Homosexuality, cancer, and mental illness

[likuske]

I heard on the Abundant Life on EWTN that anal cancer in homosexual men is 4,000 times higher than in heterosexual men and that the reason why you don’t hear about it in the secular media is because they are trying to hide the truth regarding homosexuality. They mentioned it was a mental illness. Where can I get more medical facts about this and why isn’t in the DSM? Thanks.

 

[Moscati]

“Homosexuality” as a disorder was removed from the DSM in the 70’s, mostly due to protests from the gay community. It was replaced by “sexual orientation disturbance” and later “gender identity disorder”.

Homosexual men are more likely to get anal cancer, but not 4,000x more likely. In epidemiology, that’s relative risk. You’d have to be able to say “for every heterosexual man who gets anal cancer, 4,000 homosexual men get anal cancer”. That’s just not reasonable. Anal cancer is too rare. They’re really more like 33x more likely to get it.

content.nejm.org/cgi/content/abstract/317/16/973

 

[Frbrendan]

I heard on the Abundant Life on EWTN that anal cancer in homosexual men is 4,000 times higher than in heterosexual men and that the reason why you don’t hear about it in the secular media is because they are trying to hide the truth regarding homosexuality. They mentioned it was a mental illness. Where can I get more medical facts about this and why isn’t in the DSM? Thanks.

Dear one,

If homosexuality is a mental illness, then it cannot possibly be a sin, can it. After all, to sin you must make an act of your will to do so, right?

Your assertion that homosexual men are 4000 times more likely to get anal cancer than heterosexual men is a gross inaccuracy. To quote Wikipedia: en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Anal_cancer
Risk factors

Human papillomavirus examination of squamous cell carcinoma tumor tissues from patients in Denmark and Sweden showed a high proportion of anal cancers to be positive for the types of HPV that are also associated with high risk of cervical cancer (90% of the tumors from women, 100% of the tumors from homosexual men, and 58% of tumors from heterosexual men). In another study done, high-risk types of HPV, notably HPV-16, were detected in 84 percent of anal cancer specimens examined.
Sexual activity: Having multiple sex partners or having anal sex, due to the increased risk of exposure to the HPV virus.** Homosexual and bisexual men are 17 times more likely to develop anal cancer than heterosexual men.**
Smoking: Current smokers are several times more likely to develop anal cancer compared with nonsmokers.
Immunosuppression, which is often associated with HIV infection.
Benign anal lesions (inflammatory bowel disease (IBD), hemorrhoids, fistulae or cicatrices). Inflammation resulting from benign anal lesions, such as hemorrhoids and anal fistulas, has been considered to cause a predisposition to anal cancer.

 

[likuske]

Dear one,

If homosexuality is a mental illness, then it cannot possibly be a sin, can it. After all, to sin you must make an act of your will to do so, right?

Your assertion that homosexual men are 4000 times more likely to get anal cancer than heterosexual men is a gross inaccuracy. To quote Wikipedia: en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Anal_cancer
Risk factors

Human papillomavirus examination of squamous cell carcinoma tumor tissues from patients in Denmark and Sweden showed a high proportion of anal cancers to be positive for the types of HPV that are also associated with high risk of cervical cancer (90% of the tumors from women, 100% of the tumors from homosexual men, and 58% of tumors from heterosexual men). In another study done, high-risk types of HPV, notably HPV-16, were detected in 84 percent of anal cancer specimens examined.
Sexual activity: Having multiple sex partners or having anal sex, due to the increased risk of exposure to the HPV virus.** Homosexual and bisexual men are 17 times more likely to develop anal cancer than heterosexual men.**
Smoking: Current smokers are several times more likely to develop anal cancer compared with nonsmokers.
Immunosuppression, which is often associated with HIV infection.
Benign anal lesions (inflammatory bowel disease (IBD), hemorrhoids, fistulae or cicatrices). Inflammation resulting from benign anal lesions, such as hemorrhoids and anal fistulas, has been considered to cause a predisposition to anal cancer.

