Lot and his daughters flee Sodoma
From a medical standpoint anal intercourse, in contrast to vaginal intercourse, poses serious risk to its participants. The rectum differs from the vagina with respect to suitability for penetration by a penis, limb or inanimate object (Agnew, 1985; Diggs, 2002; Koop, 1990). The vagina is designed to expand, is supported by a network of muscles and produces natural lubricants. It is composed of a mucus membrane with a multi-stratified squamous epithelium that allows it to endure friction without damage. The anus, in contrast, is designed to allow passage of fecal material out of the body. It is composed of small muscles and significantly more delicate tissues. Consequently, anal intercourse often results in anorectal trauma, hemorrhoids and anal fissures. With repeated trauma, friction and stretching, the anal sphincter loses its tone. Chronic leakage of fecal material has been known to develop from penile/anal intercourse alone; for those engaging in fisting this is a more common problem (Agnew, 1985; Diggs, 2002; Wolfe, 2000). In addition, fisting places the recipient at risk for a variety of anorectal traumas.
Since fisting may result in anorectal trauma and exposure to blood, there is risk of acquiring HIV, Hepatitis B and Hepatitis C particularly if the insertive partner has cuts or abrasions on his hands (Sowadsky, 1996). The insertive partner is also exposed to fecal matter. Consequently, fisting has been associated with increased incidence of shigellosis (Aragon, 2007) and Hepatitis A (Sowadsky, 1996), two illnesses transmitted by the fecal-oral route. The greatest medical danger of anal fisting, however, involves the susceptibility to injury of the inner walls of the lower colon. This tissue is very easily torn, but may not be recognized by the individuals involved. Such an injury can lead to an overwhelming infection of the abdominal cavity called peritonitis which may result in death (Diggs, 2002; Wolfe, 2000).
Fisting is unfortunately only one of a number of practices of homosexual gratification taught at workshops such as those sponsored by GLSEN (MassResistance, n.d.; Staver, 2010; Whiteman, 2000). It is important also to review the general health risks of teaching adolescents and young adults that such behaviors are "natural and normal." Clinical experience and scientific research show that regardless of age, homosexual forms of sexual gratification place individuals at significantly greater risk for experiencing a number of physical and psychological health problems - some of which are life-threatening - as compared with individuals who engage in typical heterosexual behaviors.
Medically, men who have sex with men (MSM) are disproportionately at risk for sexually transmitted infections (STI) and HIV (Diggs, 2002). The U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention's Division of HIV/AIDS Prevention estimates that gay and bisexual men (men who have sex with men or MSM) in the United States are 50 times more likely to contract HIV than are heterosexual men (Lansky, 2009). This is largely due to having multiple sexual partners and engaging in risky sexual practices, including a high incidence of anal intercourse within this population (Diggs, 2002). For example, the estimated HIV risk with a single sexual exposure through receptive anal intercourse (2%) is 20 times greater than for receptive vaginal intercourse (0.1%), (Pinkerton, Martin, Roland, Katz, Coates, & Kahn, 2004).
Semen has immune-suppressant activity that increases the chance of sperm fertilizing a woman's egg during vaginal intercourse. If released in the rectum, however, semen makes this already vulnerable tissue more prone to both infection and the development of cancer - rectal carcinoma in MSM results from infection with a highly carcinogenic strain of HPV (Diggs, 2002). Of greater concern is that despite knowing the high risk of contracting HIV, many MSM repeatedly indulge in unsafe sex practices such as "bare-backing," i.e, deliberate, "unprotected" anal intercourse (Parsons & Bimbi, 2007; Parsons, Kelly, Bimbi, Muench, & Morgenstern, 2007; van Kesteren, Hospers, & Kok, 2007.) Homosexual women are also at higher risk for STI and other health problems than are heterosexual women (Evans, Scally, Wellard, & Wilson, 2007.)
The negative consequences of homosexual behaviors are not limited to the physical harms noted above. Compared to their heterosexual peers, homosexual high school students and young adults (fourteen to twenty-one years old) in New Zealand, which has a culture highly tolerant of homosexuality, had significantly higher rates of major depression, generalized anxiety disorder, conduct disorder, nicotine dependence, other substance abuse and/or dependence, multiple disorders, suicidal ideation, and suicide attempts (Fergusson, Horwood, & Beautrais, 1999).
