HOMOSEXUALITY – SEXUAL DISEASE
Viral hepatitis is also more common among homosexual men, and may cause permanent liver disease. Viral hepatitis occurs in two forms, type A and type B. The disease may be associated with jaundice or may be almost symptom less, but men who have been infected can be detected by blood tests. A study in the U.S.A. showed that homosexual men were twice as likely as heterosexual men to have had viral hepatitis type A; and the acquisition of the disease was associated with frequent oral-anal contact. A study in Britain showed that about 5 per cent of homosexual men attending a genito-urinary clinic had been infected some time previously with viral hepatitis type B, and the prevalence was fifty times greater than among heterosexual blood donors.
The second problem, that of age, affects homosexuals more than heterosexuals. Among heterosexuals a lasting relationship is usual although, of course, separation or death may terminate it, and one or other partner may have transient relationships with others. Among homosexual men permanent relationships seem less common, and many homosexuals place a premium on youth. As a man grows older his body becomes less attractive and he has to work harder to find a partner, becoming more at risk of punitive action by the police, when he frequents known homosexual cafes or lavatories.
This view of the older homosexual may not be correct. Dr Weinberg’s study, to which I referred earlier, indicates that most older homosexuals are well adjusted, and have a lower sexual drive than when younger. He found there was no truth that, with age, homosexual men became more unhappy, more lonely, more depressed or had more psychological problems than when they were younger. Most had adapted to growing old.
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