If it is inaccurate that homosexual men are 4,000 times higher risk of getting anal cancer then The Abundant Life on EWTN misquoted and they said something on air that was inaccurate. I had never heard of those numbers for anal cancer before and I wanted to see whether there was someone out there who had or who could direct me to a website where I could get more information. Whether homosexuality is a mental illness or not is not for me to decide but again that was what was stated on the same program. A mental illness is not a sin but it is my understanding that the Catholic Church teaches that the homosexual act is indeed a mortal sin and goes against the natural law. My question was actually about that was that if homosexuality is mental illness then why isn’t it in the DSM and my questioned was answered by one of the posters. Thanks.

-L

 

[likuske]

By the way Wikipedia is not an authoritative source to quote from since anyone can post anything on wikipedia.

-L

 

[musicality]

Dear one,
If homosexuality is a mental illness, then it cannot possibly be a sin, can it. After all, to sin you must make an act of your will to do so, right?

Homosexuality is not a sin. Homosexual acts are sinful.

That being said, their temptation to engage in sexual activity outside a heterosexual marriage is no stronger than the temptation of single heterosexuals to fornicate. Sex outside of marriage is a sin even if one suggests that homosexuality is a mental illness. The debate lies in whether or not it reduces culpability.

Is homosexuality a mental illness? I don’t know. The field of psychology is so convoluted these days that its hard to figure out what is “normal.”

 

[BobObob]

When talking on an issue like this, it is important to define the terms you use. By “homosexuality” do you mean same-sex genital activity or do you mean same-sex attraction (SSA)?

SSA is not a sin. Same-sex sexual activity is a sin.

Cardinal Ratzinger said:

“Although the particular inclination of the homosexual person is not a sin, it is a more or less strong tendency ordered toward an intrinsic moral evil; thus the inclination itself must be seen as an objective disorder. Therefore special concern and pastoral attention should be directed to those who have this condition, lest they be led to believe that the living out of this orientation in homosexual activity is a morally acceptable option. It is not.”

brainyquote.com/quotes/quotes/j/josephratz184315.html
vatican.va/roman_curia/congregations/cfaith/documents/rc_con_cfaith_doc_19861001_homosexual-persons_en.html

Regarding the 4,000 statistic, I don’t know for sure, but is seems high. Homosexual men tend to engage in risky behavior, especially anal sex, a lot more often than heterosexuals. It should be noted that anal sex is just as dangerous when done between a man and woman as it is between two men, but homosexual men tend to do it more often. The human body was not made for anal sex.

I am a junior in college and one of my two majors is mental health. I have studied the psychology of SSA a lot (and probably know more about SSA than most psychologists/psychiatrists). I think that it is best to view SSA not as a mental disorder in itself, but as a result of of an unmet psychological need or some sort of mental disorder (especially gender identity disorder).

The APA voted homosexuality out of the DSM largely due to pressure from activists who were protesting and lobbying them to vote it out.

You should watch the following videos:

www.homosexuality101.com (video on home page)
youtube.com/watch?v=HFKWH4d4jsw&feature=PlayList&p=70C4B7CD97222F4B&index=0

 

[Frbrendan]

I heard on the Abundant Life on EWTN that anal cancer in homosexual men is 4,000 times higher than in heterosexual men and that the reason why you don’t hear about it in the secular media is because they are trying to hide the truth regarding homosexuality. …

I am not questioning Church teaching at all. I am questioning the number, because 4000 times more sounds really high.

I have done some more research (not on Wikipedia) and found the following article

The number of cases of anal cancer is increasing on a year to year basis. And research shows that it can affect both men and women equally. However, homosexual men are 17 times more likely to contract anal cancer than men who do are heterosexual.

According to the Cancer Association of South Africa, one of the main causes of this cancer is Human Papilloma Virus, better known as HPV. This virus is transmitted from an infected through sexual contact and is, therefore, a sexually transmitted infection. Other factors that increase the risk of this type of cancer are smoking, using immunosuppresants, having multiple sex partners, and having anal sex, which increases the chances of getting the HPV virus.

