committed using alcohol and drugs, and some studies put that number as high as 77 percent.

[Continued here]

• Jezebel: Teen Rape PSA: Controversial UK Ad Highlights Sexual Violence Within Relationships [Huffington Post, March 7, 2012]

The perception-altering ad is aimed at teens who might never associate rape with themselves or their group of friends. The 60-second video depicts a nice-looking teenage boy watching himself from behind a glass wall as things are getting heated with his girlfriend. Initially they're kissing and nothing seems to be wrong, but he becomes forceful and the girl resists his advances -- at this point, the boy begins screaming at himself to stop and pounding on the glass.

• US: New Prison Rape Standards Offer Landmark Protection [Human Rights Watch, May 17, 2012]

The long awaited national prison rape elimination standards issued on May 17, 2012 by the Justice Department, if fully implemented, may end widespread prison rape in the United States, Human Rights Watch said today. The standards provide detailed guidance to federal, state, and local officials on how to prevent, detect, and respond to sexual abuse in their confinement facilities.

Congress mandated the development of national standards in the Prison Rape Elimination Act (PREA), passed unanimously in 2003. The law called for the creation of a National Prison Rape Elimination Commission to prepare an analysis of the causes and consequences of prison rape and to propose national standards to the attorney general, which it did in June 2009. The standards released on May 17 draw heavily on the commission's work and reflect Congress' goal of protecting every man, woman, and child in confinement with an effective, zero-tolerance policy toward sexual abuse.

"The prison rape standards offer a practical, feasible roadmap for officials on how to end the epidemic of prison rape," said Jamie Fellner, senior adviser to the US Program of Human Rights Watch and a former commissioner on the National Prison Rape Elimination Commission. "They may not be perfect, but they are far better than might have been expected given the staunch opposition in some correctional quarters to changing the way they do business. The Justice Department leaves no doubt that the old ways do not and cannot suffice."

Anti-Gay Bias is Harmful to Health
[Edge Boston, October 10, 2011]

The study "finds that stigma and social inequality can increase stress and reduce well-being for LGB people, even in the absence of major traumatic events such as hate crimes and discrimination," a description of the study posted at the website for the Williams Institute says. ...

"For members of minority groups, day-to-day life experiences that may seem minor to others can and do have significant and lasting impact on one's well-being," Meyer noted. "The idea that simply walking out your door will expose you to societal rejection and stigma creates a climate of stress that can lead to detrimental, long-term consequences."

Research has already shown that LGBTs live under considerably more stress in states where their rights have put up to the popular vote. Such votes often entail bitter and accusatory campaigns that demonize and scapegoat LGBTs.

[Continued here]

• "We'd Be Free": Narratives of Life Without Homophobia, Racism, or Sexism [Sexuality Research and Social Policy, Volume 8, Number 3]
• STUDY: Employees Who Can Come Out At Work 'Flourish,' Closeted Workers 'Languish Or Leave' [Think Progress, June 21, 2011]
• Study: Anti-Gay 'Microaggressions' Impact Health Of Lesbians, Gays, Bisexuals [Think Progress, October 4, 2011]

A new study coauthored by Dr. Ilan H. Meyer of the Williams Institute finds that ongoing stigma and social inequality increase stress and reduce well-being for lesbian, gay, and bisexual people. These health impacts can be prevalent even among individuals who have never experienced major traumatic events such as hate violence, abuse, or discrimination. Individuals experience microaggressions, day-to-day moments where they feel the need to "worry" or "hide" - any slight occasion when they are unsure about their safety or acceptance because they are LGB. The authors conclude that these microaggressions largely define how people experience their identities in society:

        The findings show that in addition to life events-such as antigay violence, abuse, and discrimination in hiring or promotion-participants describe homophobia, racism, and sexism as enduring and pervasive social forces that chronically and systematically exclude them from social institutions. In thinking about life without homophobia, racism, and sexism, participants revealed that, indeed, minorities experience society as anything but harmoniously fitting. Researchers need to pay greater attention than they have to date to describing these stressors and understanding their effects. Among these stressors are minor events and conditions that are mostly intangible. Prominent among these were experiences such as not being able to walk down the street freely because of the fear of expressing affection to one's intimate partner.

• "We'd Be Free": Narratives of Life Without Homophobia, Racism, or Sexism [Springer Link]

Stigma and social inequality deprive disadvantaged social groups of a sense of social well-being. Stress researchers have focused on prejudice-related events and conditions but have not described more intangible stressors experienced by sexual minorities.

• Employers Less Likely to Interview Openly Gay Men for Job Openings: Study [Science Newsline, October 4, 2011]
• Study: Gays Have Harder Time on the Job Market [Edge Boston, October 6, 2011]

Previous studies have shown that, contrary to popular myth, gays and their families are more likely than heterosexual to live beneath the poverty line. Making matters worse, a new study suggests, is a trend among employers to pass over self-identified gay job applicants.

The study, titled "Pride and Prejudice: Employment Discrimination Against Openly Gay Men in the United States" appeared Sept. 4 in The American Journal of Sociology, reported About.com the following day.

The study "found that employers in the South and Midwest were less likely to offer interviews to candidates whose resumes revealed they were gay," the article reported. Gays were about 40 percent less likely to be interviewed for a position even if they were well qualified, the study found.

The study, conducted by Harvard researcher and Ph.D. candidate scholar.harvard.edu/András Tilcsik, "outed" fictitious job applicants by listing relevant work experience with GLBT organizations on carefully constructed resumes.

• How Current Laws Fail to Address the Changing Reality of American Families [Center for American Progress, October 25, 2011]

Public discussion about American families often assumes the nation is largely made up of married heterosexual couples raising their biological children. Yet less than a quarter of all U.S. households fall into this category. Today's children may be raised by grandparents, single parents, step-parents, aunts, uncles, or foster parents. Their parents may be married or unmarried. They also may be heterosexual or lesbian, gay, bisexual, or transgender-LGBT.

Unfortunately, public policy has not kept up with the changing reality of the American family. Indeed, our laws and discourse largely ignore the roughly 2 million children being raised by LGBT parents. They also ignore children in other family configurations, such as those with unmarried heterosexual parents. As a result, most Americans are probably unaware of the many ways in which unequal treatment and social stigma harm the millions of children whose families do not fit into a certain mold.

A new report, "All Children Matter: How Legal and Social Inequalities Hurt LGBT Families," from the Movement Advancement Project, the Family Equality Council, and the Center for American Progress offers one of the most comprehensive portraits to date of the wide range of challenges facing LGBT families in America.

• Jewish report finds discrimination [Sydney Star Observer, November 4, 2011]

Jewish members of the LGBT community face discrimination, harassment and abuse because of their sexuality or gender identity, a new report has found.

The report, released this week, was commissioned by the Jewish Community Council of Victoria (JCCV) and shows a link between mental health issues, such as depression and suicide, and discrimination on the basis of sexuality or gender identity.

JCCV president John Searle said it's the first time the JCCV has looked into the issue.

"We have recognised the need to deal openly with issues of vilification and discrimination in our community, and hope that this report will play a part in educating members of the community to reduce prejudice and incidence of mental health issues amongst our GLBT community members," he said.

The report has called on Jewish community organisations to develop policies prohibiting discrimination and recommends Jewish schools and rabbis educate themselves on issues facing LGBT people in the Jewish community.

• A third of older gay people fear rejection [Irish Times, November 4, 2011]

The findings - part of the first major study into the experiences of gay people over 55 in Ireland - highlight ongoing challenges faced by those who feel they cannot live openly in society.

However, they also show the resilience of many gay people who have overcome adversity and developed accepting relationships with family, friends and colleagues.

The "Visible Lives" study is based on survey data and interviews with up to 144 people and shows that the majority of older gay people are "out" to at least one person.

Most went through their adolescence and early adulthood without disclosing their sexuality.

• Pioneering study finds GSAs prevent depression, bullying and suicide: Researcher says schools that block GSAs are irresponsible [XTRA, November 26, 2011]

Results from a groundbreaking American study on gay-straight alliances (GSAs) have confirmed what Canadian students fighting for GSAs have been saying all along: clubs that provide support for queer youth help prevent depression, victimization, substance abuse and suicide.

A school with a GSA has a lower drop-out rate and produces students who are more likely to attend college or university. GSAs also help educate students and community members by spreading a message of love, acceptance and equality.

