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| Archive 2008 - Health Issues |  |  |
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| HEALTH ISSUES |
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| HEALTH ISSUES |
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SEXUALLY TRANSMITTED
INFECTIONS (STIS)
Homosexuality is not a disease. It is not how infections and diseases are spread during sexual activity between same-sex partners. A person can transmit an infection or disease to another person during sex. It’s possible between a woman and a man, between two women or between two men since it has nothing to do with their sexual orientation.
Unprotected sex and a high-number of sex partners increase the risk of becoming infected. Many men who have sex with other men have become aware of this and take steps to minimise the risk. |
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BLOOD AND ORGAN DONATIONS
Public health authority Health Canada has decided to bar men who have sex with other men from donating blood and organs. This policy ban on groups of people is based on statistical probabilities and does not take into account actual sexual behaviour. | | |
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PREJUDICE |
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Prejudice against gay men and lesbians is nothing new, nor is it easy to fight. It’s sad to say that even though homosexuality is not a disease, issues concerning the spread of STIs and policy bans on donating blood and organs reinforce prejudice by associating disease with sexual activity between same-sex partners. |
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ADDICTIONS
Campaigns against prejudice have a direct impact on the quality of life of LGBT people. The healthier they are, the less they will feel the need to excessively consume substances that lead to addiction.
PROCREATION AND CHILDBIRTH
Help in procreation, and methods of assisted procreation, must be discrimination-free and accessible to lesbians. Those who work in this field must be attitude-free toward any form of homophobia. In addition, mothers are entitled to receiving all the professional support they need to carry out their pregnancy without fear of prejudice. |
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AGING
After having lived their sexual orientation openly, a first generation of gays and lesbians are becoming senior citizens. It is inconceivable that these people should retreat to the closet after having struggled to come out of it. People who work in establishments for the elderly need to be aware of gay and lesbian issues, and need to be able to adopt appropriate behaviour. Loneliness and isolation are often part of the realities experienced by gay and lesbian seniors, and must be compensated by companionship and the organization of leisure activities. | | |
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MENTAL HEALTH, DEPRESSION AND SUICIDE |
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Happiness is within reach for most gays and lesbians, as it is for heterosexuals. Being gay or lesbian is not a sickness, nor is it a reason to take one’s life. Any surrounding homophobia, however, can weaken and destabilize people trying to deal with a sexual identity crisis, thereby increasing their psychological distress and pushing them to want to end it all.
Although there is no connection between suicide and being gay or lesbian, gay men and lesbians can find themselves at a high risk of suicide at a specific moment in their lives – when they discover and realise that they are different. This period is characterised by an identity crisis related to sexual orientation and manifests itself through questioning, discomfort, stress, and anxiety all leading to isolation. The moment, length, and age when this crisis occurs varies from person to person.
This situation forces people into silence, preventing them from getting support from family, friends, and peers. Healthcare workers and professionals should pay very special attention to this issue. A positive attitude and non-biased language will encourage people to come out to a professional in addition to improving the relationship. |
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See also:
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