The reason why homosexual men are at higher risk of contracting this cancer is because they engage in unprotected sex. Gay men who indulge in unprotected sex are at higher risk due to infection. The HPV virus can be spread even by touching the genitals. And that is why condoms are advocated by healthcare professionals. However, it is important to note that using a condom cannot protect you completely from the HPV virus.

Healthcare professionals also say that being HIV positive or having other STIs besides HPV also increases the risk of getting anal cancer. According to the Medical Research Council based in the UK, the rate of this cancer is around 37 out of 100,000 gay men and if they are HIV positive, the rate doubles.

The cancer is usually treated through surgery in the initial stages and later stages are treated with a combination of chemotherapy and radiation therapy.

The good news is that researchers have found a new technique for detecting pre-cancerous and cancerous cells in early stages. This technique is known as minichromosome maintenance proteins. This technique will be a greatly benefit gay men who are at the highest risk of contracting anal carcinoma.

About Author:
Pauline Go is an online leading expert medical industry.

Now, 37 out of 100,000 is .037%. To make the claims on Abundant Life true, that would mean that there is only .0000925% chance of a heterosexual man getting anal cancer.

Based on my research, however, 17-22 out of a 100,000 heterosexual men develop anal cancer. Granted, the number of homosexual incidents is double that of heterosexual men, but not the 4000 times that Abundant Life claimed.

Again, I am not arguing with Church teaching. What I am disputing is the numbers, and the attitude. Just because someone is gay does not give you the right to lie about them.

When Moses brought the 10 Commandments down to the Israelites, there was not one that said, "Thou shalt not bear false witness against thy neighbor UNLESS THY NEIGHBOR IS GAY!

 

[likuske]

I am not questioning Church teaching at all. I am questioning the number, because 4000 times more sounds really high.

I have done some more research (not on Wikipedia) and found the following article

Now, 37 out of 100,000 is .037%. To make the claims on Abundant Life true, that would mean that there is only .0000925% chance of a heterosexual man getting anal cancer.

Based on my research, however, 17-22 out of a 100,000 heterosexual men develop anal cancer. Granted, the number of homosexual incidents is double that of heterosexual men, but not the 4000 times that Abundant Life claimed.

Again, I am not arguing with Church teaching. What I am disputing is the numbers, and the attitude. Just because someone is gay does not give you the right to lie about them.

When Moses brought the 10 Commandments down to the Israelites, there was not one that said, "Thou shalt not bear false witness against thy neighbor UNLESS THY NEIGHBOR IS GAY!

Thank you for your research (outside of wikipedia). When I was in college I wasn’t even allowed to use the source because as I said earlier, anyone can write anything on it. Regarding my attitude and the claim that I lie about them (I guess you mean the homosexual community) what lie are you talking about? A question is not a lie.

I posted a question about anal cancer and gave the numbers that were given to me. The reason why I posted the question was because it did seem like a very high number to me as well and I wanted to see if there were any posters out there who knew more about it than me. I agree that we should lover the sinner but hate the sin. It seems to me that you seem very touchy and defensive about the subject and in my opinion you seem to be the one with the wrong attitude since just my question alone seemed to put you off. Asking questions about our Catholic faith is why I joined this forum and why many others joined as well. We should be open minded in regards to the questions that people have and not go on the defensive without need and remember to show Christian charity when posting something.

 

[Lethe]

I don’t think medical ‘evidence’ should be used against homosexuality. Straight people who practice anal sex or ‘pegging’ (look it up) are also more at risk, as well as more at risk from AIDS infection. It isn’t the genders in the relationship that is the problem, it is that the anus is for expelling waste, not anything else. Besides, lesbians are less likely to get STIs than straight couples, and women in hetero relationships are more likely to get STIs than the men they are with. Disease stats aren’t an indicator of anything, morally.