In general, compared to heterosexually behaving adolescents and adults, having same-sex sexual partners is associated with substantially greater risk for mood disorders, anxiety disorders, psychological distress, substance use disorders, for suicidal thoughts and suicidal plans, suicide attempts, unstable relationships and lower levels of quality of life (Andersson, Noack, Seierstad, & Weedon-Fekjaer, 2006; Balsam, Beauchaine, Rothblum, & Solomon, 2008; Cochran, Keenan, Schober, & Mays, 2000; Cochran, Sullivan, & Mays, 2003; Cochran, Ackerman, Mays, & Ross, 2004; de Graaf, Sandfort, & ten Have, 2006; Drabble & Trocki, 2005; Gilman, Cochran, Mays, Hughes, Ostrow, & Kessler, 2001; Herrell, Goldberg, True, Ramakrishnan, Lyons, Eisen, & Tsuang, 1999; Jorm, Korten, Rodgers, Jacomb, & Christensen, 2002; King, Semlyen, Tai, Killaspy, Osborn, Popelyuk, & Nazareth, 2008; Mathy, Cochran, Olsen, & Mays, 2009; Russell & Joyner, 2001; Sandfort, de Graff, Bijl, & Schnabel, 2001; Sandfort, de Graaf, & Bijl, 2003; Sandfort, T. G. M., Bakker, Schelievis, & Vanwesenbeeck, 2006.) The findings are consistent both for countries like Denmark, the Netherlands, New Zealand, Norway and Sweden where homosexuality is more socially accepted, and for the U.S. where it is less accepted.
While the seriousness of such health risks may not be minimized, neither may the vulnerability of teenagers and young adults to being taught ways of behaving that put them at significant risk. NIMH scientist Dr. Jay Giedd, M.D. has reported that as humans develop, their brains' "frontal cortex area — which governs judgment, decision-making and impulse control — doesn't fully mature until around age 25" (Voit, 2005). In other words, "the frontal lobes, the very area that helps make teenagers do the right thing, are one of the last areas of the brain to reach a stable grown-up state" (Strauch, 2003, p.16.) As a result, while physically, "the teen years and early 20s represent an incredibly healthy time of life, ....the top 10 bad things that happen to teens involve emotion and behavior." Because "the brain is pretty adept at learning by example," something "that parents" can and do do to influence "their children's brain development" is "modeling." The teenage "brain is pretty adept at learning by example," so parents- and the other adults involved in the lives of teenagers- teach healthy ways of behaving by showing and giving good examples of how to live (Voit, 2005), and unhealthy behaviors by showing or giving poor examples.
Conclusion: An adolescent's desire to prevent or cease experiencing serious medical, psychological, and relational health risks is sufficient reason for him or her to seek and receive competent psychological care to minimize or resolve the desires, behaviors and lifestyles associated with such increased risks. The concerns of parents, family members and friends of persons whose sexual behaviors and/or attractions leave them at risk for such harms are understandable and scientifically and clinically justified. Regardless of venue, the health and well-being of young persons is best served by sex education that is consistent with established clinical experience and scientific research.
Note: NARTH has released a more extensive review of the health risks associated with the behaviors of homosexual gratification in Volume I of the Journal of Human Sexuality (NARTH, 2009; cf. http://www.narth.com/docs/journalsummary.html for a summary or to obtain a complete copy of this document.) The U.S. Department of Health and Human Services Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) provides updated information on specific health risks related to homosexual behaviors, cf. http://www.cdc.gov/std/hiv/default.htm.
References:
Agnew, J. (1985). Some anatomical and physiological aspects of anal sexual practices. Journal of Homosexuality, 12 (1), 75-96.
Andersson, G., Noack, T., Seierstad, A., & Weedon-Fekjaer, H. (2006). The demographics of same-sex marriages in Norway and Sweden. Demography, 43, 79-98.
Aragon, T. J., Vugia, D. J., Shallow, S., Samuel, M. C., Reingold, A., Angulo, F. J., & Bradford, W. Z. (2007). Case-control study of shigellosis in San Francisco: The role of sexual transmission and HIV infection. Clinical Infectious Diseases, 44, 327-334.
Balsam, K.F., Beauchaine, T.P., Rothblum, E.D. & Solomon, S.E. (2008) Three-year follow-up of same-sex couples who had civil unions in Vermont, same-sex couples not in civil unions, and heterosexual married couples. Developmental Psychology, 44, 102–116.
