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PubMed2001

The Circuit Party Men's Health Survey: findings and implications for gay and bisexual men.

OBJECTIVES: This study examined characteristics of gay and bisexual men who attend circuit parties, frequency of and motivations for attending parties, drug use and sexual behavior during circuit party weekends, and use of risk reduction materials available at parties. METHODS: A cross-sectional survey was conducted among 295 gay and bisexual men from the San Francisco Bay Area who had attended a circuit party in the previous year. RESULTS: One fourth of the men reported a drug "overuse" incident in the previous year. Nearly all respondents reported use of drugs during circuit party weekends, including ecstasy (75%), ketamine (58%), crystal methamphetamine (36%), gamma hydroxybutyrate or gamma butyrolactone (25%), and Viagra (12%). Two thirds of the men reported having sex (oral or anal), 49% reported having anal sex, and 28% reported having unprotected anal sex during the 3-day period. An association was found between use of drugs and sexual risk behavior. Prevention materials were observed at party events by some men; however, relatively few men used the materials. Common motivations for attending the parties were "to listen to music and dance" and "to be with friends." CONCLUSIONS: Intensive, targeted health promotion efforts are needed for gay and bisexual men who attend circuit parties.

Adult↗
PubMedDate not supplied

Modern antiretroviral therapy improves life expectancy of gay and bisexual males in Vancouver's West End.

This study was undertaken to evaluate the life expectancy of gay and bisexual men in the West End of Vancouver, British Columbia during two time periods. Mortality data for males were obtained for the periods 1990 to 1992 and 1995 to 1997 and population estimates were obtained from the 1991 and 1996 Census. The proportion of the male population over 20 years of age estimated to be gay and bisexual was derived from a random telephone survey. Mortality patterns were assessed by comparing changes in life expectancy at age 20 years between the periods, and by examining the life expectancy lost attributed to HIV/AIDS. Between the periods there was 3.8 +/- 3.4 years increase in life expectancy among gay and bisexual men. At exact age 20 years, life expectancy increased from 37.0 +/- 3.5 years during the period 1990 to 1992 to 40.8 +/- 2.4 years during the period 1995 to 1997. The loss of life expectancy attributed to HIV/AIDS at this age was 13.8 +/- 3.9 during the first period and 9.8 +/- 3.6 years during the second period. This gain is most likely the result of the improved efficacy of antiretroviral therapies.

Adult↗
PubMedDate not supplied

Use of club drugs by HIV-seropositive and HIV-seronegative gay and bisexual men.

Club drugs such as methylenedioxymethamphetamine (MDMA, ecstasy), gamma hydroxybutyrate (GHB), and ketamine are among the fastest-growing drugs of abuse in the United States. Reports have shown that some gay and bisexual men are likely to engage in club-drug use in a myriad of venues. This is concerning given that the use of club drugs has been linked to high-risk sexual behaviors. Further, the use of club drugs by HIV-seropositive individuals may have detrimental outcomes on disease progression by either influencing adherence, resulting in drug-drug interactions with antiretrovirals, or potentially compounding immune suppression. Clinicians caring for HIV-seropositive and -seronegative individuals should be aware of the clinical effects and management guidelines associated with these chemicals. This article reviews the available literature with regard to the use of club drugs by HIV-seropositive and -seronegative gay and bisexual men. Although club-drug use may be associated with many risk behaviors for HIV infection, this review focuses on risk behavior among gay and bisexual men since this is the group for which the most data have been reported. The clinical effects and management guidelines associated with these agents are described, and the potential detrimental effects of these substances on HIV disease are discussed.

Bisexuality↗
PubMed1989

[Bisexuality and AIDS. Implications for heterosexual HIV infections in women].

One of the possible pathways into heterosexual population is the transfer of HIV-virus from bisexual men to their female partners. Therefore sexual behaviour of HIV-positive and -negative bisexual men (n = 31) before and after Aids-disease was analysed. Prior to the Aids-epidemic promiscuous behavior towards male partners (about one female partner per year versus 10 male partners per year). Relatively common contacts to woman occurred within steady relationships. After contact with HIV-test and personal counselling sexual practice became significantly different. The number of female and male contacts was markedly reduced, especially female chance acquaintances were avoided; safer sex was preferred and readiness to inform female partners about bisexuality was increased. This study suggests that reduction of risk for HIV-infection of female partners by homosexual men can be achieved by means of a HIV-test and personal counselling, a possibility that should be considered in preventive concepts.

