Homosexual Activity Harms No One

By Matt Slick

It is not true that homosexual behavior harms no one. The homosexual lifestyle is highly promiscuous and brimming with disease although pro-homosexuals will try to separate the behavior from related illnesses in their attempt to demonstrate that homosexual behavior doesn't harm anyone. But the evidence doesn't support that notion.

• Homosexuals more likely to suffer from depression: "A new study in the United Kingdom has revealed that homosexuals are about 50% more likely to suffer from depression and engage in substance abuse than the rest of the population, reports Health24.com . . . the risk of suicide jumped over 200% if an individual had engaged in a homosexual lifestyle . . . the lifespan of a homosexual is on average 24 years shorter than that of a heterosexual . . . While the Health 24 article suggested that homosexuals may be pushed to substance abuse and suicide because of anti-homosexual cultural and family pressures, empirical tests have shown that there is no difference in homosexual health risk depending on the level of tolerance in a particular environment. Homosexuals in the United States and Denmark - the latter of which is acknowledged to be highly tolerant of homosexuality - both die on average in their early 50's, or in their 40's if AIDS is the cause of death. The average age for all residents in either country ranges from the mid-to-upper-70s."(onenewsnow.com/Culture/Default.aspx?id=255614)

• Breast Cancer higher among Lesbians: "Breast cancer is the most common cancer diagnosed and is the leading cause of cancer death among women in the United States, following cancers of the skin and lung. Recent research has identified risk factors for breast cancer that may differentially affect lesbian and bisexual women, including nulliparity and higher rates of alcohol consumption and overweight, that may place this population at greater [sic] risk than heterosexual women of developing breast cancer." 

Promiscuity
While it could be argued that two men (or two women) having sexual intercourse with each other and only each other can't harm anyone else, the fact is that homosexuality is not a "monogomous affair." The homosexual lifestyle is by nature promiscuous--as the facts demonstrate.

• "In their study of the sexual profiles of 2,583 older homosexuals published in Journal of Sex Research, Paul Van de Ven et al. found that "the modal range for number of sexual partners ever [of homosexuals] was 101–500." In addition, 10.2 percent to 15.7 percent had between 501 and 1000 partners. A further 10.2 percent to 15.7 percent reported having had more than 1000 lifetime sexual partners. Paul Van de Ven et al., "A Comparative Demographic and Sexual Profile of Older Homosexually Active Men," Journal of Sex Research 34 (1997): 354." (See more statistics on Promiscuity at http://www.carm.org/statistics-homosexual-promiscuity)

To ignore the facts of incredible sexual promiscuity among homosexuals is to deny that the problem exists, and by ignoring it, hope it goes away. Also, to ignore the facts of such promiscuity is dangerous in itself since policies and arguments are made based on facts. To ignore the facts means the policies and arguments are not sound when used to promote the homosexual lifestyle.

Context determines meaning
In defining words, context determines the meaning. Likewise, the context of homosexual acts is equally important. The pro-homosexual community wants to separate the act from the deleterious effects. It is like saying that the behavior of jumping doesn't harm anyone. Well, that depends. Jumping in your living room shouldn't harm you, but jumping near the edge of a cliff can. Behaviors always have contexts, and homosexual activity is in the context of 1) a redefinition of sexual morals, and 2) its accompanying promiscuity. When you redefine sexual morals in a far more loose manner, consequences follow--such as an increase in promiscuity and disease.

AIDS and homosexuality

•  2% of U.S. population is gay yet it accounts for 61% of HIV infection:  "Men who have sex with men remain the group most heavily affected by new HIV infections. While CDC estimates that MSM represent only 2 percent of the U.S. population, they accounted for the majority (61 percent; 29,300) of all new HIV infections in 2009. Young MSM (ages 13 to 29) were most severely affected, representing more than one quarter of all new HIV infections nationally (27 percent; 12,900 in 2009)."  (Center for Disease Control, cdc.gov/nchhstp/newsroom/HIVIncidencePressRelease.html)
• "Gay, bisexual, and other men who have sex with men (MSM) represent approximately 2% of the US population, yet are the population most severely affected by HIV and are the only risk group in which new HIV infections have been increasing steadily since the early 1990s . . . ” (Center for Disease Control,  http://www.cdc.gov/hiv/topics/msm/index.htm)

If homosexual activity does not harm anyone, then why are the statistics for homosexual AIDS percentages so much higher than the heterosexual population? Again, there is a connection between the redefinition of sexual morals, the increase of promiscuity due to that redefinition, and the proliferation of disease due to the promiscuous behavior. As I said earlier, actions always have contexts.

Homosexuality and reduced Lifespan

1. Gay men's lifespan shorter than non-gay men: "The life expectancy for gay and bisexual men is 8 to 20 years less than for men in general. Robert S. Hogg et al., "Modeling the Impact of HIV Disease on Mortality in Gay and Bisexual Men," International Journal of Epidemiology 26 (1997): 657." (Exodus Global Alliance, exodusglobalalliance.org/ishomosexualityhealthyp60.php)
2. "In 2007, MSM [Men Sex with Men] were 44 to 86 times as likely to be diagnosed with HIV compared with other men, and 40 to 77 times as likely as women." (Center for Disease Control, http://www.cdc.gov/hiv/topics/msm/index.htm)
3. Domestic Violence higher among homosexuals: "'the incidence of domestic violence among gay men is nearly double that in the heterosexual population.'(Gwat Yong Lie and Sabrina Gentlewarrier, "Intimate Violence in Lesbian Relationships: Discussion of Survey Findings and Practice Implications," Journal of Social Service Research 15 (1991): 41–59." (exodusglobalalliance.org/ishomosexualityhealthyp60.php)
4. Sex of women with women at greater health risk than women with men: "For women, a history of sex with women may be a marker for increased risk of adverse sexual, reproductive, and general health outcomes compared with women who reported sex exclusively with men." 

If homosexual activity harms no one, then why do gay men have a lifespan that is significantly shorter than heterosexual men (#1 above)? Why is the homosexual man 44 to 86 times more likely to be diagnosed with HIV than heterosexual men (#2)? Why is the incidence of domestic violence double that of heterosexual men (#3)? Why do lesbian women have greater health risks than heterosexual women (#4)?

Conclusion
Since behaviors always have contexts and rarely have no effect upon anyone else, it is obvious that homosexual behavior is indeed harmful, as seen by its promiscuity and related health risks. The facts speak contrary to the idea that homosexual activity harms no one.

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About The Author:
Matt Slick is the President and Founder of the Christian Apologetics and Research Ministry.