Homosexual behavior is dangerous
Illicit homosexual behavior is risky and can be dangerous to you physically. Cruising late at night in dark places can make you vulnerable to physical attack. Sexual behavior may put your life and health at risk because of diseases that are transmitted through sexual contact. Addictive sexual behavior can be particularly dangerous because the compulsive actions can prevail over a person’s better judgment and he may engage in behaviors that are deadly.
Men who engage in homosexual behavior account for 80% of America’s most serious sexually-transmitted diseases, although they comprise only 5–10% of the population. (Stephens, 1996) Those who contract AIDS die at the median age of thirty-nine. Those who don’t get AIDS die at the median age of forty-two. (Cameron, 1993)
HIV/AIDS
HIV is the Human Immunodeficiency Virus that attacks the body’s immune system and weakens its ability to defend itself against disease. A person infected with the virus is considered HIV-positive. When HIV weakens the immune system to the point that the body is no longer able to defend itself—indicated in part by a T-cell count of less than 200—a person is said to have AIDS (Acquired Immune Deficiency Syndrome). Such a weakened immune system is no longer able to fight off serious infections, diseases, and some types of cancer. About half of the people infected with HIV develop AIDS within 10 years; some stay healthy for fifteen years or longer. (USA Today, 17 Apr. 1995, p. D-1)
The Centers for Disease Control estimate that up to 900,000 Americans—one in 800 women and one in 100 men—are infected with HIV, and perhaps half are unaware of their infection. (Burr, 1997, p. 61) The Surgeon General said, "Today, most of the people with AIDS are young adults. Although survival times have improved greatly for people who are diagnosed early and receive medical treatment, the disease is usually fatal." (Surgeon General, 1992, p. 1)
The spread of HIV and AIDS
Everyone needs to become informed about HIV and AIDS and avoid actions that place themselves or others at risk. HIV is in the blood, semen, or vaginal secretions of an infected person. The two main ways of spreading HIV are having sex and using contaminated needles to inject drugs. In addition, infected women can pass HIV infection to their newborns. HIV can be in semen, including the first drop of fluid, even before ejaculation. HIV can enter the body through the penis, rectum, or mouth. Anal sex is especially dangerous. The Surgeon General has said, "Condoms provide some protection, but anal intercourse is simply too dangerous a practice." (Condoms and Sexually-transmitted Diseases, p. 7) Performing oral sex is risky because getting semen or blood from an infected person in your mouth puts you at risk of HIV infection. (Surgeon General,1992, p. 6) Sores or cuts in your mouth make it even more risky. According to the Journal of AIDS and the Centers for Disease Control, receiving unprotected oral sex also puts you at risk to be infected with HIV. (According to the March 1993 Journal of AIDS, as reported in “Positively Aware On-Line,” Test Positive Aware Network, Chicago, IL, Jun. 1993)
A person can become infected with HIV through a single sexual contact. The risk of infection increases exponentially with each additional sexual contact. Doubling the number of contacts does not merely double the risk, because you can be exposed to HIV not only directly from the sex partner but also indirectly from all his former partners. It is estimated that half of those who are infected don’t know it. Others may know they are HIV-positive but still engage in risky behaviors because of denial or anger, or because they are past caring. Others lie about their HIV-positive status in order to have sex. A survey of HIV-positive men revealed that 11% had lied and said they were HIV-negative in order to have sex. (Lever, p. 23.) A person under the influence of compulsive sex doesn’t think clearly and may take unusual risks that place his own life and the lives of others in jeopardy.
If one in 100 men in America are HIV-positive, how many men who participate in homosexual behavior are infected? One in ten? One in five? How many men who cruise at a given location are infected? One in two? Don’t believe you can’t get infected. Some men feel that since they don’t live in a large city, the chances of infection are small. But infection happens at alarming rates in all large and small cities. I have several friends who thought they were safe and now are infected with HIV. A survey of gay and bisexual males found that in spite of a very accurate understanding of HIV infection, 63% had participated in behavior that put them at "extreme risk." (Remafedi, 1994, pp. 163–168) Another survey showed that of those who received anal intercourse, 58% had a partner ejaculate in them without the protection of a condom (Lever, p. 23) and only 8% used condoms consistently with their most recent sex partner. (Remafedi, 1994, pp. 163–168) Among HIV-positive men who had insertive anal intercourse, 19% ejaculated without wearing a condom (Lever, p. 23) and of those who had oral sex, 26% ejaculated in another man’s mouth, most typically with someone they had just met. (Lever, p. 22)
Dennis wrote the following warning: "I assumed what I thought to be a low level of risk. I had very little anal sex, and always with a condom. I was very careful with oral sex and never let anyone ejaculate in my mouth. I checked my mouth for sores and never had oral sex within a half hour of eating, brushing, or flossing. Although I thought I was being careful, I now realize that I was playing Russian roulette, and I lost. Last spring I tested positive and my T-cell count is now 196, which means I officially have AIDS."
