Sex EducationDon't be a dummy when it comes to sex. Be smart and learn what sex is...and what it isn't. Sex is more than just putting a penis into a vagina or anus. Sex can include everything from kissing to stroking, licking, rubbing and massage. While there seem to be endless ways to have sex, there are rules about what should happen: no-one is allowed to have sex with a person under 10 years of age; if you are between 10 and 16, you cannot have sex with someone who is more than 2 years older than you; people in the same family cannot have sex and you cannot be forced to have sex.
There are other facts about sex that are worth knowing, not only so that you are sex-savvy but because knowing about sex, safer sex practices and how to prevent pregnancy can keep you healthy and happy.
Learn about sex myths and facts, find out how to tell your partner to practice safer sex, or find out how you can practice safer sex without your partner's involvement.
Men with more testosterone DO make smooth talkers. A UK study found that regular injections of the male hormone made men more articulate, persuasive and fluent. What is sex education?Sex education, which is sometimes called sexuality education or sex and relationships education, is the process of acquiring information and forming attitudes and beliefs about sex, sexual identity, relationships and intimacy. Sex education is also about developing young people's skills so that they make informed choices about their behaviour, and feel confident and competent about acting on these choices. It is widely accepted that young people have a right to sex education, partly because it is a means by which they are helped to protect themselves against abuse, exploitation, unintended pregnancies, sexually transmitted diseases and HIV/AIDS.1 2 3 4 5 What are the aims of sex education?Sex education seeks both to reduce the risks of potentially negative outcomes from sexual behaviour like unwanted or unplanned pregnancies and infection with sexually transmitted diseases, and to enhance the quality of relationships. It is also about developing young people's ability to make decisions over their entire lifetime. Sex education that works, by which we mean that it is effective, is sex education that contributes to this overall aim. What skills should sex education develop?If sex education is going to be effective it needs to include opportunities for young people to develop skills, as it can hard for them to act on the basis of only having information.6 7 The kinds of skills young people develop as part of sex education are linked to more general life-skills. For example, being able to communicate, listen, negotiate, ask for and identify sources of help and advice, are useful life-skills and can be applied in terms of sexual relationships. Effective sex education develops young people's skills in negotiation, decision-making, assertion and listening. Other important skills include being able to recognise pressures from other people and to resist them, deal with and challenge prejudice, seek help from adults - including parents, carers and professionals - through the family, community and health and welfare services. Sex education that works, also helps equip young people with the skills to be able to differentiate between accurate and inaccurate information, discuss a range of moral and social issues and perspectives on sex and sexuality, including different cultural attitudes and sensitive issues like sexuality, abortion and contraception.8 9 10 Forming attitudes and beliefsYoung people can be exposed to a wide range of attitudes and beliefs in relation to sex and sexuality. These sometimes appear contradictory and confusing. For example, some health messages emphasis the risks and dangers associated with sexual activity and some media coverage promotes the idea that being sexually active makes a person more attractive and mature. Because sex and sexuality are sensitive subjects, young people and sex educators can have strong views on what attitudes people should hold, and what moral framework should govern people's behaviour - these too can sometimes seem to be at odds. Young people are very interested in the moral and cultural frameworks that binds sex and sexuality. They often welcome opportunities to talk about issues where people have strong views, like abortion, sex before marriage, lesbian and gay issues and contraception and birth control. It is important to remember that talking in a balanced way about differences in opinion does not promote one set of views over another, or mean that one agrees with a particular view. Part of exploring and understanding cultural, religious and moral views is finding out that you can agree to disagree.
