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SafeSexGuide
DEPRESSION AND GUILT
DEPRESSION AND GUILT

Unsafe Sex Among Gay Men Linked to Depression
Homosexual men with long-term, low-grade depression are almost twice as likely to have had unsafe casual sex in the last six months, according to the findings of researchers at Adelaide University , Australia .

A research team led by Dr Gary Rogers from the University's Department of General Practice surveyed more than 400 gay and other homosexually active men who enrolled into an integrated health care program in the city of Adelaide since 1998.

The men underwent comprehensive health evaluations, which included questionnaires about their recent sexual behaviour and a diagnostic interview to identify depression and other psychological problems.

Men who were severely depressed reported less sex overall because serious depression is associated with a lower sex drive. When these men were excluded, however, a clear relationship emerged between unprotected sex and long-term lower grade depression, known as dysthymia.

"Forty percent of the men with dysthymia reported having had unprotected sex in the six months before they joined the Care & Prevention Program, compared with 22% of the men who weren't dysthymic," Dr Rogers says. "This is a statistically significant difference."

But why?

"It may be that the low self-esteem that is part of long-term depression leads to men not caring enough about themselves to stay safe," Dr Rogers says.

The team announced their findings at the Australasian Society for HIV Medicine conference in Melbourne , Australia in October, 2000. They also reported on outcomes in the more than 270 men who have so far participated in the Care & Prevention Program for more than a year.

"Gay men appear to suffer serious health disadvantage, and at the time they enrolled, 27% of the men met the criteria for dysthymia. This had fallen to 16% of the same men at follow-up, and we also saw significant improvement in a range of other health measures," Dr Rogers says.

"It's our hope that by promoting the mental health of gay men we may be able to improve their ability to sustain safer sexual practices. It is pleasing that we have seen a very dramatic fall in the prevalence of depressive problems in the men who have taken part in the Program."

- Adelaide University , Leonard Holmes, Ph D.


Guilt is an STD

This is the deadliest of STDs. It hides in the deepest, darkest places in our hearts and minds. We often don't even know we have it.

Symptoms: Feeling bad after a trip to the bars, baths, bushes, and tearooms, waking in someone else's bed or watching porn. Low self-esteem, excessive drug use, being mean and/or judgmental to friends, family, co-workers or total strangers.

Symptoms Appear: From two to three years of age and in many cases persist throughout life.

If Untreated: Can result in loss of ability to be happy; loss of spontaneity; large therapy bills, loss of love; Random Acts of Meanness; impotence; sexual dysfunction; excessive drug use; epidemics of sexually transmitted diseases.

How You Get It: Someone Else's Family Values; Catholic, Jewish, Mormon or Muslim schools; three or more hours of TV a day; America Online; letting someone else decide what is good for you; politicians.

Cure: Respect and love yourself; Random Acts of Kindness; your own family values; a good giggle; lighten up.


Safe Sex Articles
General Information
SEXUAL ACTS AND RISKS
SEXUAL ACTS AND RISKS Considered Completely Safe: Mutual masturbation Today, mutual masturbation is unquestionably the preferred sex act of the health conscious, or if you are unsure of yo...
CONDOMS
CONDOMS Why you should use one: When used correctly - and used every time you have sex - latex condoms provide some protection against sexually transmitted diseases, such as herpes, gonorrhea,...
DEPRESSION AND GUILT
DEPRESSION AND GUILT Unsafe Sex Among Gay Men Linked to Depression Homosexual men with long-term, low-grade depression are almost twice as likely to have had unsafe casual sex in the last six mo...
Sexually Transmitted Diseases
CHLAMYDIA

CHLAMYDIA Also known as: NGU, Nongonococcal Urethritis, UU, Ureaplasma urealyticum, Urethritis How you get it (Exposure): Unprotected sucking or fucking. It is often a sexually transmitte...

LYMPHOGRANULOMA VENEREUM

LYMPHOGRANULOMA VENEREUM (LGV) How You Get It (Exposure): LGV is transmitted in the same way as Chlamydia, through unprotected oral or anal sex or other sexual contact. Warning Signs (Symptom...

MOLLUSCUM

MOLLUSCUM How You Get It (Exposure): Molluscum spreads from one person to another during any close physical skin to skin contact. Though most often the transmition occurs during sex, the virus...

CRABS

CRABS Also known as: Pediculosis Pubis How You Get It (Exposure): Crabs are probably the easiest STD to catch. Usually they pass from one partner's pubic region to another's during close phys...

GENITAL WARTS

GENITAL WARTS Also known as: Condyloma, Venereal Warts, Anal Warts, Human Papilloma Virus, HPV How You Get It (Exposure): The human papillomavirus spreads between sexual partners during clo...

PROSTATITIS

PROSTATITIS How Do You Get It (Exposure): When bacteria from your urethra enter the prostate through a duct that connects the two, you can develop prostatitis. Putting unsterile toys or othe...

SCABIES

SCABIES Also known as: Sarcoptes scabiei How You Get It (Exposure): Although the infection can spread between partners during sex, any form of close contact is more than enough for the bug...

GONORRHEA

GONORRHEA Also known as: GC, "Clap", VD, "Drip", Urethritis, Pelvic Inflammatory Disease, PID How You Get It (Exposure): Gonorrhea is spread via sexual contact: specifically anal, oral or v...

SYPHILIS

SYPHILIS Also known as: VD, Louies disease How You Get It (Exposure): Syphilis is a sexually transmitted infection caused by the corkscrew shaped bacteria (spirochete) Treponema pallidum. T...

HEPATITIS A

HEPATITIS A Also known as: Infectious Hepatitis How You Get It (Exposure): Hepatitis A passes between people via a "fecal/oral" route. Rimming an infected partner can give you the virus, ...

HEPATITIS B

HEPATITIS B How You Get It (Exposure): Hepatitis B virus can be found in an infected individual’s blood, semen and other bodily fluids. You are contagious before you know you are sick and for ...

HERPES

HERPES Also known as: Cold Sores, Herpes Simplex, Genital Herpes, Oral Herpes How You Get It (Exposure): Herpes is spread between partners during sex. There are rare cases described in med...

HIV/AIDS

HIV/AIDS How You Get It (Exposure): HIV is present in four major body fluids. They are: - VAGINAL - SEMEN - BLOOD - BREAST MILK HIV transmission is not possible without...