Cochran, S. D., Keenan, C., Schober, C., & Mays, V. M. (2000). Estimates of alcohol use and clinical treatment needs among homosexually active men and women in the U.S. population. Journal of Consulting and Clinical Psychology, 68(6), 1062-1071.
Cochran, S. D., Sullivan, J. G., & Mays, V. M. (2003). Prevalence of mental disorders, psychological distress, and mental health services use among lesbian, gay, and bisexual adults in the United States. Journal of Consulting and Clinical Psychology, 71(1), 53-61.
Cochran, S. D., Ackerman, D., Mays, V. M., & Ross, M. W. (2004). Prevalence of non-medical drug use and dependence among homosexually active men and women in the U.S. population. Addiction, 99, 989-998.
de Graaf, R., Sandfort, T. G. M., & ten Have, M. (2006). Suicidality and sexual orientation; Differences between men and women in a general population-based sample from The Netherlands. Archives of Sexual Behavior, 35(3), 253-262.
Diggs, J. (2002). The health risks of gay sex. Corporate Resource Council: Retrieved January 12, 2010 from: http://www.corporateresourcecouncil.org/white_papers/Health_Risks.pdf.
Drabble, L. & Trocki, K. (2005). Alcohol consumption, alcohol-related problems, and other substance use among lesbian and bisexual women. Journal of Lesbian Studies, 19-30.
Evans, A. L., Scally, A. J., Wellard, S. J., & Wilson, J. D. (2007). Prevalence of bacterial vaginosis in lesbians and heterosexual women in a community setting. Sexually Transmitted Infections, 83(6), 470–475.
Fergusson, D. M., Horwood, L. J., & Beautrais, A. L. (1999). Is Sexual Orientation Related to Mental Health Problems and Suicidality in Young People? Archives of General Psychiatry, 56, 876.
Gilman, S. E., Cochran, S. D., Mays, V. M, Hughes, M., Ostrow, D., & Kessler, R. C. (2001). Risk of psychiatric disorders among individuals reporting same-sex sexual partners in the National Comorbity Survey. American Journal of Public Health, 91(6), 933-939.
Herrell, R., Goldberg, J., True, W. R., Ramakrishnan, V., Lyons, M., Eisen, S., & Tsuang, M. T. (1999). Sexual orientation and suicidality: A co-twin control study in adult men. Archives of General Psychiatry, 56, 867-874.
Jorm, A. F., Korten, A. E., Rodgers, B., Jacomb, P. A., & Christensen, H. (2002). Sexual orientation and mental health; results from a community survey of young and middle-aged adults. British Journal of Psychiatry, 180(5), 423-427.
King, M., Semlyen, J., Tai, S. S., Killaspy, H., Osborn, D., Popelyuk, D., & Nazareth, I. (2008). A systematic review of mental disorder, suicide, and deliberate self harm in lesbian, gay, and bisexual people. BMC Psychiatry, 8, 70.
Koop, C.E. (1990). The U. S. Surgeon General's Statement, "Condoms provide some protection, but anal intercourse is simply too dangerous to practice." Condoms and Sexually Transmitted Diseases, Brochure, U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA), last updated: 08/18/2009. Retrieved January 2, 2010 from http://www.fda.gov/oashi/aids/condom.html#stron.
Lansky, A. (2009). Co-presenter, Future Directions and Updates from the Division of HIV/AIDS Prevention, 2009 National HIV Prevention Conference, Centers for Disease Control National Prevention Information Network. Retrieved on January 29, 2010 from: http://www.cdcnpin.org/nhpc_2009/Public/ListWebcast.aspx.
Mathy, R.M., Cochran, S.D., Olsen, J., & Mays, V.M. (2009). The association between relationship markers of sexual orientation and suicide: Denmark, 1990-2001. Social Psychiatry and Psychiatric Epidemiology. Retrieved on January 25, 2010 from: DOI 10.1007/s00127-009-0177-3.
MassResistance (n.d.). Retrieved on January 28, 2010 from: http://www.massresistance.org/docs/issues/fistgate/index.html
National Association for Research and Therapy of Homosexuality (NARTH) Scientific Advisory Committee (2009). What Research Shows: NARTH's Response to the American Psychological Association's (APA) Claims on Homosexuality. Journal of Human Sexuality, 1, 1-128.
