Positive
Self-Image Leads to Better Health

Gay and bisexual men with a positive disposition toward homosexuality tend to be in better health than those who view their sexual orientation negatively, according to a University of Minnesota study.

More than 400 men from the Midwest took part in the study. In all cases, men who said they viewed homosexuality as something negative tended to have poorer mental and sexual health.

Dr. Simon Rosser, the principal investigator, said that the study is a missing link in understanding the correlation between sexual orientation and overall health.

"It provides new evidence that negative attitudes towards homosexuality, not homosexuality itself, are associated with both poorer mental and sexual health outcomes seen in sexual minorities," he said in a press release. "Conversely, positive attitudes towards homosexuality are associated with better mental and sexual health."

The results showed no direct correlation between the respondents' sexual actions and their physical health, helping to disprove the popular social-conservative argument that same-sex intimacies are inherently unhealthy. Rosser said that gay men who are advised to suppress their sexual orientation often experience depression and poorer sexual health. "In short, viewing homosexuality as a disorder is not only inaccurate, it may be harmful as well," he said.

The full study will appear in the Journal of Homosexuality. (Michelle Garcia, The Advocate)