Gay bowel syndrome
Encyclopedia
Gay bowel syndrome is an outdated term first used by Henry L Kazal and colleagues in 1976 to describe the various sexually transmitted perianal and rectal diseases and sexual traumas seen in Kazal's proctology
practice, which had many gay
patients.
symptoms affecting gay men
. The term was first used in the pre-HIV
era, by Kazal et al. in 1976. The term was not specific to any particular disease or infection, and was used clinically to describe proctitis
and a variety of other complaints caused by a wide range of infectious organisms. Reported causes include hepatitis viruses, syphilis
, gonorrhea
, chlamydia, campylobacter
, and shigellosis
, as well as a variety of protozoal infections. The concept of "gay bowel syndrome" was later expanded to include various opportunistic cancer
s. Transmission of disease was considered to take place by two routes: anal sex
, and fecal-oral route (anal–oral sex
or coprophagia
). Sometimes, difficulty in specifying the method may be a result of transmission by both methods. Following the onset of the AIDS epidemic, the reported incidence of these complaints has declined, likely as a result of changing sexual practices
.
A 1997 article in the Journal of Homosexuality
concluded:
The term "gay bowel syndrome" was withdrawn as "outdated" by the Canadian Association of Gastroenterologists in 2004, and the U.S. Centers for Disease Control described the term as informal and no longer in use in 2005. The gay activist
and author Michael Scarce
criticized the concept of "gay bowel syndrome" in his book Smearing the Queer: Medical Bias in the Health Care of Gay Men (1999), saying that "gay bowel syndrome has been, and remains today, a powerful tool for the specific surveillance, regulation, definition, medicalization, identification, and fragmentation of gay men's bodies." Scarce's work has been cited in the Journal of the American Medical Association
with a positive review.
Proctology
Colorectal surgery is a field in medicine, dealing with disorders of the rectum, anus, and colon. The field is also known as proctology, but the term is outdated in the more traditional areas of medicine...
practice, which had many gay
Gay
Gay is a word that refers to a homosexual person, especially a homosexual male. For homosexual women the specific term is "lesbian"....
patients.
History
After Kazal, the term was used sporadically in medical literature from the 1970s to refer to a complex of gastrointestinalGastrointestinal tract
The human gastrointestinal tract refers to the stomach and intestine, and sometimes to all the structures from the mouth to the anus. ....
symptoms affecting gay men
Men who have sex with men
Men who have sex with men are male persons who engage in sexual activity with members of the same sex, regardless of how they identify themselves; many men choose not to accept sexual identities of homosexual or bisexual...
. The term was first used in the pre-HIV
HIV
Human immunodeficiency virus is a lentivirus that causes acquired immunodeficiency syndrome , a condition in humans in which progressive failure of the immune system allows life-threatening opportunistic infections and cancers to thrive...
era, by Kazal et al. in 1976. The term was not specific to any particular disease or infection, and was used clinically to describe proctitis
Proctitis
Proctitis is an inflammation of the anus and the lining of the rectum, affecting only the last 6 inches of the rectum.-Overview:Symptoms are ineffectual straining to empty the bowels, diarrhea, rectal bleeding and possible discharge, a feeling of not having adequately emptied the bowels,...
and a variety of other complaints caused by a wide range of infectious organisms. Reported causes include hepatitis viruses, syphilis
Syphilis
Syphilis is a sexually transmitted infection caused by the spirochete bacterium Treponema pallidum subspecies pallidum. The primary route of transmission is through sexual contact; however, it may also be transmitted from mother to fetus during pregnancy or at birth, resulting in congenital syphilis...
, gonorrhea
Gonorrhea
Gonorrhea is a common sexually transmitted infection caused by the bacterium Neisseria gonorrhoeae. The usual symptoms in men are burning with urination and penile discharge. Women, on the other hand, are asymptomatic half the time or have vaginal discharge and pelvic pain...
, chlamydia, campylobacter
Campylobacter
Campylobacter is a genus of bacteria that are Gram-negative, spiral, and microaerophilic. Motile, with either unipolar or bipolar flagella, the organisms have a characteristic spiral/corkscrew appearance and are oxidase-positive. Campylobacter jejuni is now recognized as one of the main causes...
