The Southern Voice is running an article about the Medius report on depression and gay men. I think this addresses some of the comments and concerns expressed in recent posts. This article expresses the common view that depression leads to risky sexual behavior. However, I wonder if this could go the other way around. We have evidence that at least for teen girls, sexual behavior leads to depression. I wonder if this the link could run both ways in this case.
4 thoughts on “Depression and gay men”
Comments are closed.
Sami hit it on the head. It’s HOW you are gay, not THAT you are gay that matters.
I think the sex leads to the depression personally. I know when I started having casual sex, I felt just awful and then used drugs to try to cure the feelings. If I had never started down that road to start with I would not have used the drugs. I am not in a monogamous relationship and do not have this same feeling. It was not being gay, it was how I was gay.
Sami
I work exclusively with AIDS clients and I can tell you that depression and high risk sexual behavior go hand-in-hand. Also, 50% of new AIDS cases in men are methamphetamine related.
Throw in social/relgious/family rejection, a culture (gay and straight) that promotes youth, looks and “sex as sport”, a good measure of alcohol abuse, and a curious lack of emotional maturity among many men (gay and straight) — you have a perfect recipe for disaster.
Um no — it says that holding attitudes that cause others to be depressed also causes some of same said others to consequently carelessly or recklesslsy engage in risky sexual behavior.
If one thinks life is not worth living, why bother?