People providing sex education have attitudes and beliefs of their own about sex and sexuality and it is important not to let these influence negatively the sex education that they provide. For example, even if a person believes that young people should not have sex until they are married, this does not imply withholding important information about safer sex and contraception. Attempts to impose narrow moralistic views about sex and sexuality on young people through sex education have failed.11 12 Rather than trying to deter or frighten young people away from having sex, effective sex education includes work on attitudes and beliefs, coupled with skills development, that enables young people to choose whether or not to have a sexual relationship taking into account the potential risks of any sexual activity. Effective sex education also provides young people with an opportunity to explore the reasons why people have sex, and to think about how it involves emotions, respect for one self and other people and their feelings, decisions and bodies. Young people should have the chance to explore gender differences and how ethnicity and sexuality can influence people's feelings and options.13 14 They should be able to decide for themselves what the positive qualities of relationships are. It is important that they understand how bullying, stereotyping, abuse and exploitation can negatively influence relationships. So what information should be given to young people?Young people get information about sex and sexuality from a wide range of sources including each other, through the media including advertising, television and magazines, as well as leaflets, books and websites (such as www.avert.org) which are intended to be sources of information about sex and sexuality. Some of this will be accurate and some inaccurate. Providing information through sex education is therefore about finding out what young people already know and adding to their existing knowledge and correcting any misinformation they may have. For example, young people may have heard that condoms are not effective against HIV/AIDS or that there is a cure for AIDS. It is important to provide information which corrects mistaken beliefs. Without correct information young people can put themselves at greater risk. Information is also important as the basis on young people can developed well- informed attitudes and views about sex and sexuality. Young people need to have information on all the following topics:
They need to have information about the physical and emotional changes associated with puberty and sexual reproduction, including fertilisation and conception and about sexually transmitted diseases, including HIV/AIDS. They also need to know about contraception and birth control including what contraceptives there are, how they work, how people use them, how they decide what to use or not, and how they can be obtained. In terms of information about relationships they need to know about what kinds of relationships there are, about love and commitment, marriage and partnership and the law relating to sexual behaviour and relationships as well as the range of religious and cultural views on sex and sexuality and sexual diversity. In addition, young people should be provided with information about abortion, sexuality, and confidentiality, as well as about the range of sources of advice and support that is available in the community and nationally. When should sex education start?Sex education that works starts early, before young people reach puberty, and before they have developed established patterns of behaviour.15 16 17 The precise age at which information should be provided depends on the physical, emotional and intellectual development of the young people as well as their level of understanding. What is covered and also how, depends on who is providing the sex education, when they are providing it, and in what context, as well as what the individual young person wants to know about. It is important not to delay providing information to young people but to begin when they are young. Providing basic information provides the foundation on which more complex knowledge is built up over time. This also means that sex education has to be sustained. For example, when they are very young, children can be informed about how people grow and change over time, and how babies become children and then adults, and this provides the basis on which they understand more detailed information about puberty provided in the pre-teenage years. They can also when they are young, be provided with information about viruses and germs that attack the body. This provides the basis for talking to them later about infections that can be caught through sexual contact.
Some people are concerned that providing information about sex and sexuality arouses curiosity and can lead to sexual experimentation. There is no evidence that this happens.18 19 It is important to remember that young people can store up information provided at any time, for a time when they need it later on. Sometimes it can difficult for adults to know when to raise issues, but the important thing is to maintain an open relationship with children which provides them with opportunities to ask questions when they have them. Parents and carers can also be proactive and engage young people in discussions about sex, sexuality and relationships. Naturally, many parents and their children feel embarrassed about talking about some aspects of sex and sexuality. Viewing sex education as an on-going conversation about values, attitudes and issues as well as providing facts can be helpful. The best basis to proceed on is a sound relationship in which a young person feels able to ask a question or raise an issue if they feel they need to. It has been shown that in countries like The Netherlands, where many families regard it as an important responsibility to talk openly with children about sex and sexuality, this contributes to greater cultural openness about sex and sexuality and improved sexual health among young