These are just some of the findings in High School Gay-Straight Alliances (GSAs) and Young Adult Well-Being: An Examination of GSA Presence, Participation, and Perceived Effectiveness, a new study by Caitlin Ryan, a San Francisco State University faculty member and director of the Family Acceptance Project, a research group that provides support for families with lesbian, gay, bisexual and trans children. Ryan is a clinical social worker who has worked on queer health and mental health since the 1970s.

• Jessica Gerson: Will VA Hospitals Care for Gay and Lesbian Veterans? [Huffington Post, December 15, 2011]

By the end of 2011, more than 40,000 U.S. troops will return home from Iraq. Many of those troops, some of whom are gay or lesbian, will seek medical support from their local VA hospital -- support they've earned and deserve. But is our VA system prepared to care for our nation's gay and lesbian soldiers?

Based on the experience of my friend Esther Garatie, an honorably discharged Marine lance corporal, I'd have to say not yet. On Oct. 12, Esther almost took her life, and a homophobic VA nurse is very much responsible.

It was 1:15 PM in the afternoon when I first heard from Esther. I should have been in a parent-child therapy session with a mother and her 4-year-old son, but their car broke down and they had to cancel. That's the only reason I was at my desk to hear it when my phone buzzed with a text message.

It was Esther, and something was very wrong.

• Gay marriage 'improves health' [BBC, December 16, 2011]

The number of visits by gay men to health clinics dropped significantly after same-sex unions were allowed in the state Massachusetts.

This was regardless of whether the men were in a stable relationship, reported the American Journal of Public Health.

A UK HIV charity said there was a clear link between happiness and health.

Research has already suggested that gay men are more likely to suffer from depression and suicidal thoughts than heterosexual men, and that social exclusion may be partly responsible. ...

Researchers from Columbia University Mailman School of Public Health surveyed the demand for medical and mental health care from 1,211 gay men registered with a particular health clinic in the 12 months prior to the change, and the 12 months afterwards.

They found a 13% drop in healthcare visits after the law was enacted.

There was a reduction in blood pressure problems, depression and "adjustment disorders", which the authors claimed could be the result of reduced stress. ...

Dr Mark Hatzenbuehler, who led the study, said: "Our results suggest that removing these barriers improves the health of gay and bisexual men.

"Marriage equality may produce broad public health benefits by reducing the occurrence of stress-related health conditions."

• Judith Johnson: Stress and Family: Spending Holidays With 'Loved Ones' Who Aren't Very Nice to You [Huffington Post, December 25, 2011]

Below the surface of many family holiday gatherings are mini dramas playing out, contemporary grudges and resentments and unresolved childhood issues. Nothing hurts with such emotional depth as these familial battles. For the tender-hearted, this can be a psychological mine field while self-righteous bullies reign unchallenged. Many silently suffer through these events while dutifully and unconsciously assuming their childhood role as the family black sheep or underdog. Those in secondary roles are often either complicit or oblivious, leaving the underdog to fend for his or herself. Here are seven strategies for doing it differently this year.

• Hayley Rose Horzepa: The Problem with Homophobia [Huffington Post, January 2, 2012]

In this country, homophobia runs rampant. We are constantly hearing stories of bullied teens committing suicide because they are ashamed to exist in a world where they feel they will never be accepted because they are gay. In the old days, people, both gay men and women, were forced to marry into heterosexual relationships in order to maintain some sort socially acceptable façade. Even today, although major progress has been made when it comes to acceptance of LGBT people, there are still plenty hiding from their true identities. Where there are people lying to themselves about who they are, there are unsuspecting victims who will likely be part of the wreckage left in their trail.

• Levi Kreis: From Self-Loathing to Self-Love: How I Cast Out the Real Demon Inside Me [Huffington Post, January 2, 2012]

I grew up gay in a small, fundamentalist Baptist town with five students in my graduating class. Knowing I was gay at 8 years old, I recall hearing my pastor passionately convey to his congregation how my kind was an abomination, abhorrent, and detestable in the eyes of God. Now, I was a very sincere boy. I remember making a pact with God on Sept. 12, 1988, saying that I would spend three hours a day reading the Bible and praying until God removed this "thing" inside me. (I can count on one hand the days I missed up until August 1992.) In junior high I secretly enrolled myself in Christian counseling, a program called "The Healing of the Homosexual." For six years I attended, just knowing that God would cure me of this demonic oppression! I would go to events where 20 to 30 people at a time would lay hands on me, attempting to cast out the demon of homosexuality. I was often terrified but always hopeful, thinking each day that this may be the morning I would wake up "normal." But 12 years of giving myself fully to the pursuit of "righteousness," and still the "healing" was never granted. However, the foundation for a self-destructive lifestyle was well established. See, you can't train a child to believe he is detestable in the eyes to God and expect him to have any value for his own life. The older I got, the more my bad choices reflected back to me the deep-rooted self-loathing I had agreed to long ago.

• Children who are gender nonconforming at greater risk of abuse: Harvard study [Toronto Star, February 20, 2012]

A new study led by researchers at the Harvard School of Public Health found that when children's activities, interests and pretend playing isn't that typically expressed by their biological sex - "gender nonconformity" - they face an increased risk of being physically, psychologically and sexually abused.

They also face an increased risk of suffering from post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD), linked to risky behaviour such as engaging in unprotected sex and physical maladies such as chronic pain.

"The abuse we examined was mostly perpetrated by parents or other adults in the home," said lead author Andrea Roberts, a research associate in the Department of Society, Human Development, and Health at Harvard. ...

"Oftentimes when people think of non-conforming kids, they think of boys insisting on wearing dresses or girls insisting on cutting their hair short," she said. "But that's not the type of behaviour we're talking about here. We're talking about two or three in every classroom. We're talking about a subtle level of non-conforming."

• Logan Lynn: The Dangers of Being a Girly Boy [Huffington Post, February 28, 2012]

Having been born one of these gender-nonconforming kids many years ago, I know firsthand the experience described in the study. These new findings suggest that even if I had not been birthed into a fundamentalist Christian cult, my parents would still have had their work cut out for them with regard to keeping me safe. (I plan to add this new info to my ever-growing parental forgiveness file as soon as I finish writing this.) Sad as it may be, from the moment I took my first breath, I was something of a moving target in this world.

Though I have identified as a cisgender male my whole life, as a kid I always enjoyed playing with dolls, making jewelry, singing, acting, and dancing -- all things considered "girly" by society and, at the very least, by the mean kids I grew up around in rural Nebraska. I gravitated toward girls my own age back then, not because I wanted to be one of them but because they were nice to me, and we had the most in common. The other boys took note of these similarities, and they teased me relentlessly.

• Survey shows alarming anxiety rates [Sydney Star Observer, April 4, 2012]

LGBT Australians are experiencing worrying levels of depression and anxiety, a national study has found.

The La Trobe University study - Private Lives 2 (PL2) - which surveyed more than 4000 LGBT people, found almost 80 percent of participants had experienced at least one episode of intense anxiety in the last 12 months.

More than a quarter of respondents had been diagnosed with, or treated for, an anxiety disorder during that same time.

La Trobe lead researcher Liam Leonard said discrimination was likely to be to be a key factor in the result.

• Gay Adults Rejected by Parents Have Worse Health, Study Finds [USNews, April 13, 2012]

About three-quarters of lesbian, gay and bisexual adults aged 18 to 64 surveyed in Massachusetts said they had revealed their sexual orientation to their parents, typically when they were about 25 years old. About two-thirds said their parents were supportive.

Rates of mental health and substance-abuse problems were significantly lower among those who received support from their parents than among those who felt rejected, the study found.

• STUDY: LGBT-Inclusive Curricula Make Schools Safer And More Accepting [Think Progress, April 26, 2012]

GLSEN has released a new research brief based on data collected for its 2009 school climate survey, which found that 9 out of 10 LGBT students had felt unsafe in school at some point because of their identity. The new report (aptly titled "Teaching Respect") examines the impact when a school offers a curriculum that is LGBT-inclusive - that is, that it includes positive representations of LGBT people, history, and events. Resoundingly, such curricula can greatly reduce the levels of anti-LGBT victimization while improving levels of peer acceptance. In addition, students with such programs feel safer coming to school and are more comfortable talking to their teachers about LGBT issues. ...