Acquired Immunodeficiency Syndrome↗
PubMed1987

Comparison of gynecologic health care problems between lesbians and bisexual women. A survey of 2,345 women.

A survey of reproductive system problems was conducted in a large group of lesbians (n = 1,921) and bisexual women (n = 424) in a nonclinical setting. Demographically the groups were similar: the majority of respondents were white, urban and well educated. A history of heterosexual coitus was common in both groups (bisexuals, 95%; lesbians, 77%). Bisexuals were more likely than lesbians to report an abnormal Papanicolaou smear, cystitis, genital herpes, gonorrhea and vaginal infections. When sexual orientation was controlled for, most, but not all, of these differences were associated with a difference in reported frequency of (prior) coitus. Despite the lower risk of certain problems, however, the lesbians who reported no previous coitus did report the occurrence of vaginitis, abnormal Papanicolaou smears and genital herpes. There were no differences in past oral contraceptive use, endometriosis, menstrual dysfunction or breast disease. The lesbian group reported a greater percentage of hysterectomies. These data suggest that, overall, the sexual behaviors of lesbians are associated with a lower risk of most sexually transmitted diseases.

Adult↗
PubMed1995

Help-seeking for AIDS high-risk sexual behavior among gay and bisexual African-American men.

Help-seeking for AIDS high-risk sexual behavior and its association with HIV status were examined among 318 gay and bisexual men in the San Francisco Bay Area who participated in the African American Men's Health Project, a longitudinal survey of gay and bisexual African-American men. A third (36%) of the sample reported seeking help regarding their concerns about HIV high-risk sexual behavior. Peers and professionals were the most widely sought sources of help and the sources perceived to be the most helpful. Men (39%) who had received the HIV antibody test and who were HIV seropositive were more likely to seek help than men who were HIV seronegative or did not know their HIV status (25%). Furthermore, gay men who were HIV seropositive or who knew their serostatus were more likely to seek help from professionals and peers. Explanations for the differences in help-seeking by HIV-seropositive men are discussed with implications for the development of social support for HIV risk reduction among gay and bisexual African-American men.

Acquired Immunodeficiency Syndrome↗
PubMedDate not supplied

HIV and hepatitis B infection and risk behavior in young gay and bisexual men.

OBJECTIVES: To estimate the prevalence of and identify risk factors for human immunodeficiency virus type 1 (HIV-1) and hepatitis B virus (HBV) infections and unprotected anal intercourse among young homosexual and bisexual men. METHODS: The authors performed a cross-sectional analysis of data from a prospective cohort of 508 young gay and bisexual men ages 18-29. RESULTS: HIV-1 seroprevalence was 2.4%, with five (1.3%) of 390 college students and seven (6.0%) of 117 non-students infected. After adjusting for confounders, HIV-1 infection was associated with having a history of a sexually transmitted disease other than HIV-1 or hepatitis B. The prevalence of hepatitis B markers in unvaccinated men was 12.9%. The presence of hepatitis B markers in unvaccinated men was significantly associated with Asian ethnicity, off-campus residence, and history of a sexually transmitted disease other than HIV-1 or hepatitis B and inversely associated with recent non-intravenous drug use. Eighteen percent of the participants reported having had sex with women during the previous 12 months, and 26.4% reported a history of unprotected anal intercourse during the previous six months. Men who reported unprotected anal intercourse were more likely to have at least one steady partner, to have met their partners in anonymous settings, and to be identified as probably alcohol dependent. CONCLUSIONS: Although the prevalence of HIV-1 infection among young homosexual and bisexual men in Boston was relatively low, the high rates of unprotected anal intercourse suggest a potential for future HIV-1 and hepatitis B transmission. Interventions should focus on young men with histories of sexually transmitted diseases, alcohol abuse, and depression.