people.20 The role of many parents and carers as sex educators changes as young people get older and young people are provided with more opportunities to receive formal sex education through schools and community-settings. However, it doesn't get any less important. Because sex education in school tends to take place in blocks of time, it can't always address issues relevant to young people at a particular time, and parents can fulfill a particularly important role in providing information and opportunities to discuss things as they arise.21 Who should provide sex education?Different settings provide different contexts and opportunities for sex education. At home, young people can easily have one-to-one discussions with parents or carers which focus on specific issues, questions or concerns. They can have a dialogue about their attitudes and views. Sex education at home also tends to take place over a long time, and involve lots of short interactions between parents and children. There may be times when young people seem reluctant to talk, but it is important not to interpret any diffidence as meaning that there is nothing left to talk about. As young people get older advantage can be taken of opportunities provided by things seen on television for example, as an opportunity to initiate conversation. It is also important not to defer dealing with a question or issue for too long as it can suggest that you are unwilling to talk about it. In school the interaction between the teacher and young people takes a different form and is often provided in organised blocks of lessons. It is not as well suited to advising the individual as it is to providing information from an impartial point of view. The most effective sex education acknowledges the different contributions each setting can make. Schools programmes which involve parents, notifying them what is being taught and when, can support the initiation of dialogue at home. Parents and schools both need to engage with young people about the messages that they get from the media, and give them opportunities for discussion. In some countries, the involvement of young people themselves in developing and providing sex education has increased as a means of ensuring the relevance and accessibility of provision. Consultation with young people at the point when programmes are designed, helps ensure that they relevant and the involvement of young people in delivering programmes may reinforce messages as they model attitudes and behaviour to their peers.22 23 24 Effective school-based sex educationSchool-based sex education can be an important and effective way of enhancing young people's knowledge, attitudes and behaviour. There is widespread agreement that formal education should include sex education and what works has been well-researched. Evidence suggests that effective school programmes will include the following elements:
Formal programmes with these elements have been shown to increase young people's levels of knowledge about sex and sexuality, put back the average age at which they first have sexual intercourse and decrease risk when they do have sex . All the elements are important and inter-related, and sex education needs to be supported by links to sexual health services, otherwise it is not going to be so effective . It also takes into account the messages about sexual values and behaviour young people get from other sources, like friends and the media. It is also responsive to the needs of the young people themselves - whether they are girls or boys, on their own or in a single sex or mixed sex group, and what they know already, their age and experiences. Taking Sex Education ForwardProviding effective sex education can seem daunting because it means tackling potentially sensitive issues. However, because sex education comprises many individual activities, which take place across a wide range of settings and periods of time, there are lots of opportunities to contribute. The nature of a person's contribution depends on their relationship, role and expertise in relation to young people. For example, parents are best placed in relation to young people to provide continuity of individual support and education starting from early in their lives. School-based education programmes are particularly good at providing information and opportunities for skills development and attitude clarification in more formal ways, through lessons within a curriculum. Community-based projects provide opportunities for young people to access advice and information in less formal ways. Sexual health and other health and welfare services can provide access to specific information, support and advice. Sex education through the mass media, often supported by local, regional or national Government and non-governmental agencies and departments, can help to raise public awareness of sex health issues.
Further development of sex education partly depends on joining up these elements in a coherent way to meet the needs of young people. There is also a need to pay more attention to the needs of specific groups of young people like young parents, young lesbian, gay and bisexual people, as well as those who may be out of touch with services and schools and socially vulnerable, like young refugees and asylum-seekers, young people in care, young people in prisons, and also those living on the street. The circumstances and context available to parents and other sex educators are different from place to place. Practical or political realities in a particular country may limit people's ability to provide young people with comprehensive sex education combining all the elements in the best way possible. But the basic principles outlined here apply everywhere. By making our own contribution and valuing that made by others, and by being guided by these principles, we can provide more sex education that works and improve the support we offer to young people. What is AIDS?AIDS is a medical condition. People develop AIDS because HIV has damaged their natural defences against disease. What is HIV?