Students' physical and mental health hang in the balance. Negative community attitudes, bullying, stigma, and victimization can lead to depression, substance abuse, and suicidal thinking that can last a lifetime. In contrast, students who are supported when they come out experience significant emotional benefits, and gay-straight alliances in schools can enhance the effect. Conservatives insist that young people must be "protected" from homosexual indoctrination, but the research is clear that acknowledging and supporting LGBT students is what's best for them.

Dr Gerry North: Is your partner a functioning alcoholic?
[Sydney Star Observer, January 26, 2012]

He pours a drink as soon as he gets home from work and he keeps one going all evening. He insists there is nothing wrong with this drinking and that he is functioning quite well. After all, he reasons, he does his job and he brings home his money and does not do drugs or sleep around. These are his defensive statements when you question his drinking.

If you enjoy sex in the evening, you are out of luck, because by bedtime he's blotto. And sex is not the only area where you are feeling neglected. It's hard to have a discussion about anything significant after he has had a couple of drinks. You spend a lot of time effectively alone. You didn't bargain for loneliness in your relationship.

You are in deeper trouble if your partner tends to become confrontational when drinking. It is a common sign of advancing alcoholism. Perhaps he yells at you. Certainly he blames you a lot. You worry that his emotional and mental abuse might escalate into violence against you.

[Continued here]

• Bil Browning: METH: A Documentary [Bilerico Project, January 26, 2012]

This riveting documentary about gay men and meth addiction is a little over an hour long, but once you start it you'll sit through it all.

METH explores the rising wave of crystal methamphetamine use within the gay population. Through the reflections of a dozen gay men, we learn of the drug's allure, its promise, and why its popularity is soaring. Some of the men in the film are current users, and they share their life with us while under the constant influence of "Tina." Other interviewees are former denizens of "Tina World," who have managed to crawl back from the depths to which their addictions brought them. Throughout, METH is an unflinching look at the devastating effects of addiction to this very serious drug.

• Why the Gay and Transgender Population Experiences Higher Rates of Substance Use [Center for American Progress, March 9, 2012]

Gay and transgender health is one of these issues. This issue brief examines the disproportionately high rates of substance use by gay and transgender people, which is a significant impediment to the health of this group. Although data on the rates of substance abuse in gay and transgender populations are sparse, it is estimated that between 20 percent to 30 percent of gay and transgender people abuse substances, compared to about 9 percent of the general population.

The stress that comes from daily battles with discrimination and stigma is a principle driver of these higher rates of substance use, as gay and transgender people turn to tobacco, alcohol, and other substances as a way to cope with these challenges. And a lack of culturally competent health care services also fuels high substance-use rates among gay and transgender people.

In order to lower these rates, our health care system needs to better meet the needs of gay and transgender people, and our government needs to advance public policies that promote equality for this population.

• Smoking Cessation Treatment Preferences, Intentions, and Behaviors Among a Large Sample of Colorado Gay, Lesbian, Bisexual, and Transgendered Smokers [Society for Research on Nicotine and Tobacco, January 17, 2012]
• Big Tobacco Targets LGBT Community With Menthol Cigarettes And Predatory Advertising [Think Progress, March 12, 2012]

A new issue brief from the Center for American Progress reveals that tobacco companies have engaged in predatory marketing against the LGBT community through the sale of menthol-flavored cigarettes, the only kind of flavored cigarettes the FDA did not ban in 2009. As a result, the continued legalization of menthol cigarettes has a hugely disproportionate impact on the health of the LGBT community.

Dr Gerry North: Depression and gay men
[Sydney Star Observer, February 9, 2012]

There is no research evidence showing gay men suffer depression any more than members of the general community. However, we do know that being a gay man today can be very tough on the psyche, when competing for attention in the demanding homosexual landscape of fashion, fitness, obtaining sex, and the clubbing environment. It is easy to get depressed if this homosexual landscape fails to reflect back to you that you are a worthy person.

How do you know you are suffering depression and to what extent? Look at these following questions and mark 1 for sometimes, 2 for often and 3 for always. Let's go.

In the last two weeks, have you:

1. Found little interest in doing things.

2. Felt down, depressed or hopeless.

3. Had trouble getting to sleep.

4. Felt tired and had little energy.

5. Felt badly about yourself, a failure or letting your family down.

6. Had trouble concentrating, reading the paper or watching TV.

7. Found yourself moving or speaking slowly so that others notice.

8. Had thoughts that you would be better off dead or thoughts of hurting yourself.

9. Poor appetite or overeating.

[Continued here]

Dr Gerry North: Sex and your boyfriend
[Sydney Star Observer, February 14, 2012]

It was different when they first met. They couldn't take their hands off each other 24/7. But sex rarely happens now and it is never talked about.

If you asked them if they are happy with this arrangement, you would get different answers from each of them. Sean would say he would definitely like more sex. Paul would say they are just comfortable being with each other and talking about sex is unnecessary.

They will have no idea that each other feels differently about the matter. ...

The first thing to do, is get emotional! Start by having 'that' talk every now and again. Set a time to have 'that' talk over dinner, and a bottle of wine would be good too, and ask each other how they feel about their relationship and their sex life.

This will break the ice and Sean and Paul will begin to hear emotions and feelings they haven't heard for a long time.

[Continued here]

Cops, Courts, Governments Don't Comprehend Gay Domestic Abuse
[Edge Boston, September 6, 2011]

The Scottish government's current definition of domestic abuse -- what is known in the United States as Intimate Partner Violence, or IPV -- should be revised, a critic has suggested, to include same-sex partners, a Sept. 6 Press Association story said.

The current definition regards domestic abuse as violence by a man directed against a woman. That legal standard erases same-sex victims, notes the University of Dundee's Brian Dempsey, a professor of law.

Otherwise, the law is fairly comprehensive.

"Domestic abuse (as gender-based abuse), can be perpetrated by partners or ex partners and can include physical abuse (assault and physical attack involving a range of behavior), sexual abuse (acts which degrade and humiliate women and are perpetrated against their will, including rape) and mental and emotional abuse," the language for the current statute says.

But because of the way the law is phrased, and because training for police, health workers, and social services is based on the law's wording, same-sex partners who are abused, and their children also, can easily fall through the cracks.

"My impression is that both politicians and people involved in delivering domestic abuse services are sympathetic to lesbian, gay bisexual and trans people but are generally pretty unaware of our needs -- especially so in relation to transgendered people," Dempsey said.

[Continued here]

• Gay Men's Domestic Violence Project [GMDVP]
• National Coalition of Anti-Violence Programs [NCAVP]
• 2010 Report on Intimate Partner Violence in Lesbian, Gay, Bisexual, Transgender, Queer and HIV-Affected Communities in the U.S. (a *.pdf file) [NCAVP, 2010]
• Speaking up about family violence [Sydney Star Observer, November 10, 2011]

Victoria Police is committed to addressing and responding to family violence in our community but we recognise that we can't do it alone. By adopting a multiagency approach and working with other services that provide support and counselling to victims we are more likely to see the cycle of violence broken than if we, as police, intervene on our own.

Family violence is a serious issue within our community, one that often remains hidden and is far too often unreported. Although most family violence involves violence perpetrated by a man against a woman, it can also occur in gay, lesbian, bisexual and transgender relationships.

It is important that we have an understanding what family violence involves so we, as a community, can stand up against it. As well as physical violence, family violence can include threats, sexual assault, emotional and psychological torment, economic control, property damage, social isolation and stalking.

• Nearly 1 in 5 Women in U.S. Survey Say They Have Been Sexually Assaulted [New York Times, December 14, 2011]

Nearly one in five women surveyed said they had been raped or had experienced an attempted rape at some point, and one in four reported having been beaten by an intimate partner. One in six women have been stalked, according to the report. ...

But men also reported being victimized in surprising numbers.

One in seven men have experienced severe violence at the hands of an intimate partner, the survey found, and one in 71 men - between 1 percent and 2 percent - have been raped, many when they were younger than 11. ...

Women who had experienced such violence were also more likely to report having asthma, diabetes or irritable bowel syndrome than women who had not. Both men and women who had been assaulted were more likely to report frequent headaches, chronic pain, difficulty sleeping, limitations on activity, and poor physical and mental health. ...

