Sexual Identity and Behavior
The CDC reports growing recognition that combinations of individual, sociocultural, and biomedical factors aect HIV risk behavior among gay and bisexual men. These factors— which may include substance use, depression, childhood sexual abuse, and partner violence— have been shown to increase the practice of risky sexual behaviors. Research shows that there are higher rates of substance use and significant mental and physical health disparities among LGBT people, including gay and bisexual men.
The combined eects of these problems may be greater than their individual eects.
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In addition, substantial epidemiological evidence indicates that gay men suer from higher prevalence rates of a cluster of infectious and noninfectious diseases than do heterosexual men. However, there is relatively little in the way of theory to explain the emergence of these epidemics.
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