Adolescent↗
PubMed1976

Natural hybridization between parthenogenetic and bisexual lizards: detection of uniparental source of skin grafting.

Skin graft evidence is used to directly identify the unisexual parent of natural hybrids produced between the bisexual species Cnemidophorus inornatus and the unisexual Cnemidophorus neomexicanus. Reciprocal grafts transplanted among there suspected hybrids between Cnemidophorus inornatus and Cnemidophorus neomexicanus are rejected as well as grafts from the hybrids to C. neomexicanus, indicating that the hybrids are each genetically different from each other and that C. neomexicanus has the ability to reject foreign grafts. Allografts among C. neomexicanus and xenografts from C. neomexicanus to the hybrids are not rejected, indicating that C. neomexicanus is genetically homogeneous and that the hybrids possess genomes genetically identical to C. neomexicanus. Electrophoretic analysis of the hybrids and their probable parents supports the evidence obtained from skin grafting that C. neomexicanus is one of the parents, and suggests that C. inornatus, rather than C. tigris, is the bisexual parent. Chromosome spreads obtained from the hybrids reveal a triploid number of 69, a number consistent with their presumed origin from unreduced diploid ova (2N = 46) from C. neomexicanus and haploid serum (N = 23) from C. inornatus. Preliminary evidence is presented of the first hybrids known between Cnemidophorus inornatus and Cnemidophorus uniparens. Histological examination of the tests suggests that these hybrids are sterile. Included is a list summarizing all known hybrids between bisexual and unisexual species of the genus Cnemidophorus.

Animals↗
PubMed1994

Speciation in the Artemia genus: mitochondrial DNA analysis of bisexual and parthenogenetic brine shrimps.

From the cloned mitochondrial DNAs (mtDNAs) isolated from two bisexual species, one Mediterranean, Artemia salina, and one American, Artemia franciscana, and two parthenogenetic (diploid and tetraploid) strains of Artemia parthenogenetica collected in Spain, physical maps have been constructed and compared. They are extremely different among themselves, much more than the differences between Drosophila melanogaster and D. yakuba and in the same range of different mammalian species such as mouse/rat or man/cow. The nucleotide sequences of two regions of mtDNA encoding parts of the cytochrome c oxidase subunit I (COI) and cytochrome b (Cytb) genes have been determined in the two bisexual species and the two parthenogenetic strains. Comparisons of these sequences have revealed a high degree of divergence at the nucleotide level, averaging more than 15%, in agreement with the differences found in the physical maps. The majority of the nucleotide changes are silent and there is a strong bias toward transitions, with the C<==>T substitutions being highly predominant. The evolutionary distance between the two Artemia parthenogenetica is high and there is no clear relationship with any of the bisexual species, including the one present nowadays in Spain. Using a combination of molecular (mtDNA) and morphological markers it is possible to conclude that all of these Artemia isolates should be actually considered as belonging to different species, even the two Artemia parthenogenetica diploidica and tetraploidica.

Amino Acid Sequence↗
PubMed1979

Immuno-enzymatic assay for the detection of Schistosoma mansoni antigens in serum of mice harbouring bisexual or unisexual light worm infections.

Enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay (ELISA) double antibody technique was standardized for detecting S. mansoni polysaccharide and protein antigens in serum of infected mice. Anti-sera specific for either worm components were obtained in sheep and peroxidase conjugates prepared from each serum. The immunoenzimatic test for protein could detect as little as 6 micrograms/ml antigens, and the test for polysaccharides 3 micrograms/ml. Both bisexual and unisexual male worm low infections were produced, and studied for as long as 27 weeks post-exposure. Worm components were found in serum from both types of infections and in progressively higher percentages of animals until the end of the 27 weeks observation period. For unisexual male infections this percentage reached from about 50% to 60% of mice, and 100% for bisexual infections. Significantly higher antigen concentrations in serum were found at 27 weeks for bisexual infections, no antigen increase being detected in relation to starting egg secretion, which occurred at 5 week infections.

Animals↗
PubMed1984

A comment on cultural attributes and fluidity of bisexuality.