 

[Frbrendan]

Thank you for your research (outside of wikipedia). When I was in college I wasn’t even allowed to use the source because as I said earlier, anyone can write anything on it. Regarding my attitude and the claim that I lie about them (I guess you mean the homosexual community) what lie are you talking about? A question is not a lie.

I posted a question about anal cancer and gave the numbers that were given to me. The reason why I posted the question was because it did seem like a very high number to me as well and I wanted to see if there were any posters out there who knew more about it than me. I agree that we should lover the sinner but hate the sin. It seems to me that you seem very touchy and defensive about the subject and in my opinion you seem to be the one with the wrong attitude since just my question alone seemed to put you off. Asking questions about our Catholic faith is why I joined this forum and why many others joined as well. We should be open minded in regards to the questions that people have and not go on the defensive without need and remember to show Christian charity when posting something.

You are right, you did ask a question. What I was reacting to was the statement “I heard…” After I finished reacting to you, I emailed Abundant Life, and mentioned to them that this statement was indeed false. Please forgive the attitude. I get really upset when someone makes inaccurate statements in the name of Christ (I am not saying that you did so). I have a number of friends that were in Nazi death camps during WWII, and lies were told about them in the Name of Jesus, with the intent of inflaming anti-Semitism among the German populace. If it can happen to them, it can happen to someone else, be they gay, or African-American, or Polish, or Irish, or Swedish or Martian. It can even happen to Christians! :bigyikes:

Again, forgive the attitude, please.

 

[likuske]

You are right, you did ask a question. What I was reacting to was the statement “I heard…” After I finished reacting to you, I emailed Abundant Life, and mentioned to them that this statement was indeed false. Please forgive the attitude. I get really upset when someone makes inaccurate statements in the name of Christ (I am not saying that you did so). I have a number of friends that were in Nazi death camps during WWII, and lies were told about them in the Name of Jesus, with the intent of inflaming anti-Semitism among the German populace. If it can happen to them, it can happen to someone else, be they gay, or African-American, or Polish, or Irish, or Swedish or Martian. It can even happen to Christians! :bigyikes:

Again, forgive the attitude, please.

I am sorry to hear about your friends that were in nazi death camps. Spreading lies about people is wrong in any circumstance and it’s even worse when someone uses the holy name of Jesus to spread hatred, especially since that goes against what our Lord taught us.

I am sorry as well if my question came off as offensive because that was not my intention. I am surprised to see that EWTN misquoted by such a high number (they usually give accurate statistics) and I will also write to them and ask them about it. Maybe it was an honest mistake or perhaps the expert got his statistics mixed up.

Peace

-L

 

[rossum]

I heard on the Abundant Life on EWTN that anal cancer in homosexual men is 4,000 times higher than in heterosexual men and that the reason why you don’t hear about it in the secular media is because they are trying to hide the truth regarding homosexuality. They mentioned it was a mental illness. Where can I get more medical facts about this and why isn’t in the DSM? Thanks.

As others have pointed out, your source is bearing false witness, the 4,000 times figure is incorrect.

I do not think that it is sensible to derive morality from disease rates. The rate of Cervical cancer is much higher in women than in men, does that make being female immoral? Similarly we can show that being male is immoral by looking at rates of Prostate cancer.

For some diseases, including anal cancer, lesbians have a lower rate than heterosexual women. Does that have any effect on the morality of lesbianism? Better to drop this line of argument.

rossum

 

[Jermosh]

I heard on the Abundant Life on EWTN that anal cancer in homosexual men is 4,000 times higher than in heterosexual men and that the reason why you don’t hear about it in the secular media is because they are trying to hide the truth regarding homosexuality. They mentioned it was a mental illness. Where can I get more medical facts about this and why isn’t in the DSM? Thanks.

Actually they do recognise this and they are not in any way trying to hide it, the Gay community actively try to educate on this issue… But we are talking about a very small amount of cases here, which is why MSM does not blast it on the news.