It is important not to judge people who have become infected. Regardless of the actions that allowed the infection, they deserve suffering or death no more than anyone else. What they need most desperately is our love and concern. When tragedy strikes, we should feel sympathy and provide charitable service. And if we start looking for an object lesson in the tragedy, we should apply the lesson to ourselves rather than to them. Let the misfortunes of others alert us to the urgency of our own state of affairs.
HIV testing
If you have been involved in even marginally-risky behavior, including giving or receiving oral sex, you should be tested for HIV and other sexually-transmitted diseases. If you are married, your wife should also be tested. Although it may be a frightening thing to do, it is necessary for your own health and that of your family. Early diagnosis can reduce the chance of spreading the disease further and early treatment can slow down the onset of symptoms and HIV-related illnesses, potentially adding years to your lives. For information about testing, contact your county public health office or local section of the Red Cross.
Providing support
Individuals who are infected with HIV or have AIDS often have great needs for emotional, psychological, social, spiritual, and financial support. Since most government and private organizations that offer help to HIV-infected individuals have espoused gay-affirmative values, those who are trying to overcome their same-sex attraction issues may find themselves at odds with the goals of such organizations and find it difficult to get much positive assistance from them. In these cases, it may be especially important to offer them your encouragement, love, support, and acceptance. Everyone should become informed about HIV and AIDS and extend sympathy, compassion, and assistance to all who are infected or ill with AIDS.
For more information
 | Many of your questions about HIV and AIDS can be answered confidentially over the phone by calling the National AIDS Information Hotline sponsored by the Centers for Disease Control at 800/342–AIDS (Spanish: 800/344–SIDA; hearing impaired: 800/AIDS-TTY). |
| For advice from a Christian perspective, contact Americans For A Sound AIDS/HIV Policy, P. O. Box 17433, Washington, DC 20041 (telephone: 703/471–7350). |
| To find a support group for Christians with HIV or AIDS, contact the Christian AIDS Services Alliance, P. O. Box 3612, San Rafael, CA 94912. |
The perils of homosexual behavior
Less than 2% of the gay population survives to age sixty-five. Gay people commit suicide at much higher rates than national averages. A 1988 study by the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services showed that gay teens commit suicide at two to three times the rate of other teens and some studies show that 40% of all gay people make attempts on their lives when they are young. (Marcus, 1993, p. 29) Gay people generally attribute these problems to the oppression and hate they receive from society. However, the internal struggle with same-sex attraction creates much emptiness and despair.
My friend Spencer wrote the following experience: "This afternoon, as I walked down Christopher Street in Greenwich Village, I saw in a snapshot view both the allure and tragedy of the gay world. Walking toward me was a man in his late twenties. With his gym bag in hand, shoulders back and chest out, he felt proud of his pumped body. I imagined he was headed home to ready himself for a night of entertainment and fun. He was confident and on top of the world. Just after he passed me, I came upon another man also in his late twenties. I almost stumbled into him because he was inching his way down the sidewalk with the help of a cane. Judging from his bald head and the lesions on his face and arms, I assumed he was in the final stages of AIDS. On this beautiful Saturday, he felt well enough to venture out of the house for a short walk in the fresh air. About thirty feet after I passed him, I had to stop and look back on the scene I had just witnessed. In the distance I could still see the healthy young man walking briskly, ready for good times and adventure. In the foreground was the heart-wrenching sight of the other young man who was barely able to walk, a victim of the adventurous lifestyle that the healthy young man was so eager to pursue. I wished I could get the healthy young man to stop and talk with the other young man to see if any advice he would give could save him from a similar plight."