, and shigellosis
Shigellosis
Shigellosis, also known as bacillary dysentery or Marlow Syndrome, in its most severe manifestation, is a foodborne illness caused by infection by bacteria of the genus Shigella. Shigellosis rarely occurs in animals other than humans and other primates like monkeys and chimpanzees...
, as well as a variety of protozoal infections. The concept of "gay bowel syndrome" was later expanded to include various opportunistic cancer
Cancer
Cancer , known medically as a malignant neoplasm, is a large group of different diseases, all involving unregulated cell growth. In cancer, cells divide and grow uncontrollably, forming malignant tumors, and invade nearby parts of the body. The cancer may also spread to more distant parts of the...
s. Transmission of disease was considered to take place by two routes: anal sex
Anal sex
Anal sex is the sex act in which the penis is inserted into the anus of a sexual partner. The term can also include other sexual acts involving the anus, including pegging, anilingus , fingering, and object insertion.Common misconception describes anal sex as practiced almost exclusively by gay men...
, and fecal-oral route (anal–oral sex
Anal–oral sex
Anilingus Anilingus Anilingus (from anus + lingus (Latin Lingere: to lick), also spelled analingus, also referred to or described as anal–oral contact or anal–oral sex, is a form of oral sex involving contact between the anus or perineum of one person and the mouth (lips) or tongue of another....
or coprophagia
Coprophagia
Coprophagia or coprophagy is the consumption of feces, from the Greek κόπρος copros and φαγεῖν phagein . Many animal species practice coprophagia as a matter of course; other species do not normally consume feces but may do so under unusual conditions...
). Sometimes, difficulty in specifying the method may be a result of transmission by both methods. Following the onset of the AIDS epidemic, the reported incidence of these complaints has declined, likely as a result of changing sexual practices
Safe sex
Safe sex is sexual activity engaged in by people who have taken precautions to protect themselves against sexually transmitted diseases such as AIDS. It is also referred to as safer sex or protected sex, while unsafe or unprotected sex is sexual activity engaged in without precautions...
.
Obsolescence
The term "gay bowel syndrome" is considered obsolete and derogatory. The McGraw-Hill Manual of Colorectal Surgery says:A 1997 article in the Journal of Homosexuality
Journal of Homosexuality
The Journal of Homosexuality is a peer-reviewed academic journal This forum for research into same-sex desire examines sexual practices and gender roles in their cultural, historical, interpersonal, and modern social contexts. In the fall of 2005, the Journal celebrated its 50th volume.- History...
concluded:
The term "gay bowel syndrome" was withdrawn as "outdated" by the Canadian Association of Gastroenterologists in 2004, and the U.S. Centers for Disease Control described the term as informal and no longer in use in 2005. The gay activist
LGBT social movements
Lesbian, gay, bisexual, and transgender social movements share inter-related goals of social acceptance of sexual and gender minorities. Lesbian, gay, bisexual, and transgender people and their allies have a long history of campaigning for what is generally called LGBT rights, also called gay...
and author Michael Scarce
Michael Scarce
Michael Scarce is a writer, researcher, activist and gay men's health advocate. He lives in San Francisco. He is the author of two books: Smearing the Queer: Medical Bias in the Health Care of Gay Men and Male on Male Rape: The Hidden Toll of Stigma and Shame.He was the first man to graduate with a...
criticized the concept of "gay bowel syndrome" in his book Smearing the Queer: Medical Bias in the Health Care of Gay Men (1999), saying that "gay bowel syndrome has been, and remains today, a powerful tool for the specific surveillance, regulation, definition, medicalization, identification, and fragmentation of gay men's bodies." Scarce's work has been cited in the Journal of the American Medical Association
Journal of the American Medical Association
The Journal of the American Medical Association is a weekly, peer-reviewed, medical journal, published by the American Medical Association. Beginning in July 2011, the editor in chief will be Howard C. Bauchner, vice chairman of pediatrics at Boston University’s School of Medicine, replacing ...
with a positive review.