Homosexuality is not a mental illness in any fashion or form, certain mental illness can lead to homosexual acts, but being Gay does not mean they are mentally ill.

 

[Bluegoat]

HPV, which is spread sexually, can cause cancer, whether in men or women. It is also responsible for most cases of cervical cancer in women.

The only thing which this might suggest is that from a health POV, one ought to stick to having only one sexual partner. HPV is a very common virus and most people have no idea they are carriers.

But that does not indicate it is a moral issue. People of African descent are more likely to have sickle cell disease, those who live in sunny climates are more likely to get skin cancer. These things do not mean that it is immoral to be black or live in a sunny place.

It may not be widely mentioned because people do not want to be understood to be making a moral argument from such statistics.

 

[peary]

I heard on the Abundant Life on EWTN that anal cancer in homosexual men is 4,000 times higher than in heterosexual men and that the reason why you don’t hear about it in the secular media is because they are trying to hide the truth regarding homosexuality. They mentioned it was a mental illness. Where can I get more medical facts about this and why isn’t in the DSM? Thanks.

Even the Catholic Church does not refer to homosexuality as a mental illness. It is called, in the Catechism, an “objective disorder.”

According to the Cancer Association of South Africa, one of the main causes of anal cancer is Human Papilloma Virus, better known as HPV. This virus is transmitted from an infected pereson through sexual contact and is, therefore, a sexually transmitted infection. Other factors that increase the risk of this type of cancer are smoking, using immunosuppresants, having multiple sex partners, and having anal sex, which increases the chances of getting the HPV virus. The percentage is approximately 17% more in homosexuals than in heterosexuals, not 4000 times higher. The latter does not support the latest scientific evidence on this.

 

[distracted]

I heard on the Abundant Life on EWTN that anal cancer in homosexual men is 4,000 times higher than in heterosexual men and that the reason why you don’t hear about it in the secular media is because they are trying to hide the truth regarding homosexuality. They mentioned it was a mental illness. Where can I get more medical facts about this and why isn’t in the DSM? Thanks.

i’m surprised any liberal called it a mental illness… assuming that’s what u said…

i thougth it was just another “lifestyle”

anyway, it stands to reason you go against nature, u pay…

why do you need more info???

i’m rather disgusted by the whole subject myefl…

 

[Moscati]

i’m surprised any liberal called it a mental illness… assuming that’s what u said…

i thougth it was just another “lifestyle”

anyway, it stands to reason you go against nature, u pay…

why do you need more info???

i’m rather disgusted by the whole subject myefl…

Then for heaven’s sake, don’t read the thread. Disease, including anal cancer, is not disgusting. It’s a fact of living in a fallen world, and a chance for the body of Christ to reach out to those in need.

 

[hellopeople]

I heard on the Abundant Life on EWTN that anal cancer in homosexual men is 4,000 times higher than in heterosexual men and that the reason why you don’t hear about it in the secular media is because they are trying to hide the truth regarding homosexuality. They mentioned it was a mental illness. Where can I get more medical facts about this and why isn’t in the DSM? Thanks.

That HAS to be a lie. Why would the media tell people that homosexuals are much more likely to aquire aids but not cancer?

 

[likuske]

As others have pointed out, your source is bearing false witness, the 4,000 times figure is incorrect.

I do not think that it is sensible to derive morality from disease rates. The rate of Cervical cancer is much higher in women than in men, does that make being female immoral? Similarly we can show that being male is immoral by looking at rates of Prostate cancer.

For some diseases, including anal cancer, lesbians have a lower rate than heterosexual women. Does that have any effect on the morality of lesbianism? Better to drop this line of argument.

rossum

I agree that diseases in and of themselves say nothing about morals but there are certain behaviors that might put someone more at risk for STD’s HIV, anal cancer, etc. If that’s the case shouldn’t the public be informed of that? Just my thoughts.

I don’t like to drop arguments just because someone doesn’t like it. I like to see what other posters out there have to say.

-L