The survey found that youth itself was an important risk factor for sexual violence and assault. Some 28 percent of male victims of rape reported that they were first assaulted when they were no older than 10.

Only 12 percent of female rape victims were assaulted when they were 10 or younger, but almost half of female victims said they had been raped before they turned 18. About 80 percent of rape victims reported that they had been raped before age 25.

You Can Prevent a Hot Hook-Up [from] Becoming a Crime Scene
[Edge Boston, March 10, 2012]

The Anti-Violence Project is a New York-based organization that works to prevent violence against LGBT New Yorkers. It is the most prominent of the regional anti-violence organizations. Its executive director, Sharon Staple, has become an eloquent spokesperson in the continuing fight against anti-LGBT violence.

The AVP has a brief guide to "staying safe." Staple recently spoke to EDGE to share her insights about how people can take measures to prevent any kind of hook-up from becoming violent -- and what to do if the situation turns ugly.

EDGE: Is there any degree of danger in the various kinds of hook-ups: online escort, hook-up site, outdoor cruising area, bar?

Sharon Staple: We would define pick-up violence or violence that happens as a result of a pick-up to include escorts. The distinction we are trying to make is between picking someone up or hooking up with someone you already know or do not know well. The alert applies equally to escort, meet at bar, or cruising area.

[Continued here]

Nataly Rubinstein: Caring and Caregiving During the Holidays: 6 Considerations for Families
of Alzheimer's or Dementia Patients [Huffington Post, December 19, 2011]

With almost half of all individuals over the age of 85 suffering from Alzheimer's disease, it's likely that you'll be coming into contact with someone suffering from this or another dementia this holiday season. Whether your loved one is a relative or family friend, you're probably wondering what to expect -- and how to act -- during your time together.

The good news is you can take steps that create the best odds for an enjoyable experience. Here are six things to keep in mind if you'll be visiting someone with Alzheimer's or dementia in the coming weeks:

Understand why you feel the way you do. There's nothing joyous or merry about the fact that someone you love has a degenerative and ultimately fatal disease. So even though this is supposed to be "the most wonderful time of the year," it's completely normal for you to feel sad, confused, worried or even frustrated by the prospect of coming holiday gatherings. Acknowledge that you are losing the holiday experience as you've always known it, and that it's normal for your emotions to take a hit.

[Continued here]

• Britain's army of unpaid carers 'being pushed to breaking point' [The Independent, May 8, 2012]

Britain's army of unpaid carers are isolated, depressed, physically exhausted and broke as they struggle to cope with caring for sick and disabled relatives without adequate support.

Britain's army of unpaid carers are isolated, depressed, physically exhausted and broke as they struggle to cope with caring for sick and disabled relatives without adequate support.

Perry N. Halkitis, Ph.D., M.S.: Gay and Gray: What We Need to Know About Aging Gay Men
[Huffington Post, February 17, 2012]

Despite these critical population characteristics, we poorly understand the health care needs of aging Americans, who, by all indications, will live longer and will have very different expectations regarding their care than previous generations. And while we fail to truly understand the needs of an the overall aging American populace, we have even more limited information on the health disparities experienced by aging baby boomers who are gay, and only minuscule amounts of knowledge about those who are older, gay, and HIV-positive. Without such knowledge, we are not equipped to provide effective and meaningful health care to men of my generation.

The facts speak for themselves. Older gay men are more likely than heterosexual peers to have experienced a range of negative mental and physical health conditions throughout their lifetimes. Most notable of these is the AIDS epidemic, which has unduly impacted men of my generation. To date, gay men account for nearly 50 percent of AIDS-related deaths as well as HIV infections, despite representing only 2 percent of the U.S. population. Gay men also experience heightened levels of riskier health conditions such as substance abuse and other mental health disorders as compared with their heterosexual peers. Finally, many of this generation of gay men came of age at a time when homosexuality was considered a psychiatric illness. It was not until 1973 that the American Psychiatric Association declassified homosexuality as a mental disorder.

In effect, the confluence of these factors (homosexuality as a disease, the AIDS epidemic, and the socially imposed stigma of being gay) have unduly and negatively impacted the lives of older gay men, creating emotional and psychosocial stressors that undermine the well-being of men of my generation, a reality that extends into the lives of a new generation of gay men.

[Continued here]

• Gay Seniors, Canada [GayNorfolk-net]

Call to stop gay senior suicide
[Sydney Star Observer, July 27, 2011]

GLBTI seniors advocates have urged the Gillard Government to develop a national action plan to ensure GLBTI-friendly aged-care services and stop suicidal thoughts among GLBTI elders.

Gerontologist and GLBTI ageing expert Dr Jo Harrison said suicide among GLBTI elders needs urgent attention and a strategy for GLBTI aged care is critical.

"I can tell you things that have been said to me by elders in the course of interviews or discussions that refer directly to an expression of suicidal intent or having made what I considered much more formal preparations," Harrison told the Star Observer.

There is no Australian study probing the rate of suicides or suicidal thoughts among GLBTI seniors, however, Harrison said the trend has been noticed by aged-care workers.

"It's anecdotal but it absolutely can't be ignored," she said.

"Whenever suicide is raised or mentioned it's very easy to go rushing to the statistics that do exist and can be quoted about gay youth suicide . but [suicide rates among GLBTI seniors] is not being researched."

Suicide Prevention Australia reports, although there is an overall longterm decline, more elderly men die by suicide than any other age group.

[Continued here]

• Action on ageing [Sydney Star Observer, August 16, 2011]

In brief, the Commission identified that in order to improve the aged care sector, it is necessary to maintain a safe, inclusive environment and atmosphere within the residential aged care facilities, and provide for the recognition of partners in consultations and decision-making.

Of particular importance, was the Commission's mention that aged care facilities must be inclusive and non-discriminatory, regardless of whether the individual chooses to openly identify as LGBTI.

Issues regarding sexuality are not often included in public policy discussions on ageing. Older LGBTI couples, for example, have had to live their entire lives with no recognition of their relationship, having to submit to criminal sanctions, or at the very least social stigmas. Now these individuals and couples are being denied appropriate care because these historical legacies have not been properly addressed.

Currently, the Department of Health and Ageing has funded specialist LGBTI training packages. However, much broader policy implementation must occur. Specifically, a national LGBTI Aged Care Policy would assist in ensuring that respect and non-discrimination in relation to LGBTI older people is a core principle in providing residential aged care accreditation and funding.

The Commission's report emphasised the need for greater deregulation to make specialist LGBTI aged care services more possible. However, the shift towards a more user-pay service model must not disadvantage older people from low socio-economic backgrounds, especially those reliant on pensions.

Unfortunately, however, the Commission's report did not address the need for law reform in addition to ongoing policy and education change to promote sexual and gender diversity in aged care services.

• Aging and Gay, and Facing Prejudice in Twilight [New York Times, October 9, 2007]

Even now, at 81 and with her memory beginning to fade, Gloria Donadello recalls her painful brush with bigotry at an assisted-living center in Santa Fe, N.M. Sitting with those she considered friends, "people were laughing and making certain kinds of comments, and I told them, 'Please don't do that, because I'm gay.'"

The result of her outspokenness, Ms. Donadello said, was swift and merciless. "Everyone looked horrified," she said. No longer included in conversation or welcome at meals, she plunged into depression. Medication did not help. With her emotional health deteriorating, Ms. Donadello moved into an adult community nearby that caters to gay men and lesbians.

"I felt like I was a pariah," she said, settled in her new home. "For me, it was a choice between life and death."

• How gay people are more likely to be lonelier in their old age [Daily Mail, September 11, 2011]

Gay men and women are more likely to end up living alone as they get older, according to a new report, raising the prospect of a healthcare and housing time bomb.

Older gay men are more likely to be single than straight men, less likely to have children and less likely to see family relations regularly, the report, commissioned by gay rights charity Stonewall, revealed.

And with no family and support structures of their own, those living alone are much more likely to need help from state services such as their GP and social services. ...

Stonewall chief executive Ben Summerskill told the Observer a ticking 'time bomb' is waiting for the country's public services.

He said: 'There are hundreds of thousands of lesbian and gay people growing older without the same family and support structures that many straight people enjoy.

'Quite often that is because their own families have disowned them just because of the way they were born.

