Gay and bisexual men are having less sex during pandemic

08/02/2020

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LGBTQ health presented by O&AN

A Team of researchers from Vanderbilt University in Nashville were interested in how the coronavirus pandemic was affecting the sexual health behavior of gay and bisexual men—an interesting question with the history of this specific community navigating HIV and other sexually transmitted infections.

So what did they do?

They surveyed 728 gay and bi men during the previous height of the closures across the country and Ill tell you the results from that survey surprise me honestly. “Nine out of 10 men reported having either one sexual partner or no sexual partner” during that 30 day period. For many, it was a big big decrease compared with before COVID-19. Also interesting to note was the expressed “high levels of concern about how HIV may affect COVID-19 risk, treatment, and recovery.” Finally some concern was also expressed about the nondisclosure of COVID-19 symptoms during consensual sex. So, did COVID19 change the frequency of your sex?

Want more COVID-19 coverage? Visit special section at outandaboutnashville.com.

And here more current LGBTQ stories

The supreme court just struck down a Louisiana law that would have effectively closed most of the clinics that provide abortions in the state, in a 5-4 ruling. Many advocates also highlight that HIV services, prevention efforts, and testing would have been eliminated as well as most of these rural clinics also provide the sexual health services that many in the LGBTQ community and others need. This was the right decision and Im’ glad the Supreme Court thinks so.

Is being gay a security risk? Former Vice President and Democratic nominee for President Joe Biden is reliving these comments from 1973. “My gut reaction,” “is that they [homosexuals] are security risks, but I must admit I haven’t given this much thought…I’ll be darned!’”

This according to a report from Washington Free Beacon and revisited recently by Fox News. Now granted it’s been four decades of changes, but Biden did back marriage equality before his running mate at the time President Obama. But for the health of reading past the headlines, this statement from 1973 can be judged by you—but you at least deserve to hear the context.

Unique Ad History was just made in Poland when a condom commercial featured a gay couple. Typically condom commercials overseas don’t include imagery of a gay couple for cultural reasons—in the US it is most likely because condoms are a medical device highly regulated by the FDA and they carry only an indication for vaginal intercourse. Interesting right?