HIV (Human Immunodeficiency Virus) HIV is a virus. Viruses infect the cells that make up the human body and replicate (make new copies of themselves) within those cells. A virus can also damage human cells, which is one of the things that can make a person ill. HIV can be passed from one person to another. Someone can become infected with HIV through contact with the bodily fluids of someone who already has HIV. HIV stands for the 'Human Immunodeficiency Virus'. Someone who is diagnosed as infected with HIV is said to be 'HIV+' or 'HIV positive'. Why is HIV dangerous?The immune system is a group of cells and organs that protect your body by fighting disease. The human immune system usually finds and kills viruses fairly quickly. So if the body's immune system attacks and kills viruses, what's the problem? Different viruses attack different parts of the body - some may attack the skin, others the lungs, and so on. The common cold is caused by a virus. What makes HIV so dangerous is that it attacks the immune system itself - the very thing that would normally get rid of a virus. It particularly attacks a special type of immune system cell known as a CD4 lymphocyte. HIV has a number of tricks that help it to evade the body's defences, including very rapid mutation. This means that once HIV has taken hold, the immune system can never fully get rid of it. There isn't any way to tell just by looking if someone's been infected by HIV. In fact a person infected with HIV may look and feel perfectly well for many years and may not know that they are infected. But as the person's immune system weakens they become increasingly vulnerable to illnesses, many of which they would previously have fought off easily. The only reliable way to tell whether someone has HIV is for them to take a blood test, which can detect infection from a few weeks after the virus first entered the body. When HIV causes AIDSA damaged immune system is not only more vulnerable to HIV, but also to the attacks of other infections. It won't always have the strength to fight off things that wouldn't have bothered it before. As time goes by, a person who has been infected with HIV is likely to become ill more and more often until, usually several years after infection, they become ill with one of a number of particularly severe illnesses. It is at this point in the stages of HIV infection that they are said to have AIDS - when they first become seriously ill, or when the number of immune system cells left in their body drops below a particular point. Different countries have slightly different ways of defining the point at which a person is said to have AIDS rather than HIV. AIDS (Acquired Immune Deficiency Syndrome) is an extremely serious condition, and at this stage the body has very little defence against any sort of infection. How long does HIV take to become AIDS?Without drug treatment, HIV infection usually progresses to AIDS in an average of ten years. This average, though, is based on a person having a reasonable diet. Someone who is malnourished may well progress to AIDS and death more rapidly. Antiretroviral medication can prolong the time between HIV infection and the onset of AIDS. Modern combination therapy is highly effective and, theoretically, someone with HIV can live for a long time before it becomes AIDS. These medicines, however, are not widely available in many poor countries around the world, and millions of people who cannot access medication continue to die. How is HIV passed on?HIV is found in the blood and the sexual fluids of an infected person, and in the breast milk of an infected woman. HIV transmission occurs when a sufficient quantity of these fluids get into someone else's bloodstream. There are various ways a person can become infected with HIV. Ways in which you can be infected with HIV :
It is not possible to become infected with HIV through :
HIV facts and myths
People with HIV look just like everybody else Around the world, there are a number of different myths about HIV and AIDS. Here are some of the more common ones : 'You would have to drink a bucket of infected saliva to become infected yourself' . . . Yuck! This is a typical myth. HIV is found in saliva, but in quantities too small to infect someone. If you drink a bucket of saliva from an HIV positive person, you won't become infected. There has been only one recorded case of HIV transmission via kissing, out of all the many millions of kisses. In this case, both partners had extremely badly bleeding gums. 'Sex with a virgin can cure HIV' . . . This myth is common in some parts of Africa, and it is totally untrue. The myth has resulted in many rapes of young girls and children by HIV+ men, who often infect their victims. Rape won't cure anything and is a serious crime all around the world. 'It only happens to gay men / black people / young people, etc' . . . This myth is false. Most people who become infected with HIV didn't think it would happen to them, and were wrong. 