He said the country is facing a care time bomb of institutional ignorance about what a community that makes a £40billion a year contribution to public services will soon, quite properly, be demanding.

• Rose Madden-Baer, MSN, MSHA: The Depression Epidemic in the Elderly [Huffington Post, October 29, 2011]

Unfortunately, situations like this are very common and often end needlessly in deep despair and, worse, suicide. Many people -- including health professionals -- think that characteristics associated with depression like fatigue, insomnia and forgetfulness are an inevitable part of aging. Recent research, including a study I'm spearheading at the Visiting Nurse Service of New York (VNSNY), the nation's largest not-for-profit home health care organization, shows hands down that they don't have to be.

As many as one-fifth of elderly people seen in primary care today have depression that has a significant effect on their well being. Although the elderly only represent 13 percent of the population, they represent 16-20 percent of the nation's suicide rate, with the highest rates seen in males 80 years and older.

• LGBT seniors face harder old age, national study finds [EurekAlert!, November 16, 2011]

Aging and health issues facing lesbian, gay, bisexual and transgender baby boomers have been largely ignored by services, policies and research. These seniors face higher rates of disability, physical and mental distress and a lack of access to services, according to the first study [The Aging and Health Report — Disparities and Resilience among Lesbian, Gay, Bisexual, and Transgender Older Adults] on aging and health in these communities.

The study, released Nov. 16 and led by Karen Fredriksen-Goldsen and colleagues at the University of Washington's School of Social Work, indicates that prevention and intervention strategies must be developed to address the unique needs of these seniors, whose numbers are expected to double to more than 4 million by 2030.

"The higher rates of aging and health disparities among lesbian, gay, bisexual, and transgender older adults is a major concern for public health," said Fredriksen-Goldsen, a UW professor of social work and director of UW's Institute for Multigenerational Health.

"The health disparities reflect the historical and social context of their lives, and the serious adversity they have encountered can jeopardize their health and willingness to seek services in old age."

• Study: The Aging and Health Report — Disparities and Resilience among Lesbian, Gay, Bisexual, and Transgender Older Adults [University of Washington, Caring and Aging with Pride, November 16, 2011]
• Dr. Felicia Wade: Depression and the Elderly [Huffington Post, February 6, 2012]

The recent death of TV pioneer Don Cornelius underscores the growing problem of depression and suicide among our elderly population.

Most people don't expect older adults to take their own lives, but this population has the highest suicide rate of any age group. There is an average of one suicide among the elderly every 90 minutes, which is why it's important to know the risk factors to keep an eye out for. ...

There are a number of factors that may increase the chance of depression, including the following:

        • Abuse. Past physical, sexual, or emotional abuse can cause depression later in life.

        • Certain medications. For example, some drugs used to treat high blood pressure, such as beta-blockers or reserpine, can increase your risk of depression.

        • Conflict. Depression may result from personal conflicts or disputes with family members or friends.

        • Death or a loss. Sadness or grief from the death or loss of a loved one, though natural, can also increase the risk of depression.

        • Genetics. A family history of depression may increase the risk. It's thought that depression is passed genetically from one generation to the next. The exact way this happens, though, is not known.

        • Major events. Even good events such as starting a new job, graduating, or getting married can lead to depression. So can moving, losing a job or income, getting divorced, or retiring.

        • Other personal problems. Problems such as social isolation due to other mental illnesses or being cast out of a family or social group can lead to depression.

        • Serious illnesses. Sometimes depression co-exists with a major illness or is a reaction to the illness.

        • Substance abuse. Nearly 30% of people with substance abuse problems also have major or clinical depression.

• Depression In Middle Age Linked To Dementia [HuffPo, May 8, 2012]

Using medical records, researchers tracked more than 13,000 people in a large northern California health plan from roughly their 40s and 50s into their 80s. Compared to people who had never been depressed, those who experienced symptoms of depression in middle age -- but not later in life -- were about 20 percent more likely to go on to develop dementia.

Those who received a depression diagnosis later in life only were at even greater risk. That group had about a 70 percent increased risk of dementia compared to their depression-free peers, according to the study, which was published this week in the Archives of General Psychiatry.

In a first, the researchers also found that the timing of the depression seemed to predict which type of dementia an individual would develop. Late-life depression was linked with Alzheimer's disease, while mid-life depression was mostly connected with a related condition known as vascular dementia.

Gone Without a Case: Suspicious Elder Deaths Rarely Investigated
[ProPublica, December 21, 2011]

Nothing, it seemed, was unusual about Joseph Shepter's death.

A retired U.S. government scientist, Shepter spent his final two years dwelling in a nursing home in Mountain Mesa, Calif., a small town northeast of Bakersfield. A stroke had paralyzed much of his body, while dementia had eroded his ability to communicate.

He died in January 2007 at age 76. On Shepter's death certificate, Dr. Hoshang Pormir, the nursing home's chief medical officer, explained that the cause was heart failure brought on by clogged arteries.

Shepter's family had no reason to doubt it. The local coroner never looked into the death. Shepter's body was interred in a local cemetery.

But a tip from a nursing-home staffer would later prompt state officials to re-examine the case and reach a very different conclusion.

When investigators reviewed Shepter's medical records, they determined that he had actually died of a combination of ailments often related to poor care, including an infected ulcer, pneumonia, dehydration and sepsis.

Investigators also concluded that Shepter's demise was hastened by the inappropriate administration of powerful antipsychotic drugs, which can have potentially lethal side effects for seniors. ...

Shepter's story illustrates a problem that extends far beyond a single California nursing home. ProPublica and PBS "Frontline" have identified more than three-dozen cases in which the alleged neglect, abuse or even murder of seniors eluded authorities. But for the intervention of whistleblowers, concerned relatives and others, the truth about these deaths might never have come to light. ...

When it comes to the elderly, the system errs by omission. If a senior like Shepter dies under suspicious circumstances, there's no guarantee anyone will ever investigate. Catherine Hawes, a Texas A&M health-policy researcher who has studied elder abuse for the U.S. Department of Justice, described the issue as "a hidden national scandal."

[Continued here]

Where is my prostate?



[Prostate] Cancer support for gay men in Melbourne
[Sydney Star Observer, September 7, 2011]

A support program for gay and bisexual men affected by prostate cancer will head to Melbourne after a successful pilot in Sydney.

The Shine a Light program is funded by the Prostate Cancer Foundation of Australia (PCFA) and is supported by organisations such as ACON, the Cancer Council in NSW and Victoria, the Victorian AIDS Council, La Trobe University, Monash University and the Urological Society of Australia and New Zealand.

Shine a Light's facilitator Greg Millan is aiming to recruit gay and bisexual men diagnosed with prostate cancer, those having treatment for prostate cancer and those men who are survivors of prostate cancer - along with their partners - to the program.

"This is a group that has never been targeted before," Millan said.

"I was getting phone calls from gay men with prostate cancer asking if there was such a support group, and with the Sydney program, the 17 men who took part said how amazing it was to have something like this, and how much they needed it years ago."

[Continued here]

• New prostate cancer support groups to be set up [in Halifax, Nova Scotia] [Doctors Nova Scotia, August 29, 2011]

The Prostate Cancer Canada Network (PCCN) intends to establish two new support groups in the Halifax region. One group is for gay men and their families while the other is for African Nova Scotia men and their families.

The new groups are in addition to the monthly prostate cancer support groups PCCN operates in Yarmouth, Sydney, Pictou, Truro and Halifax.

• Gay community confronts prostate cancer [Canadian Cancer Soxiety, August 7, 2010]

Prostate cancer is the most commonly diagnosed cancer in Canadian men. In 2009 an estimated 25,500 Canadian men were expected to be diagnosed. This number will include gay, bisexual, and transgendered community members.

On March 2, a new support resource, a film called A dance with cancer: Five gay men confront prostate cancer was launched in Toronto. The film explores the personal stories and real life experiences of seven gay men who are living with prostate cancer either as patients or caregivers.

The film was developed with financial support from the Canadian Cancer Society and TD Bank Financial Group.

• Prostate Cancer Survival May Be Especially Tough on Gay Men [US News, May 16, 2011]

Gay men have a lower health-related quality of life than other men after prostate cancer treatment, a new study finds.

