What gay trans guys wish their doctors knew

Vancouver study peers into the lives and troubles of trans MSM By Niko Bell [S]peaking to gay and bisexual trans men, the word “invisibility” comes up a lot. Invisibility in the bathhouse and on dating apps, invisibility among cisgender people, straight people, trans people and gay people. And, too often, invisibility in the doctor’s office. …

This sex ed series tackles LGBTQ issues in an honest, groundbreaking way

By Ana Valens [W]hile the fight for LGBTQ rights might make headline news, that doesn’t mean queer education is making it into schools. For most Americans, sex ed courses barely talk about the ins and outs of being gay, bisexual, queer, or transgender, making it hard for many students to learn about themselves, their bodies, and …

LGBTQ kids are missing out on sex education—and it’s up to schools to change that

by Ana Valens [L]ast year, California officially mandated LGBTQ history lessons in public schools, vowing to teach “the contributions of lesbian, gay, bisexual, and transgender Americans” and their impact on both the state’s and the country’s history. This was a victory for LGBTQ rights, because it’s a rarity; in most states—in all but nine to …

Cross-Cultural Evidence for the Genetics of Homosexuality

Mexico’s third gender sheds light on the biological correlates of sexual orientation By Debra W. Soh [T]he reasons behind why people are gay, straight, or bisexual have long been a source of public fascination. Indeed, research on the topic of sexual orientation offers a powerful window into understanding human sexuality. The Archives of Sexual Behavior …

It’s time to end the taboo of sex and intimacy in care homes

By Paul Simpson [I]magine living in an aged care home. Now imagine your needs for touch and intimacy being overlooked. More than 500,000 individuals aged 65+ (double the population of Cardiff) live in care homes in Britain. Many could be missing out on needs and rights concerning intimacy and sexual activity because they appear to …

British Columbian study reveals unique sexual healthcare needs of transgender men

by Craig Takeuchi [W]hile HIV studies have extensively examined issues related to gay, bisexual, and queer men, one group missing from such research has been transgender men. Consequently, Vancouver and Victoria researchers undertook one of the first such Western Canadian studies, with the findings published on April 3 in Culture, Health, and Sexuality. This study …

Married LGBT older adults are healthier, happier than singles, study finds

By Kim Eckart Same-sex marriage has been the law of the land for nearly two years — and in some states for even longer — but researchers can already detect positive health outcomes among couples who have tied the knot, a University of Washington study finds. For years, studies have linked marriage with happiness among …

Men who have sex with men account for over 80% of syphilis infection rates in the US

MSM are 106 times more likely to get syphilis than men who exclusively have sex with women by James Besanvalle A new study of syphilis transmission rates reveals men who have sex with men account for 81.7% of cases in the United States. This study found gay, bisexual or men who have sex with men …

The Swinging Over-Sixties: most older couples are happy with their sex lives

By Katie Grant [I]t is a common assumption that once a couple ties the knot, sex goes out the window. Indeed, the actress Zsa Zsa Gabor, who said “I do” nine times, once quipped: “I know nothing about sex, because I was always married”. Yet new research indicates that most couples in long-term relationships remain …

Does Progesterone Influence Baby’s Later Sexuality?

By Rick Nauert PhD [A] new study addresses whether supplementing progesterone during pregnancy, a common practice to prevent miscarriage, could influence a baby’s sexual orientation in later life. Dr. June Reinisch, director emerita of the Kinsey Institute in the U.S., led the study. She found that bisexuality is quite common among men and women whose mothers …

What is sexuality?

By Kim Cavill [W]hat is sexuality? When we talk about sexuality, what do we really mean? Are we talking about how many times a person has sex, or with how many different partners? Are we talking about who a person wants to have sex with? Sexuality is all of those things…and none of those things. …

High-risk sex, girl-on-girl experimenting linked among NYC teens

By Susan Edelman [N]early half the Big Apple’s sexually active high-school girls have had female partners — and many engage in behavior that endangers their health, an alarming new study finds. Researchers from New York University and the Albert Einstein College of Medicine based their findings on a 2013 survey of public high-school students citywide …