Gay bowel syndrome

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"Gay bowel syndrome" is an obsolete classification of various sexually transmitted

proctology practice, which had many gay patients.[1] The term has fallen into disuse, as both clinically imprecise and prejudicial: the issues it describes are not specific to gay and bisexual men, limited to the bowel, nor a medical syndrome
.

Early history

The term was first used in the pre-

AIDS epidemic, the reported incidence of these complaints has declined, likely as a result of safer sexual practices.[5]

Criticism and decline in use

In 1985, an article in the peer-reviewed journal Gut said that "gay bowel syndrome" was not a syndrome, and had limitations in medical use:

The "gay bowel syndrome" was first used to describe not a syndrome, but a list of conditions. The term hides the problems facing the gastroenterologist. Firstly, the sexual orientation of a patient may not be easily ascertainable in the setting of a general outpatient clinic. Secondly, many infections of the gay bowel are asymptomatic and are missed without full microbiological screening. Thirdly, coinfection is common and the organism isolated may not be causing the symptoms and signs. Finally, the bowel has limited and non-specific clinical and histopathological responses to many infections.[6]

A 1997 article in the Journal of Homosexuality argued that use of the term should be abandoned:

It is apparent that Gay Bowel Syndrome is an essentialized category of difference that is neither gay-specific, confined to the bowel, nor a syndrome. The use and diagnosis of Gay Bowel Syndrome must be abandoned.[7]

The term was withdrawn as "outdated" by the Canadian Association of Gastroenterologists in 2004.

Gay Men's Health Crisis argued: "Sickle cell anemia is primarily seen in African Americans, but would you call it African American anemia? People would never accept that."[8]

The U.S.

Centers for Disease Control confirmed the term was already informal and no longer in use by 2005.[9]

The 2009 McGraw-Hill Manual of Colorectal Surgery states that "gay bowel syndrome" is considered obsolete and derogatory:

Coined in the pre-HIV era, the term "gay bowel syndrome" comprised a rather unselective potpourri of unusual anorectal and GI symptoms experienced by homosexual males... with better understanding of the underlying causes, this term is outdated: the derogatory terminology should be abandoned and more specific entities and terms recognized and used.[10]

Journal of the American Medical Association with a positive review.[12]

See also

References

  1. PMID 946385.{{cite journal}}: CS1 maint: multiple names: authors list (link
    )
  2. PMID 946385
    .
  3. ^
    ISBN 978-0-8493-9476-8
    .
  4. ISBN 978-0-443-06464-7
    . p. 817
  5. ^ Bartlett, John (March 15, 2004). "New Look at "Gay Bowel Syndrome", Etiology of Clinical Proctitis Among Men Who Have Sex With Men". Medscape.
  6. PMID 3896960
    .
  7. PMID 9328857
    .
  8. ^ a b Garbo, Jon (December 21, 2004). ""Gay Bowel Syndrome" struck from textbook". Gmax.co.za. Archived from the original on 2005-01-04. Retrieved June 24, 2009.
  9. ^ Lee, Ryan (April 8, 2005). "Activist fights 'outdated' medical phrase: Effort to debunk 'gay bowel syndrome' may face new challenge". Washington Blade. Archived from the original on May 7, 2009. Retrieved June 24, 2009.
  10. ISBN 978-0-07-159070-9
    .
  11. ISBN 978-1-56023-926-0
    .
  12. doi:10.1001/jama.284.15.1986-JBK1018-2-1
    .
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