Homosexual men practice a wide array of male-to-male sexual activities — Many of them identical to heterosexual activities. And, in a gay relationship, the feelings of love and caring can be as strong as in any heterosexual relationship.Because of the traumatic effect that AIDS has had on the gay community, I am listing gay sexual practices in order of their safety — a major concern for both gays and straights. I particularly want young homosexual males to hear this message about safer sex. Although the older gay population, which has seen so many of its members suffer and die, has adopted safer sex practices, reports indicate that young gay men are still flirting with danger. I can only hope that they use safer sex before it’s too late.
At the safest end of the spectrum is voyeurism; that is, watching other people have sex. This activity may be compared to straight men going to topless clubs; although, because of the atmosphere of the gay bar and bath scene, masturbation more likely accompanies voyeurism among homosexuals.
Group masturbation is another common practice in certain homosexual communities. This may either be solo masturbation done in the presence of others, or mutual masturbation, which is sometimes done in circle jerks where one man masturbates the next, who masturbates the next, and so on. Because of the dangers of AIDS, most major cities have developed J/O Clubs (the J/O stands for “jerk off” or “jack off”), which are places where gay men may masturbate together. These clubs usually have strict rules against other, dangerous forms of sex.
Frottage is the term applied to the practice of two men rubbing their bodies against each other, usually until climax. This is considered a safe form of sexual activity.
Fellatio, oral-penile sex, is considered to be the most common form of sex between men.
Because the risks of transmitting an STD are greater if one person ejaculates into the mouth of the other, ejaculating in the mouth is often avoided. Because of the leak of Cowper’s fluid, however, oral sex still has some danger to it unless the person on whom fellatio is being performed wears a condom. Kissing other body parts includes little risk, except for anal kissing, or rimming, from which many STDs can be passed on.
The most risky form of gay male sex is penile-anal sex. This is when one man inserts his penis into the anus of his partner and thrusts until he achieves orgasm. The person whose anus is being penetrated (the bottom) may also find pleasure from having his prostate and rectum stimulated in this manner. The transmission of STDs is at its highest during anal sex because the ejaculate can contain the viruses. Because the rectal lining is often torn or abraded during this sexual practice, the viruses then gain easy access to the bloodstream.
The use of condoms is a must for safer penile-anal sex; although, because of the amount of physical activity, condoms are more likely to break during anal sex than during vaginal sex. So, even with a condom, anal sex remains a risky activity.
Marriage between Same-Sex Partners
Although our society condemns gay people for being promiscuous, it also puts roadblocks in front of gays who want to make a commitment to each other. Many people want to limit the concept of marriage to the union of a man and a woman. Because I want to wish a healthy life to all human beings, I believe we must encourage all people, including gays, to form long-term relationships.
