Men who call themselves gay are sexually attracted to and fall in love with other men. Their sexual feelings toward men are normal and natural for them. These feelings emerge when they are boys and the feelings continue into adulthood. Although some gay men may also be attracted to women, they usually say that their feelings for men are stronger and more important to them. We know that about one out of ten people in the world is gay or lesbian. This means that in any large group of people, there are usually several gay people present. However, you cannot tell if someone is gay or not unless he or she wants you to know. Gay people blend right in with other people. But they often feel different from other people. Gay teenagers may not be able to specify just why they feel different. All of the guys they know seem to be attracted to girls, so they don't know where they fit in. And, they may not feel comfortable talking

Being a teenager is a difficult time. For one thing, your body is changing more than it will at any other time. And your hormones, hard at work changing your body, can be playing around with your moods. You may feel great one day and miserable the next, for no clear reason. The rules are changing. You're expected to act more and more like an adult. You may have new adult responsibilities like volunteer work or a part-time job, but you might not be given adult rights, like coming home at whatever time you want. Your relationship with your parents is changing. You're becoming more independent, and they're having to accept that you're not their little girl or boy any more. That's not easy for either of you. And all of a sudden, something you didn't think about a few years ago - sex - might feel like the most important thing in the world. If you're a gay, lesbian, or bisexual teenager - or if you think you might be gay or wonder if you are - it's even more confusing, bec!

f against these thoughts. You may have considered suicide but there are alternatives to denying your very valuable feelings.

Grossman, A.H. (1998). Homophobia: a cofactor of HIV disease in gay and lesbian

Societal homophobia may impede implementing effective prevention programs for gay youth and may discourage young gay men from accessing prevention services (Grossman, 1998). Political concerns must not interfere with HIV prevention services for young gay men. A comprehensive HIV prevention strategy uses multiple elements to protect as many of those at risk of HIV infection as possible. Targeting young gay men with AIDS prevention messages and services is not "condoning" or "promoting" homosexuality, it is acting responsibly in the face of a grave public health threat. Unless action is taken quickly, we will lose a new generation of gay men.

Stall, R., Barrett, D., Bye, L., et al. (1992). A comparison of younger and older gay

"I think what helps me the most is being able to accept who I am as a person first. Knowing what my goals, my hopes, my feelings are about life are. The most beautiful benefit is being able to then accept my orientation." P.J. Smith (Personal communication, November 23, 1999).

Some common words found in the essay are:
Smith Personal, Personal Growth, Kegeles Coates, That's OK, Googgin Sotiropoulos, Barrett Bye, Francisco CA, Koopman Haignere, Hirozawa Givertz, Implications Despite, personal communication november, pj smith personal, november 23 1999, gay people, pj smith, 23 1999, november 23, personal communication, communication november, smith personal, hiv prevention, communication november 23, smith personal communication, sexual feelings, gay lesbian,
Approximate Word count = 2976
Approximate Pages = 12 (250 words per page double spaced)