Homosexuals in city battle social stigma health issues

  • | Sunday | 15th July, 2018

They suffer from depression, phobia of social isolation, lack of support system from family and social stigma. Around 11% of the gay community in the state suffers from HIV too,” the physician said. While some are accompanied by parents, others come alone.“I have observed that practice of safe sex is almost absent among gay people. They are at high risk for HIV and other sexually transmitted infections such as syphilis, venereal warts, herpes and so on. This has instilled in them a need to adapt to societal demands.

Visakhapatnam: As a constitutional bench of the Supreme Court continues to hear the case about decriminalising Section 377 (homosexuality) of the Indian Penal Code, psychologists and medical experts in the city point to the urgent need of doing away with the stigma surrounding gay sex – and the various health implications that homosexuals continue to suffer as a result of that stigma.Around 14 cases of young gay men, who visited the AU psychology department in the last six months for counselling, are suffering from depression, and substance abuse as a fallout of the stigma that they have faced for the better part of their lives.In the absence of a support system and acceptance from society, these youths, all in their 20s, are increasingly becoming alienated from society. Due to lack of awareness, they were also found to be engaging in unsafe sex, which is a case for concern.Prof MVR Raju, a professor from AU Psychology department said, “These young adults who come to me for counselling are biologically normal but face social stigma and suffer from lack of acceptance. This has instilled in them a need to adapt to societal demands. Some of them even went to Mumbai to get a sex change operation done so that they could find more acceptance within society.”“Most of them have admitted to substance abuse including binging on alcohol and smoking marijuana. They suffer from depression, phobia of social isolation, lack of support system from family and social stigma. They need counselling, behaviour modification and therapy, education and respectable employment to be absorbed in societal mainstream,” added Prof Raju.Padma Shri awardee physician Dr Kutikuppala Surya Rao, who is also a HIV specialist, said at least five to six young gay men in the age bracket of 14-30 years come for consultation. While some are accompanied by parents, others come alone.“I have observed that practice of safe sex is almost absent among gay people. They are at high risk for HIV and other sexually transmitted infections such as syphilis, venereal warts, herpes and so on. Around 11% of the gay community in the state suffers from HIV too,” the physician said.

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