The study included 92 gay men in the United States and Canada who completed an Internet survey that included the Expanded Prostate Cancer Index (EPIC), which is designed to assess patient function after cancer treatment, and a widely used questionnaire on male sexual health. They also answered questions about their fears of cancer recurrence.

The gay men's responses were compared to data from men in the general population collected in previous published research.

Compared to men in the general population, gay men reported statistically significant worse functioning and more severe bother scores on the EPIC urinary, bowel and hormonal system scales. Gay men also reported worse EPIC sexual and ejaculatory functioning scores, as well as much worse mental health functioning and higher fear of cancer recurrence.

• Gay Men and Prostate Cancer: Invisible Diversity [Journal of Clinical Oncology, Vol 23, No 12 (April 20), 2005]
• Gay prostate cancer and doctors [Male Care, June 7, 2011]

Many doctors say, "I treat all patients the same." But not all patients are the same. Married and single patients have different treatment goals and expectations. Younger and older prostate cancer patients have different ways to digest their diagnosis. And, men who have sex with men have different concerns, too.

Hearing a prostate cancer diagnosis revisits the coming out experience.

Coming out as a gay man is often an isolating experience, and is echoed by hearing that he is diagnosed with cancer.

It is hard for a man to come out as a gay or bisexual man, now he is faced with coming out as a cancer survivor..even harder when your social community is so deeply invested in supporting other issues such as HIV/aids and Don't Ask, Don't Tell.

Many gay men start have experienced their early lives in heterosexual relationships and marriages. They have tried hard not to be gay, and struggled to get past the fears and risks associated with being out. Now, they are trying hard to not be the person diagnosed with cancer, not the person whose life is once again at risk.

Patient needs assurance that his doctor respects him as a gay man. Simply by asking a man if he enjoys sex with men, women or both, sets a calm and understanding clinical relationship. The patient needs to hear his doctor ask questions to understand the patients concerns about treatment outcomes, such as sexual performance, and will take steps to protect him from all of his practical concerns, such as visitation rights.

• Quality of Life Among Gay/Bisexual Men with Prostate Cancer Study and their Partners [Ryerson University]

Prostate cancer is the second most common cancer among Canadian men and it is estimated that over 1,500 gay/bisexual men develop prostate cancer each year. Prostate cancer treatment carries the risk of developing a number of aversive symptoms, including urinary incontinence, erectile dysfunction, and bowel problems. These issues have implications for health-related quality of life. Although it is speculated that gay/bisexual men have unique experiences of prostate cancer and its treatment, little is known about the particular needs and concerns of these individuals.

• 'Stress of gay secret caused my cancer' [Irish Independent, November 6, 2011]

FIT-AGAIN RTE newsreader Michael Murphy, right, believes he suffered prostate cancer because of the stress brought on by having to hide his sexuality in Fifties rural Ireland.

The openly gay broadcaster, who chronicled his tough upbringing in Castlebar, Co Mayo, has written a his critically acclaimed autobiography that he believed there was a link between his illness and the misery he endured during his childhood.

• Movember embraces the Homovember movement [Digital Journal, November 24, 2011]

A popular fundraiser for men's health is taking off within Canada's gay communities, and in doing so, is changing the face of prostate cancer one moustache at a time.

Millions of Canadian men have embraced the benefits of hitting the gym, rolling out the yoga mat and staying active in order to maintain a healthy lifestyle, but at the core of men's health sits a topic that even for gay men - a community that has a stereotyped propensity for being more in touch with their man junk - is still an uncomfortable one to talk about. ...

The Movember movement in of itself does not have a specific LGBTQ mandate that reaches out to gay men in their communities, but according to Pete Bombaci, the National Director of Movember Canada, it does offer an online platform for any guy who is interested in signing up, joining a team and raising money for a worthy cause that supports men's health.

"From our perspective," said Pete Bombaci "we put as much effort behind the gay community as we do the straight community because prostate cancer, or any cancer, doesn't focus on whether you're gay or straight and we certainly reach out to people across the country from all different walks of life."

• Radiation Treatment Is Effective And Safe In HIV-Positive Men With Prostate Cancer [The AIDS Beacon, November 30, 2011]

Results from a recent study suggest that HIV-positive men with prostate cancer have similar treatment outcomes and side effects as men without HIV when treated with radiation.

However, the study authors also found that greater viral loads may predict decreased treatment efficacy.

Based on their results, the authors stated that plans for radiation therapy and the prescribed doses used do not necessarily need to be altered for HIV-positive men with prostate cancer.

• Gay and bi men wanted for prostate study: Doctors think men who sleep with men may react differently to prostate cancer treatment [XTRA, December 8, 2011]

Despite all the Movember handlebars and mutton chops, a study on gay and bi prostate cancer patients at the Ottawa Hospital is having trouble growing.

"Initially, the recruitment was fast. But now it has decreased and I don't know why," says Dr Tsz Kin (Bernard) Lee, the radiation oncology resident who initiated the study.

Lee says the study, which is being heavily publicized, is the first of its kind.

It started in July 2011 and researchers need at least 100 prostate cancer patients who were treated at the Ottawa Hospital. By calculation, says Lee, there should be up to 500 gay Ottawans with prostate cancer.

"We really want to talk to them," he says. ...

"Our main goal for this study is to really identify an issue," says Lee's supervisor, Dr Rodney Breau, a prostate cancer surgeon.

There's speculation that gay and bisexual men are physically, emotionally and psychologically affected by prostate cancer treatment differently than straight men, but there's no data, says Lee.

The difference lies in the experience of treatment side effects, he says.

• Scientists find genetic mutation associated with early prostate cancer [Boston Herald, January 12, 2012]

It's the first high-risk genetic mutation found to be associated with the disease, said Ethan Lange, an associate professor of genetics and biostatistics at the University of North Carolina-Chapel Hill and a member of the university's Lineberger Comprehensive Cancer Center.

• Prostate Cancer Surgery Myths and ... Lies, Lies and More Damned Lies [Market Watch, January 31, 2012]

Top 10 Prostate Cancer Myths, Misconceptions and Outright Lies

1. I've been diagnosed with prostate cancer and I've got to act quickly before it spreads.

Dr. Vorstman: The first order of business is to take a deep breath, relax and then review and evaluate all treatment options. Cancer is an emotionally charged word causing anxiety and an inappropriate rush to judgment. Due to a generally slow growth and indolent nature, MOST prostate cancers are unlikely to impact most men during their lifetime. Though the second leading cause of cancer related deaths for men, only some 7% of men will actually die from prostate cancer. Clearly, prostate cancer is not going to "spread" while a man enters a period of active surveillance (AS) seeking out second opinions and empowering and educating himself on treatment options. In particular, many small volume low risk cancers can often be followed for several years.

• Duke Cancer Institute: Researchers Find Possibility of Heart Disease Causing Prostate Cancer [Senior Journal, February 8, 2012]

Is heart disease the cause of prostate cancer? New research from the Duke Cancer Institute has found a "significant correlation" between coronary artery disease and prostate cancer, suggesting they may have shared causes.

If confirmed that heart disease is a risk factor for prostate cancer, the malignancy might be combated in part by lifestyle changes such as weight loss, exercise and a healthy diet, which are known to prevent heart disease.

"What's good for the heart may be good for the prostate," said Jean-Alfred Thomas II, MD, a post-doctoral fellow in the Division of Urology at Duke and lead author of the study, which appears online this month in the journal Cancer Epidemiology, Biomarkers & Prevention.

Coronary artery disease - narrowing of the small blood vessels that supply blood and oxygen to the heart - kills more adults in the United States than any other cause, accounting for one in four deaths. Risk factors include inactivity, obesity, high blood pressure and cholesterol, cigarette smoking, and diabetes.

Similarly, prostate cancer is a common killer. It's the second-most lethal cancer for U.S. men, behind lung cancer, with about 240,000 new cases diagnosed a year, and 34,000 deaths.

• New treatment for prostate cancer gives 'perfect results' for nine in ten men [Telegraph, April 16, 2012]

A study has found that focal HIFU, high-intensity focused ultrasound, provides the 'perfect' outcome of no major side effects and free of cancer 12 months after treatment, in nine out of ten cases.

Traditional surgery or radiotherapy can only provide the perfect outcome in half of cases currently.

• Prostate cancer surgery 'has no significant survival benefit', study suggests [Telegraph, April 28, 2012]

The results, reported by the Independent newspaper, are said to have left experts "shaken" after showing the common treatment did not necessarily improve lives.