Selected aspects of the "essentialist" critiques and reviews in Bisexual and Homosexual Identities: Critical Theoretical Issues (De Cecco & Shively, eds., 1983/1984) of the idea of the bisexual identity are examined from the standpoint of their cross-cultural significance. Examples from recent studies in Melanesia are used to highlight possible areas of exploration for future research in homosexuality and bisexuality. The idea of fluidity of sexual identity is examined, including the associated notion of sexual desire.

Anthropology, Cultural↗
PubMed1985

Bisexuality reconsidered: an idea in pursuit of a definition.

This paper examines the confusion and conflict stemming from the inability of sexological research to establish a reliable operational definition of the bisexual condition. An examination of current research assumptions, definitions, and limitations revealed several "errors" which predispose most investigations to controversial or insignificant results. These errors include the researcher's: erotophobia, dualistic thinking, use of "self-labels," and most important, misuse of the Kinsey Scale as a basic definitional assumption. This paper concludes with a description of an alternative research model and methodology for bisexuality research. This new model eschews subject labeling and proposes a two-axis system for operationally defining bisexuality and for generating testable hypotheses.

Extramarital Relations↗
PubMed2004

Medfly (Diptera: Tephritidae) genetic sexing: large-scale field comparison of males-only and bisexual sterile fly releases in Guatemala.

The effect of releases of bisexual (males and female) and unisexual (male only) sterilized medflies was compared in three large field evaluations over a 3-yr period (1995-1997) in southwestern Guatemala. The two strains tested were a genetic sexing strain, Vienna-4/Tol-94, carrying the temperature sensitive tsl gene to eliminate females in the egg stage, and the standard bisexual Petapa strain. Flies were mass-reared, sterilized by irradiation as pupae, shipped to a field center, and released by air as young adults over 2 km by 2 km core areas in the centers of separate 6 km by 6 km test plots. Strain performance was monitored weekly by trapping sterile and wild male adults in core and buffer areas and by collecting eggs from coffee berries to determine induced sterility. Results indicated a several-fold advantage for the males-only strain as measured by the level of induced sterility, especially at the very high release ratios of 100:1 recorded in 1997. During that final test year, sterile-fly release rates were increased to provide high sterile:wild (S:W) fly ratios in the field, and egg sterility reached levels in excess of 70% in plots were the male-only strain was used. However, in the plots where the bisexual strain was released, induced sterility only reached 12% despite S:W ratios above 1,000:1.

Agriculture↗
PubMed2001

Development of sterile ovules on bisexual cones of Gnetum gnemon (Gnetaceae).

Angiosperms and Gnetales (Ephedra, Gnetum, Welwitschia) represent the only seed plants that regularly produce bisexual cones. Unfortunately, the fertility and function of ovules formed on bisexual cones of Gnetales have remained unclear. Some reports indicate that the ovules are sterile while others indicate that they may develop into seeds. This study demonstrates three different developmental patterns of ovules formed on bisexual cones of Gnetum gnemon. Type I ovules did not develop at all after pollination and represented the majority of ovules on each cone. Type II ovules enlarged slightly after pollination due to the enlargement of nucellar tissue. Type III ovules were typically found on the terminal whorl and developed into seed-like structures. The enlargement was due to proliferation of megagametophyte tissue. Sectioned material revealed that megagametophytes show altered development compared to those found in functional female ovules. None of the ovules studied contained embryos, and thus all were sterile. Densitometry of 4',6-diamidino-2-phenylindole (DAPI)- stained sections revealed that megagametophyte nuclei formed in the sterile ovules are unreduced (diploid) and thus do not form viable female gametes.

Journal Article↗
PubMed2002

Pediatricians' knowledge, perceptions, and attitudes towards providing health care for lesbian, gay, and bisexual adolescents.