Parsons, J. T., & Bimbi, D. S. (2007). Intentional unprotected anal intercourse among men who have sex with men: Barebacking—from behavior to identity. AIDS and Behavior, 11(2), 277–287.
Parsons, J. T., Kelly, B. C., Bimbi, D. S., Muench, F., & Morgenstern, J. (2007). Accounting for the social triggers of sexual compulsivity. Journal of Addictive Diseases, 26(3), 5–16.
Pinkerton, S.D., Martin, J.N., Roland, M.E., Katz, M.H., Coates, T.J., & Kahn, J.O. (2004). Cost-effectiveness of postexposure prophylaxis after sexual or injection-drug exposure to human immunodeficiency virus. Archives of Internal Medicine, 164(1), 46-54. Retrieved on January 28, 2010 from: http://archinte.ama-assn.org/cgi/content/full/164/1/46/TABLEIOI20643T4.
Russell, S. T. & Joyner, M. (2001). Adolescent sexual orientation and suicide risk: Evidence from a national study. American Journal of Public Health, 91(8), 1276-1281.
Sandfort, T. G. M., de Graff, R., Bijl, R. V., & Schnabel, P. (2001). Same-sex sexual behavior and psychiatric disorders; Findings from the Netherlands Mental Health Survey and Incidence Study (NEMESIS). Archives of General Psychiatry, 58, 85-91.
Sandfort, T. G. M., de Graaf, R., & Bijl, R. V. (2003). Same-sex sexuality and quality of life: Findings from the Netherlands Mental Health Survey and Incidence Study. Archives of Sexual Behavior, 32(1), 15- 22.
Sandfort, T. G. M., Bakker, F., Schelievis, F. G., & Vanwesenbeeck, I. (2006). Sexual orientation and mental and physical health status: Findings from a Dutch population survey. American Journal of Public Health, 96(6), 1119-1125.
Sowadsky, R.(1996) "Fisting: Is Fisting Safe Sex" retrieved January 12, 2010 from http://www.thebody.com/Forums/AIDS/SafeSex/Archive/TransmissionSexual/Q9192.html.
Staver, M. (2010). Obama appointees and nominees. Liberty Counsel, 28-30. Retrieved January 27, 2010 from http://www.lc.org/media/9980/attachments/obama_appointees_nominees_011910.pdf.
Barbara Strauch, B. (2003). The primal teen: What the new discoveries about the teenage
brain tell us about our kids. New York: Doubleday.
Voit. S.(2005). NIMH's Giedd Lectures on Teen Brain. Retrieved January 12, 2010 from: http://nihrecord.od.nih.gov/newsletters/2005/08_12_2005/story04.htm
Whiteman, S. (2000). 'What's Fisting?' Scott Whiteman's Affidavit on the 2000 GLSEN 'Fistgate' Scandal. Retrieved on January 28, 2010 from: http://americansfortruth.com/news/what%e2%80%99s-fisting-scott-whiteman%e2%80%99s-affidavit-on-the-2000-glsen-fistgate-scandal.html.
Wolfe, D. (2000). Men like us: The GMHC complete guide to gay men's sexual, physical, and emotional well-being. New York: Ballantine Books. Retrieved December 17, 2009 from http://www.thebody.com/content/art/art14044.html.
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------
The following articles and their links are just a sample of over 80 articles on the NARTH Web-site (http://www.narth.com/menus/medical.html) written on various aspects of the medical and mental health risks associated with homosexual behaviors.
Selected articles:
An Ethical Checkup for the CDC and Massachusetts Department of Public Health
The Health Risks of Gay Sex, by internist John R. Diggs, Jr., M.D.
Gay Teens and Attempted Suicide
Risky Sex and the Adolescent Brain: Implications for School Counseling Programs
Homosexuality and Mental Health Problems
From the Gay and Lesbian Medical Association: Health Risks for Gay Men
Canadian Gay Group Wants Age Of Consent Lowered
Study Indicates Gays and Lesbians Prone To Psychological Symptoms and Substance Abuse --But School Harassment Rates Not Higher for Gay Males
The American Journal of Public Health Highlights Risks of Homosexual Practices
Updated: 5 February 2010
Posted by dxv515 at 2:28 PM
Sunday, October 10, 2010
Michelle A. Cretella, MD
American College of Pediatricians
Philip M. Sutton, PhD, LMFT, LP
Editor, Journal of Human Sexuality
No comments:
Post a Comment