What is Sexual Orientation and How Does it Develop?

In the UK, gay marriage has now become legal, meaning that the topic of sexual orientation has become more prominent than ever before. But what does it mean to be gay, bisexual or transgender? Do LGBT teens face greater risks to their sexual health, and overall wellbeing? Let’s take a look at how sexual orientation affects wellness.

 

As a teenager, puberty causes hormonal and physical changes which, in turn, lead to an awakening of your sexual feelings. It’s perfectly normal to wonder and even worry about these new feelings, and many people find it takes a long time to understand who they are and who they’re becoming. Part of this involves understanding your own sexual feelings and who you are attracted to. This is known as your sexual orientation, or your emotional, romantic, or sexual attraction to other people. Sexual orientations include – but are not limited to – heterosexuality (being attracted to people of the opposite sex to you), homosexuality (being attracted to people of the same sex to you) bisexuality (being attracted to people of both sexes) and asexuality (not feeling any sexual attraction to others, but still feeling emotionally close to other people).

 

Discovering your sexual feelings is daunting for any teenager, but this can be particularly intense if you begin to have romantic or sexual thoughts about someone who is the same sex as you. This does not necessarily mean that you are gay. Adolescence is a time for discovering who you are and, as such, it’s common to have feelings about people of both genders – it’s your body’s way of sorting through emerging sexual feelings, kind of in the same way you might try on an outfit, but decide it’s not for you. Even if you go beyond thinking about it, and start to experiment with sexual experiences with people of your own sex or of the opposite sex, this does not necessarily mean that you are gay or straight.

 

You may have seen the term LGBT or LGBTQ used to describe sexual orientation. This abbreviation stands for “lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgender and questioning”. However, transgender isn’t really a matter of orientation, but of gender identity. If you’re transgender, you may have been born as one gender, but feel you should have been the other one. If you’re a man, you feel like you’re a female and vice versa. The reason why transgender people are included in the LGBTQ acronym is because they are people who don’t feel they fit into the category of being “straight.” There’s nothing wrong about being LGBTQ. Still, not everyone believes that. These kinds of beliefs can make things difficult for LGBTQ teens in particular.

 

Even though a change seems to be coming for LGBTQ individuals, it can still feel like the “norm” is to be straight, which can make you feel different from your heterosexual friends. As recently as 2012, a survey by the Human Rights Campaign found that 92% of LGBT teens had heard negative things about being lesbian, gay, bisexual, or transgender. You may feel like that you need to deny this part of yourself, or hide it away for fear of prejudice, rejection, or bullying – even from friends and family who might support you. Telling your close family and friends about your orientation is known as “coming out”. Many teens find they have good support systems during this time, and are perfectly comfortable being open about their orientation. However, there are still many teens don’t have adults they can talk to about sexual orientation, and these young people are at a greater risk for emotional problems like anxiety and depression.

Categories: gay bisexual, lesbian gay, lgbt teens, LGBTQ, orientation, people, psychological issues, sexual, sexual attraction, sexual feelings, sexual orientation

What Health Issues Do Lesbian and Bisexual Women Face?

All women have certain risks that specifically affect their wellbeing, but certain issues are particularly a cause for concern among women who have sex with women. This is not just a case of sexual health risks – although that plays a part in your wellness – but lesbian and bisexual women face an increased risk of physical and mental health problems too.

 

1. Sexually transmitted infections (STIs): Some STIs can spread between women, particularly through oral sex, sexual behaviour involving digital-vaginal or digital-anal contact, and shared penetrative sex toys. Through these means, you’re at an increased risk of human papillomavirus (HPV), bacterial vaginosis, trichomonas and HIV, so it’s important to do everything you can to protect yourself from these STIs. Make sure you get tested regularly, and that whomever you have sex with has also been tested. During oral sex, use a split-open condom, dental dam (a small piece of latex) or plastic wrap. Finally, don’t share sex toys, protect them with a condom and make sure you clean them before and after every use.

 

2. Depression: Lesbians and bisexual women might be at higher risk of depression and anxiety, especially young people who identify themselves as lesbian, gay, bisexual or transgender. This could be due to a number of factors, including social alienation, discrimination, rejection by loved ones, abuse and violence. The fear of these negative reactions causes some women to try and hide their orientation or to forgo social support, but this makes depression all the more likely for these women. Depression, when left untreated, can add to your risk of unsafe sexual behaviour, as well as a downward spiral of emotional, behavioural, health, legal and financial problems. Therefore, it’s vital that you confide in a trusted loved one, and seek help from a doctor or mental health provider.

 

3. Substance abuse: There are unique risk factors involved in lesbians and bisexual women experiencing substance abuse. You might rely on drugs or alcohol due to the stress of passing as a heterosexual or coming out, sexism, discrimination, relying on bars or clubs for socialising and peer support and the trauma of bullying, violence, abuse or self-abuse. Contact your local lesbian, gay, bisexual and transgender health, mental health or community centres for substance abuse treatment or get a referral from organisations like the Gay and Lesbian Medical Association.

 

4. Domestic violence: As domestic violence is traditionally depicted as a man abusing a woman, women in a relationship with other women don’t think it can happen to them. However, domestic violence can affect anyone in an intimate relationship, so you need to watch out for the warning signs. If your partner threatens to tell others about your sexual orientation or gender identity, tells you that authorities won’t help a homosexual, bisexual or transgendered person, tells you that leaving the relationship means you’re admitting that homosexual relationships are deviant or tells you that domestic violence can’t occur in homosexual relationships or that women can’t be violent, this indicates abuse and you should tell someone – be it a friend, loved one, health care provider or other close contact. You might also consider calling a domestic violence hotline and creating a plan to leave your abuser.

 

5. Routine healthcare: Many women who have sex with women find it difficult to discuss their needs and concerns with a doctor, or to find a doctor knowledgeable about lesbian health issues. However, you need to choose a doctor who encourages you to discuss sexual issues in an easy environment, so make sure you identify yourself as lesbian or bisexual when picking your GP, and ask about routine screenings recommended for women in your age group.

Categories: Bisexual Women, domestic violence, gay bisexual, health concerns, homosexual relationships, lesbian gay, Lesbians, Mental Health, oral sex, sexual behaviour, substance abuse