One specialist, who did not want to be named, told them: "The only rational response to these results is, when presented with a patient with prostate cancer, to do nothing."

• Poorer Quality of Life for Gay Men and Minorities After Prostate Cancer Treatment: What Are We Missing? [News Wise, April 30, 2012]

"Different communities of men view the effects of prostate cancer treatments very differently," said co-author Edouard J. Trabulsi, M.D., of the Department of Urology and Kimmel Cancer Center at Thomas Jefferson University Hospital, noting the poorer quality of life among certain subpopulations.

"It's in the patient's best interest for caregivers to acknowledge perceptions and expectations during the treatment decision process," he said. "They should take specific demographics, socioeconomic status, and sexual preference into consideration, and tailor an approach based on a patient's specific concerns about the implications of various treatments."

Today, many of these confounding factors are poorly documented and poorly addressed by medical practitioners when discussing treatment, be it radical prostatectomy, radiation or androgen deprivation therapy. There is also scant research about prostate-cancer-related quality of life effects in men who have sex with men (MSM).

[Std] clinics treating more youngsters
[New Zealand Herald, October 9, 2011]

Sunita Azariah's heart sinks each time a 12-year-old walks into her clinic. Treating anyone for a preventable sexually transmitted infection is hard enough, says Azariah, a sexual health physician with the Auckland Sexual Health Service. Treating a child is worse.

She and other clinicians working with sexually transmitted infections (STIs) are worried about the growing number of children under 14 who are having sex and contracting infections.

STIs such as herpes, gonorrhea, genital warts, syphilis and chlamydia (the most common STI in teenagers) are on the rise. So are the numbers of young teenagers catching them.

The figures make sobering reading. Last year, 134 New Zealand children aged 10 to 14 caught chlamydia. The figure leapt to an alarming 3203 in the 15- to 19-year age group with the infection after contracting it from their mothers. ...

The encouraging news is that teens are attending sexual health clinics and getting help. Teenagers spoken to by the Herald on Sunday say they wouldn't feel too embarrassed to go to a family planning clinic. Family planning nurses had visited their sex education classes and reassured them that it was completely confidential.

Although some parents have been vocal about the graphic content of their children's sex education, clinicians such as Azariah say that teens with access to sex education are more likely to delay sexual activity and to use contraception.

[Continued here]

• New sex study finds all kinds of friends with benefits [Toronto Star, December 1, 2011]

Friends with benefits, booty calls, hook-ups and one-night stands are just a few of the arrangements outlined in a new study exploring the sexual landscape among Canadians ages 18 to 24.

And it found each relationship has specific ground rules when it comes to behaviour, communication, monogamy and secrecy. The study, released Thursday, was published the Canadian Journal of Human Sexuality.

"When we talk about casual sex, people use it as a blanket term to cover everything," said lead author Jocelyn Wentland, a PhD student in experimental psychology.

"But as this research shows, there's a lot going on in between."

• Sex Information and Education Council of Canada (SIECCAN)

The Sex Information and Education Council of Canada (SIECCAN) is a national registered charitable organization founded in 1964 to foster professional education and public knowledge about sexuality and sexual health.

• Sexual activity between teenage girls is higher then ever before, claims new research [Daily Mail, December 24, 2011]

Teenage girls in America are having more sexual contact with other females than ever before, according to new research.

Sexual activity between young girls is reported to have gone up in the last decade, while teenage pregnancy has gone down. ...

'Factors that may account for this drop include our findings that more were waiting until later in adolescence to become heterosexually involved.

• 13-year-olds given iPhone app to trace free condoms by giving directions to nearest health clinic [Telegraph, January 28, 2012]

Teenagers as young as 13 are being offered a smartphone app that allows them to track down free condoms.

The iPhone app - which has cost the taxpayer thousands of pounds - works using satellite positioning to plot a user's location on a map.

It then provides directions to the nearest health clinic, pharmacy or youth club where teenagers can pick up 'emergency contraception' and seek treatment for sexually trans- mitted infections. ...

Nick Tatt, managing director at Tinderhouse, said: 'This app is a great example of how mobile technology can be used to give access to information when and where it's needed. It demonstrates how mobile phones provide direct access to relevant information, in this case the nearest C Card pick-up point.'

Ruth Herron, head of sexual health at Kent Community Health NHS Trust, said: 'The C Card scheme has been very successful, with nearly 46,000 teenagers registering since 2007 and more than 5,000 hits to our website every month. However, we recognise the need to be able to give teenagers the information on the move as well.'

• Gonorrhea Could Join Growing List of Untreatable Diseases [Huffington Post, February 9, 2012]

The arms race between humanity and disease-causing bacteria is drawing to a close-and the bacteria are winning. The latest evidence: gonorrhea is becoming resistant to all standard antibiotic treatment.

Gonorrhea is one of the most common sexually transmitted diseases in the world-with about 600,000 cases diagnosed in the U.S. each year. A few years ago, investigators started seeing cases of infection that did not easily respond to treatment with a group of drugs called cephalosporins, which are currently the last line of defense against this particular infection. Now, the number of drug-resistant cases has grown so much in the U.S. and elsewhere that gonorrheal infection may soon become untreatable, according to doctors writing in the February 9 issue of the New England Journal of Medicine.

• Syphilis outbreak in New Brunswick could worsen, official warns [Globe & Mail, February 25, 2012]

An outbreak of syphilis in New Brunswick that has seen the number of cases rise tenfold in the last three years could get worse, a provincial health official warns.

From 1993 to 2007, the province recorded an average of one syphilis case per year. In 2008, it recorded six.

That jumped to nine the following year, 37 in 2010 and 57 last year. And that number could rise even further this year, with 10 cases of the sexually transmitted disease discovered so far, said New Brunswick's deputy chief medical officer of health.

• A new gay dating messaging service allows people to tell ex-partners if they have an STI [Gay Star News, February 29, 2012]

The confidential Sexual Health Messaging Service allows people who have been diagnosed with an STI to let their recent sexual partners know, via text, email or message to a gay dating site, so that they can get tested and, if necessary, treated.

• Claire McCarthy, M.D.: Should Middle Schools Give Out Condoms? This Doctor Says Yes. [HuffPo, April 12, 2012]

I'm not happy that we need to make these kinds of decisions, but we do. There are some tough facts that the Springfield School Committee had to face -- like that Springfield has the fourth highest teen birth rate in the state, and that half of Springfield ninth graders report having had sexual intercourse.

It's not just Springfield. According to the Youth Risk Behavior Surveillance System (YRBSS), a survey of U.S. high school students done through the Centers for Disease Control, overall 31 percent of U.S. ninth graders report having had sexual intercourse. That's an average -- it's higher in some places and in some subgroups. By 12th grade, the number is up to 62 percent. And here's a scarier statistic: Six percent of kids nationwide report having had sex before age 13. That's also an average -- as with ninth graders, the number is higher in some places and groups.

Of all kids having sex, 61 percent report using condoms. That means a lot of kids are not protecting themselves against infection or pregnancy. This is really scary stuff.

• Young people unaware of sex infection risk [The Guardian, May 4, 2012]

Youth resource TheSite.org asked 16 to 25-year-olds about their attitudes towards sex and alcohol. The survey found that almost half thought that it was OK to have sex without a condom if the girl is on the pill.

The survey also revealed that almost a third of respondents had caught an STI after a night of drinking and 62% of those who had unprotected sex didn't go for an STI test afterwards.

Dr Ranj Singh, an NHS doctor and media commentator on young people's health, said: "It's alarming to see such relaxed attitudes towards condom use amongst young people, but more importantly indicates that there's a significant lack of awareness of the risks associated with contracting STIs.

"Figures for the number of young people infected with STI's are at record highs and this problem is not going away, so it's absolutely essential that we look at ways of ensuring young people are clear about the facts."

Oral Sex May Cause More Throat Cancer Than Smoking in Men, Researchers Say
[Bloomberg, October 4, 2011]

A virus spread by oral sex may cause more cases of throat cancer in men than smoking, a finding that spurred calls for a new large-scale test of a drug used against the infection.

