Washington Blade - July 7, 2006

WASHINGTON (AP) - Men who have several older brothers have an increased chance of being gay - whether they were raised together or not - a finding researchers say adds weight to the idea that sexual orientation is based in biology. The increase was seen in men with older brothers from the same mother, but not those who had stepbrothers or adopted brothers who were older. "It's likely to be a prenatal effect," said Anthony F. Bogaert of Brock University in St. Catharines, Canada, who did the research. "This and other studies suggest that there is probably a biological basis" for homosexuality, said Bogaert. He studied four groups of Canadian men, a total of 944 people, analyzing the number of brothers and sisters each had, whether or not they lived with those siblings and whether the siblings were related by blood or adopted. His findings were reported June 27 in the Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences. S. Marc Breedlove, a professor at Michigan State University, said the finding "absolutely" confirms a biological basis. The effect of birth order on male homosexuality has been reported previously, but Bogaert's work is the first designed to rule out social or environmental effects.

Gay men selected to raise AIDS awareness in Cambodia

PHNOM PENH, Cambodia (AP) - Six men have been chosen to help raise awareness about the dangers of AIDS in Cambodia, an official said July1. They were elected from 11 candidates fielded by local health organizations Friday, said Chuop Sok Chamroeun, a program officer of Khana, a nonprofit Cambodian group working to promote awareness about HIV/AIDS. He said they would become "one voice representing MSM in Cambodia," using the term men who have sex with men. Chuop said his group has been working with more than 3,000 gay men in three Cambodian provinces, but condom use and knowledge about dangers of unprotected sex are very low. A reported published by the Washington-based Policy Project in 2004 warned that many gay men in Cambodia also have sex with women, and could therefore be serving as a bridge group of HIV transmission to the general population.

Panel backs new HPV vaccine for young girls

ATLANTA (AP) - Taking up a sensitive issue among religious conservatives, an influential government advisory panel June 29 recommended that 11- and 12-year-old girls be routinely vaccinated against the sexually transmitted virus that causes cervical cancer. The Advisory Committee on Immunization Practices also said the shots can be started for girls as young as 9, at the discretion of their doctors. HPV DNA has been detected in 13 to 30 percent of lesbians. The committee's recommendations usually are accepted by federal health officials. The recommendation involves Gardasil, made by Merck & Co., the first vaccine specifically designed to prevent cancer. Approved earlier this month by the Food & Drug Administration, it protects against strains of the human papilloma virus, or HPV, which causes cervical, vulvar and vaginal cancers and genital warts.

Mass. governor vetoes bill allowing syringe sales

BOSTON (AP) - Gov. Mitt Romney vetoed a bill June 30 that would allow over-the-counter sales of hypodermic needles, saying the bill was well-intentioned but could contribute to other problems, including increased heroin use. "We believe that upon further review of the bill, some of the unintended consequences could be more severe than the benefits of signing the bill," said Romney, who is considering a run for the Republican presidential nomination in 2008. Supporters of the bill, approved by wide margins by the Democratic-controlled Legislature, say the bill will slow diseases like AIDS and hepatitis C that can be spread by sharing dirty needles.

Gay health group claims meth still a problem for gay men

SAN FRANCISCO - The Gay & Lesbian Medical Association responded June 23 to a news report that it felt downplayed the extent of methamphetamine use in the U.S. The GLMA, a national advocacy group that works to ensure equality in health care for gay individuals and health care professionals, cited a June Associated Press story, which it claimed reported on a recent study finding that 0.2 percent of Americans are regular users of crystal meth. The GLMA contends that neither the study nor media coverage about it addressed methamphetamine use by gay and bisexual men. "Meth use among gay and bisexual men is a public health crisis, and media attention about crystal meth should reflect this," said Joel Ginsberg, GLMA's executive director in a news release.

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