'HIV can pass through latex' . . . Some people have been spreading rumours that the virus is so small that it can pass through 'holes' in latex used to make condoms. This is untrue. The fact is that latex blocks HIV, as well as sperm - preventing pregnancy, too. What does 'safe sex' mean?Safe sex refers to sexual activities which do not involve any blood or sexual fluid from one person getting into another person's body. If two people are having safe sex then, even if one person is infected, there is no possibility of the other person becoming infected. Examples of safe sex are cuddling, mutual masturbation, 'dry' (or 'clothed') sex . . . In many parts of the world, particularly the USA, people are taught that the best form of safe sex is no sex - also called 'sexual abstinence'. Abstinence isn't a form of sex at all - it involves avoiding all sexual activity. Usually, young people are taught that they should abstain sexually until they marry, and then remain faithful to their partner. This is a good way for someone to avoid HIV infection, as long as their husband or wife is also completely faithful and doesn't infect them. What is 'safer sex'?Safer sex is used to refer to a range of sexual activities that hold little risk of HIV infection. Safer sex is often taken to mean using a condom for sexual intercourse. Using a condom makes it very hard for the virus to pass between people when they are having sexual intercourse. A condom, when used properly, acts as a physical barrier that prevents infected fluid getting into the other person's body. Is kissing risky?Kissing someone on the cheek, also known as social kissing, does not pose any risk of HIV transmission. Deep or open-mouthed kissing is considered a very low risk activity for transmission of HIV. This is because HIV is present in saliva but only in very minute quantities, insufficient to lead to HIV infection alone. There has only been one documented instance of HIV infection as a result of kissing out of all the millions of cases recorded. This was as a result of infected blood getting into the mouth of the other person during open-mouthed kissing, and in this instance both partners had seriously bleeding gums. Can anything 'create' HIV?No. Unprotected sex, for example, is only risky if one partner is infected with the virus. If your partner is not carrying HIV, then no type of sex or sexual activity between you is going to cause you to become infected - you can't 'create' HIV by having unprotected anal sex, for example. You also can't become infected through masturbation. In fact nothing you do on your own is going to give you HIV - it can only be transmitted from another person who already has the virus. Is there a cure for AIDS?
HIV medication can slow the progress of the virus Worryingly, surveys show that many people think that there's a 'cure' for AIDS - which makes them feel safer, and perhaps take risks that they otherwise shouldn't. These people are wrong, though - there is still no cure for AIDS. There is antiretroviral medication which slows the progression from HIV to AIDS, and which can keep some people healthy for many years. In some cases, the antiretroviral medication seems to stop working after a number of years, but in other cases people can recover from AIDS and live with HIV for a very long time. But they have to take powerful medication every day of their lives, sometimes with very unpleasant side effects. There is still no way to cure AIDS, and at the moment the only way to remain safe is not to become infected. Am I gay?Many people have feelings towards other people of the same sex, and wonder whether this means that they are gay. For many people these feelings can be very intense and alienating. Some people who are attracted to other people of the same sex are gay and go on to have sexual relationships with people of the same sex. But other people who have gay feelings find that these change over time and they become attracted to people of the opposite sex. Other people are attracted to both men and women, and have relationships with both. Some people are not attracted to anyone and wonder if this is a sign of homosexuality. Often it is only time that will resolve these feelings. If you think you might be gay and feel you need to talk to someone most countries have telephone helplines and organisations that can provide information and support for you. When do people know that they are gay?There is no simple answer or standard answer to this question, as it varies from person to person. Generally it can be said that being gay is not something a person suddenly begins to consider, and it may not be something they can initially put a name to. Research published in 1996 showed how the young gay men interviewed had described a set of feelings which they gradually realised made them 'different' in some way, and a set of feelings they thought maybe every teenage boy has. “I thought, well, this is just the phase bit. Sooner or later I'm going to start finding women attractive. I never did. As I became more attracted to men, and I still wasn't getting attracted to women, I thought, shit, you're gay. And it was really quite a shock when it hit me.” - Luke Eventually all people who are gay realise that not only are they sexually attracted to members of the same sex, but that this attraction is not transitional. This realisation could come at any time during their lives. Some may keep their sexuality a secret, while others may decide to come out. Is homosexuality a phase young people go through?For some people yes, and for others no. Some people do not have their first homosexual feelings or experience until they are well into adulthood. In a national survey in Britain carried out in the 1990s, nearly the same number of women reported their first homosexual experience had happened in their twenties as did in their thirties, forties or fifties. But, there is evidence that for some people homosexual experiences may well be part of a transitional or experimental phase in their youth. This is hardly surprising given that adolescence is a period of change in which many people find who they are and what they want for themselves in adult life. This kind of behaviour is perfectly normal. Are you born gay? What causes people to be gay?