BACKGROUND: Pediatricians are often the first health-care contacts for gay, lesbian, and bisexual adolescents who are developing their sexual orientation. OBJECTIVE: This study investigated pediatricians' attitudes and practices towards gay, lesbian, and bisexual adolescents. METHOD: We sent anonymous self-administered questionnaires to 112 pediatricians in the Ottawa area. RESULTS: Of those who responded, 36 per cent reported having treated lesbian, gay, or bisexual patients, and 70 per cent reported not addressing the issue of sexual orientation. Reservations in discussing sexual orientation were due to fears of offending patients, and a lack of knowledge regarding their needs. Furthermore, 59 per cent of these pediatricians were unfamiliar with community resources for homosexual youths, and 78 per cent reported wanting more information with regards to the care of this population. CONCLUSION: Many pediatricians experience difficulties in discussing issues of sexual orientation, and generally feel inadequately prepared to address issues pertaining to the health-care needs of these adolescents. While certain issues remain controversial, the overall attitude of pediatricians towards homosexually oriented patients is positive in that they are interested in becoming more aware of issues of homosexual orientation, to better serve this population.

Adolescent↗
PubMed2006

[Analysis of genetic variation in unisexual and bisexual lizard species of the genus Leiolepis from Southeast Asia].

Using multilocus DNA fingerprinting with microsatellite probes (CAC)5, (GACA)4, (GGCA)4 and (GATA)4, intraspecific variation of the Southeast Asian lizards belonging to the genus Leiolepis (bisexual species Leiolepis reevesii and triploid parthenogenetic species Leiolepis guentherpetersi) was first examined. The L. guentherpetersi lizards were characterized by monophyletic DNA fingerprint profiles for the loci detected by the (GACA)4, (GGCA)4, and (CAC)5 probes, in terms of intrapopulation similarity index constituting S = 0.96. This was different from the individual-specific profiles of the lizards from bisexual, presumably parental species, L. reevesii (S = 0.6; P < 0.001). Genetic homogeneity of triploid L. guentherpetersi lizards at the loci examined serves as one of the arguments for the parthenogenetic nature of this species. Genetic variability of triploid parthenogenetic species L. guentherpetersi appeared to be comparable with that reported earlier for the Caucasian rock lizards of the genus Darevskia, namely, D. dahlia, D. armeniaca, and D. unisexualis (P > 0.05). The results of DNA fingerprinting analysis of the same L. guentherpetersi samples with the (GATA)4 hybridization probe were unexpected. Variability of parthenogenetic species L. guentherpetersi at the (GATA)n markers was remarkably higher than that at other DNA markers (S = 0.35; P = 3.08 x 10(-11)), being comparable to the variation of the (GATA)n DNA markers in bisexual species L. reevesii (P = 0.74). The reasons for high polymorphism of the (GATA)n-containing loci in L. guentherpetersi still remain unclear. This polymorhism is probably associated with high instability of the loci, which can be revealed by means of family analysis of parthenogenetic offspring.

Animals↗
PubMed1991

Risk factors for attempted suicide in gay and bisexual youth.

Studies of human sexuality have noted high rates of suicidality among homosexual youth, but the problem has not been systematically examined. This work was undertaken to identify risk factors for suicide attempts among bisexual and homosexual male youth. Subjects were 137 gay and bisexual males, 14 through 21 years of age, from the upper Midwest and Pacific Northwest. Forty-one subjects (41/137) reported a suicide attempt; and almost half of them described multiple attempts. Twenty-one percent of all attempts resulted in medical or psychiatric admissions. Compared with non-attempters, attempters had more feminine gender roles and adopted a bisexual or homosexual identity at younger ages. Attempters were more likely than peers to report sexual abuse, drug abuse, and arrests for misconduct. The findings parallel previous studies' results and also introduce novel suicide risk factors related to gender nonconformity and sexual milestones.

Adolescent↗
PubMed1987

Parenting desires among bisexual women and lesbians.

Parenting desires were ascertained among a large group of lesbians (n = 1,921) and bisexual women (n = 424) recruited in a nonclinical setting. More than 50% of each sexual-orientation group had considered having a child since recognizing their current sexual identity. Lesbians were more likely than bisexuals to favor adoption and donor insemination as options, whereas bisexuals were more likely to consider intercourse with either a cooperative or unsuspecting man. Overall, however, 47 women (2%) reported success in obtaining a child through one of these options.

Adoption↗