Researchers examined 271 throat-tumor samples collected over 20 years ending in 2004 and found that the percentage of oral cancer linked to the human papillomavirus, or HPV, surged to 72 percent from about 16 percent, according to a report released yesterday in the Journal of Clinical Oncology. By 2020, the virus-linked throat tumors -- which mostly affected men -- will become more common than HPV-caused cervical cancer, the report found.

HPV is known for infecting genitals. The finding that it can spread to the throat and cause cancer may increase pressure on Merck & Co., the second-largest U.S. drugmaker, to conduct large-scale trials to see if its vaccine Gardasil, which wards off cervical cancer in women, also prevents HPV throat infections.

[Continued here]

• Significant Rise in HPV-Related Throat Cancer in Men [ABCNews, June 1, 2011 ]

According to researchers, in 2004 there were nearly 4,000 to 4,500 cases of HPV-related oropharynx cancer in men and women. The number of cases is expected to double to 8,500 by 2020, with the increase occurring primarily in men.

"I think it's safe to say that we are on the cusp here of a pandemic. An epidemic that's about to begin," said Dr. Eric Genden, chairman of the department of otolaryngology at Mount Sinai Medical Center in New York, who's treating Keane. ...

While the rise in HPV-related oropharyngeal cancer is mostly found among older adults who were not offered a vaccine and now do not qualify for it, Genden said immunizing against HPV would prevent younger adults -- both men and women -- from later developing HPV-related cancers.

Diseases of ageing occurring 10 to 15 years earlier in patients with HIV
[AIDSmap, October 20, 2011]

"Our findings suggest that an aggressive approach to the screening, diagnosis, and treatment of non-infectious comorbidities is warranted as part of the routine healthcare for HIV-infected patients," comment the investigators. "Our data suggest that onset of such screening should commence at a substantially earlier age for HIV-infected persons, compared with HIV-uninfected persons, possibly at least a decade in advance."

Effective antiretroviral therapy can significantly improve the life expectancy of patients with HIV. However, even with treatment mortality rates are still higher than those observed in the general population.

Non-infectious conditions such as cardiovascular disease, hypertension, diabetes, renal failure and liver disease are increasingly important causes of illness and death in patients with HIV. These illnesses are often associated with ageing.

This has led some investigators to suggest that patients with HIV experience premature ageing. Doctors from the Metabolic Clinic of Modena University, Italy, wanted to examine this theory. They therefore designed a study comparing the prevalence and risk factors for several common age-related conditions in their HIV-positive patients, compared to age, race and sex-matched controls.

[Continued here]

Patricia Nell Warren: Kaposi's sarcoma Is Back
[Bilerico Project, November 2, 2011]

Following its grim flare-up starting in 1981, early in the AIDS epidemic, Kaposi's sarcoma had seemed to burn itself out, like a wildfire. Its sudden and super-aggressive appearance was attributed to the low CD4 counts of people with AIDS - their destroyed immune systems simply couldn't resist. And KS's subsequent disappearance, after the advent of antiretroviral therapy, was attributed to positive effects of the new antiretroviral drugs on patients' immune systems.

Then, in October 2007, the San Francisco Chronicle broke an unsettling story. KS is back. Experts were noting a cluster of new KS cases among gay men.

More recently, in February 2010, Skin & Allergy News published an updated report. SAN author Sherry Boschert wrote: "Kaposi's sarcoma in HIV patients is turning up again - sometimes in a surprisingly deadly form and other times in an indolent, non-threatening form."

The same story was breaking in the UK. In May 2010, Oxford University's Journal of the National Cancer Institute published a 10-year study of 9473 HIV+ gay men in Europe, Australia, Canada and sub-Saharan Africa. Kaposis_Sarcoma.jpgBetween 1986 and 2006, 555 of these men were diagnosed with Kaposi's sarcoma, and, despite receiving combination antiretroviral treatment, 319 of them - over 50 percent - died.

Young people today don't remember that first dramatic rampage of AIDS-related KS in the 1980s. Nobody had any idea what caused those disfiguring purplish skin tumors to invade almost every crevice of a human body. Some medical institutions refused to treat AIDS patients with KS.

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ACT UP: "Silence = Death"



John-Manuel Andriote: Why the Next Generation Needs Us to Talk About AIDS
[The Advocate, December 1, 2011]

Older gay men, many having lost lovers and friends, seem to prefer more pleasant subjects than the horrors we lived through.

As three decades of AIDS were marked in 2011, it was startling to see the degree to which Americans' notoriously short memories had already begun to airbrush away the experience of their gay countrymen's devastation and defiance in the plague years. Accustomed by now to thinking of the "face" of AIDS as that of an impoverished, dark-skinned African woman or baby, even the nation's best-educated young people seem not to be aware of the plague's impact here in their own homeland, beginning in the very decade when many of them were born.

"The de-gaying thing really worked," said author and Dartmouth College professor Michael Bronski. "For better or worse, we did our jobs." As evidence, Bronski described a class he taught about AIDS, called "Plagues and Politics." He said his students couldn't understand why he spoke of AIDS as a "gay disease." Even a lesbian student told him, "I thought it was a little weird you were talking so much about 'gay.'" She believed AIDS "was Africa and inner-city drug users, but mostly Africa." Another student said, "I was wondering how you were going to bring in the U.S. part."

Older gay men, many having lost lovers and friends and possibly living with HIV themselves, seem to prefer pleasanter subjects than the horrors we lived through. It's understandable, to an extent. As with returning war vets, the grief and shock sustained by our wounded warriors keep so many of us silent.

...

* The author of Victory Deferred, John-Manuel Andriote has specialized in HIV/AIDS reporting since he was a graduate journalism student at Northwestern University in 1986. His research materials, correspondence, and recorded interviews are part of a special "Victory Deferred Collection" curated by the Smithsonian. He began his writing career in 1983, contributing book reviews to the Advocate. After 22 years in Washington, D.C., and his own 2005 HIV diagnosis, Andriote returned to his hometown of Norwich, in eastern Connecticut, in 2007.

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When HIV moves into nursing homes
[Toronto Star, February 27, 2011]

It was as he writhed in pain on the bathroom floor, his anxious dog curled up in a ball against his back, that the grim reality of growing old with HIV hit Jim Ayerst.

"I've never been suicidal, but that's the first time I thought, it's not worth it. I just want this over.

"I considered jumping off my balcony - but I only live on the second floor."

A wry smile creeps across Ayerst's weary face. He's just 64 but feels 80.

These days he's as terrified as when he walked out of a doctor's office with a diagnosis and an apparent death sentence 20 years ago.

"There are days now I wonder, what am I still doing here?"

More than two decades after modern medicine and toxic antiretroviral drugs seemed to stop HIV/AIDS in its tracks, Ayerst is the new face of a disease that almost wiped out a generation of young gay men.

He is grey-haired and growing old at a rate 15 to 20 years faster than those without the virus. His body is wracked by a host of chronic conditions more often seen in the elderly. In the last four years, Ayerst has been hit with diabetes, asthma, an aneurysm, memory problems and a nerve condition that sends pain shooting up his left leg like an electric shock.

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• Sean Cahill: The Long and Winding Road: Growing Older with HIV [Huffington Post, February 11, 2011]

Aging with HIV is a phenomenon rife with unknowns. In order to provide effective treatment and support, our strained health and human service systems need answers. What is the ultimate effect of years or even decades of ART on bodies and lives? How does living with HIV impact the general physical and social effects of aging, and vice versa? How should we create and deliver health and social services, shape and regulate elder care, and train caregivers and social service professionals to best serve older adults with HIV?

• Aging HIV/AIDS population poses challenges [Seattle Times, October 8, 2011]

As advances in treatment have turned what was once a virtual death sentence into a livable condition, the HIV/AIDS population is aging.

Nationwide, people older than 50 are the fastest-growing segment of that population. By 2015, the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention estimates, they will make up more than half of the total number of people who are infected.

"It's become like a chronic disease," said Dorcas Baker, nurse site director for a Johns Hopkins AIDS education and training center. "People are living long and healthier lives with HIV."

While their survival amounts to a public-health victory, it's also posing new medical and social challenges.

AIDS Education Posters
[University of Rochester, USofA]

AIDS touches individuals of all ages. On this website you will find posters which are aimed towards educating young children, the elderly, and everyone in between, about HIV/AIDS prevention, risks, social advocacy, and compassion for those affected.

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