There is no simple answer to the question, 'Are some people born lesbian or gay?' There are some theories which stress biological differences between heterosexual and homosexual adults, suggesting that people are born with their sexuality already determined. In 1993 the American researcher Dean Hamer published research that seemed to prove that homosexual orientation could be genetically transmitted to men on the x chromosome, which they get from their mothers. However when this study was duplicated it did not produce the same results. A follow-up study which Hamer collaborated on also failed to reinforce his earlier results. Most recently research published in April 1999 by George Rice and George Ebers of the Universty of Western Ontario has cast doubt on Hamer's theory. Rice and Ebers' research also tested the same region of the x chromosome in a larger sample of gay men, but failed to find the same 'marker' that Hamer's research had produced. Claims that the part of the brain known as the hypothalamus is influential in determining sexual orientation, have yet to be substantiated. At the moment it is generally thought that biological explanations of sexuality are insufficient to explain the diversity of human sexuality. “How can science tell you what I am? I mean I've had boyfriends, and was happy with them, had girlfriends and may have boyfriends again for all I know. If it's a gay gene what's going on? Is it just turning itself on and off in my head? It doesn't feel like biology it feels like love.” - Jo Psycho-social explanations offer a variety of factors that could contribute to the development of a person's homosexuality. For example, a female dominated upbringing in a gay man's past, with an absence of a male role model. Others stress adherence or deviance from conformity to gender roles, and individual psychological makeup. While none of these factors alone completely answers the question 'what causes homosexuality?', they rule out some things. For example, lesbian and gay young people are not 'failed' heterosexuals. Also, homosexual partners are generally of the same age proving wrong the assumptions that young people are 'turned gay' by older people. What is clear is that people's behaviour is influenced by their family environment, their experiences and their sense of themselves. Beliefs about sex are initially shaped by family values. Later on these beliefs may be shaped by pleasant and unpleasant experiences of sex and also shape their choice of activities and partners. Throughout their life a person's sense of who and what they are has a strong impact on their sexual development and experience. Can you stop being gay?There is now growing general support for the belief that sexuality is pre-determined and may change over time, or remain fixed. However, many people are interested in whether sexuality can be altered solely by a person's desire to change. Organisations that help homosexuals attempt to change their sexuality can be generally divided between those that use psychological 'reparative' methods and those that use religious 'healing' methods. Some people believe homosexuality is an illness and believe it can and should be cured. Many of these 'cures' revolve around psychological therapies (often called reparative therapy) which endeavour to re-orient a homosexual sexuality to heterosexual. Although there is little scientific data to evaluate, what is available seems to indicate that reparative therapy is ineffective. American Psychological Association (APA), the world's largest association of psychologists has stated that: “Homosexuality is not a mental disorder and the APA opposes all portrayals of lesbian, gay and bisexual people as mentally ill and in need of treatment due to their sexual orientation.” Some strongly religious groups believe that homosexuality is sinful and is in direct breach of the bible and other religious texts. As with reparative therapy there has been little to no scientific evaluation of the healing and prayer techniques used. What evidence is available suggests that the success of these techniques is restricted to three areas:
Tellingly two founders of a ministry established to 'heal' homosexuals later described their programme as 'ineffective ... not one person was healed'. Recently the issue of changing homosexual orientation has been drawn into political debate in America. Although this is partly due to an issues shortage in American politics, the subject of 'curing' homosexuality has apparently captured the imagination of many Americans. Controversial full page newspaper adverts by Christian political organisations have appeared three days in a row. The adverts, which firmly promote the theory that homosexuality can be changed through force of will alone claim that 'thousands are leaving their homosexual identity for sexual celibacy, and even marriage'. This appears to have been sparked from a speech by the Senate Majority leader in June 1998 that described homosexuals as people who are sick and can be cured - but only if they want to be. Homophobia, prejudice & attitudes to gay men and lesbiansWhat is homophobia?There is no single definition for the term ‘homophobia’, as it covers a wide range of different viewpoints and attitudes. Homophobia describes hostility or fear of gay people and homosexuality, but it is not limited to this specifically. For example someone might be called homophobic if they dislike gay people; or if someone is violent towards a gay person they could also be described as homophobic. Attitudes to gay men and HIVPeople can have a wide range of views about sexuality even if they have grown up exposed to the same ideas. While some people believe homosexuality is a valid lifestyle, others violently object. Some people believe that homosexuality is unnatural, others see it as a sin and have said that for gay men 'AIDS is a plague sent from God'. At the beginning of the AIDS epidemic, gay men in many countries were frequently singled out for abuse as they were seen to be responsible for the spread of HIV. Sensational reporting in the press that became progressively anti-gay fuelled this theory. Some UK headlines read, “Alert over ‘gay plague’”,1 and “‘Gay plague’ may lead to blood ban on homosexuals”.2 One prominent gay activist was attacked outside a London subway by a gang of youths who suggested that he should be killed before he could spread this ‘gay plague’ to others. Groups in the USA monitoring homophobic violence reported an increase in incidents when public awareness about AIDS increased in the 1980s.3 Homophobia around the worldA 2007 report by UK gay rights organisation Stonewall found that gay people in the UK experience more extreme homophobia as young people than as adults. The research found that two thirds of young gay, lesbian and bisexual pupils had experienced direct bullying in Britain’s schools. 92% of young gay people had been subject to verbal abuse, and 41% has been physically assaulted. A 2008 survey found that 66% of gay and lesbian people would expect to face barriers due to their sexuality if they wanted to run as an MP in the UK. One in five lesbian and gay people in the UK said they had experienced bullying in the workplace as a result of their sexual orientation.4 In 2005 a gay man was killed every two days in Latin America because of his sexuality. In Brazil, where the government launched a campaign against homophobia in 2004, 2,509 gay men were murdered between 1997 and 2007.5 
A demonstration in Brussels, Belgium calling for laws against homosexuality to be repealed In many African countries, such as Zimbabwe and Zambia, homophobia is legitimised by governments, and gay people face persecution and violence from police, employers, hospitals and community organisations. In South Africa, the law has been changed to improve rights for gay and lesbian people, however it remains to be seen whether social attitudes towards homosexuality have really improved in that country.6 In India, lesbians are stigmatised more severely than gay men, as there is huge social and family pressure for women to get married. India’s traditional family-oriented culture provides no space for open discussion of sexuality. Gay and lesbian people are subject to harassment and persecution from police and government agencies.7 In Iran in 2005, two men were executed for alleged homosexual activity.8 President Ahmadinejad demonstrated the Iranian government’s attitude towards homosexuality in a speech in the US in 2007, when he claimed that there were no homosexuals in Iran.9 What causes people to be prejudiced against gay and lesbian people?There are many factors that can cause a person to be homophobic. Research has shown that prejudice against gay people and homosexuality can be influenced by the person:
'When you're scared, especially of something you actually know nothing about, hatred is a natural reaction.' - Robert, 25 Prejudice among young peopleYoung people who do not act in line with their gender stereotype may be subjected to severe homophobic bullying. Boys are stereotyped as sporty and strong decision-makers, and girls are expected to be emotional and expressive. As a result, boys who show their feelings or who are too intimate with other boys are often called 'girls', 'faggots' or 'poofs'. Girls who are considered to be too boyish or who hold feminist views run the risk of being called 'dykes' or 'lesbians'.
The boundaries for boys’ gender roles are much more rigid than they are for girls. As a result boys have a limited number of ways acceptable to their peer group to express their emotions. This often means that emotional expression between boys may be seen by their peers as homosexual interest. Between girls, in contrast, close friendships that involve embracing, touching and sharing thoughts and feelings are more legitimate and are less likely to be seen by their peers as an indication of homosexuality. Young people often use words associated with homosexuality as standard insults. This is one way that young people learn it is highly undesirable to be gay. This can silence young people who are experiencing gay feelings and stop them from coming out, and even encourage young gay men to pretend to be heterosexual and join in homophobic taunts to protect themselves. Many gay and lesbian adults say that they began to identify themselves as 'different' in their secondary school years. In this period, the absence of support, understanding or information was sometimes a source of distress in itself and often magnified their anxieties. 'I was waiting and expecting to hear something about homosexuality, safe sex and different things in sex education. Maybe some information that could help me. But I got nothing.' - Tim 'There was not a word, not a mention about being gay.' - Luke Types of homophobia faced by gay and lesbian peopleHomophobia comes in many forms: malicious gossip, name-calling, intimidating looks, internet bullying, vandalism and theft of property, discrimination at work, isolation and rejection, death threats or even sexual assault. 
Gay Pride celebrations around New York City in 2007 Gay and lesbian people may be subject to varying levels of homophobia depending on where they live, as negative attitudes towards homosexuality can be common even in places where it is legal. For example, areas with a strong religious tradition, such as the Southern states of America, are much less tolerant of homosexuality than areas where there is a strong and established gay scene, for example San Francisco in California. A homophobic climate forces gay and lesbian people to decide whether to declare their sexual orientation, and face the possible discrimination from their family and society, or conceal their sexuality, allowing others to presume their heterosexuality.10 Having a concealed identity can cause great anxiety for young gay and lesbian people, and the dilemma of whether to ‘come out’ can cause severe personal distress. Equally, for young people who have been brought up to believe that homosexuality is wrong, the realisation that they might be gay can cause them to feel immoral, and lead to feelings of low self-esteem. Homophobia can cause extreme harm and disruption in the lives of young gay and lesbian people. In the USA many young gay, lesbian, bisexual and transgender people have become homeless as a result of being rejected by their families after revealing their sexual orientation. A 2006 study found that between 20 and 40 percent of young homeless people were gay, lesbian, bisexual or transgender.11 What can be done to tackle homophobia?Schools have an important part to play in challenging homophobic attitudes. Lesbian and gay pupils are more likely to feel positive about school if their school has explicitly stated that homophobic bullying is against the rules. In schools that have said homophobic bullying is wrong, young gay people are 60 percent more likely not to have been bullied. 
Young people in Massachusetts perform a play about homophobia in high school Studies have shown that personal attitudes become more tolerant towards gay people if individuals are exposed to an educational programme about homosexuality, such as lectures, courses and workshops.12 Also, when schools respond strongly to homophobic bullying, lesbian and gay young people are more likely to feel able to be themselves, more likely to feel part of the school community and more likely to be happy. Therefore it is important to report any incidents of homophobia so that more young people are encouraged to do the same. This also acts as a deterrent to those carrying out homophobic bullying. Community based organisations have good scope to provide support to gay and lesbian people who might feel marginalised and isolated, especially in societies where homosexuality is banned. Such groups have influence on attitudes of the general public and can campaign for tolerance towards homosexuality. Other bodies and agencies that could positively influence the way that gay, lesbian and bisexual people are treated are leaders of political parties, police forces, health services, broadcasters and employers. Finally, many governments throughout the world uphold laws that ban homosexuality. Repealing these laws would reduce discrimination against gay and lesbian people, and would go some way to encouraging societies to embrace the diversity of different sexualities. Eradicating homophobia would not only enhance the human rights and quality of life for gay and lesbian people, it would also encourage gay men to be tested for HIV and other sexually transmitted infections. In the current climate in many places, gay men are too scared to come forward for medical services due to the negative way they expect to be treated. |
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