Just a quick comment about the "MSM" category (men who have sex with men)...
This originated maybe ten years ago or so. It isn't really a politically correct way to recognize differing orientations or provide a nod to all the permutations of male sexuality. More or less, it is mostly just a simple way for medical professionals to make the notation in a patient's chart regarding his sexual practices. This is important for obvious reasons: when treating a patient who presents what might be dubious symptoms, if his sexuality is known, the medical professional can recommend certain tests and procedures which otherwise might not be at the top of the list for a heterosexual male. Of course, ALL options need to be considered and as a general rule any medical professional worth his or her salt would consider HIV as a possibility if symptoms merit its inclusion. I imagine it is simply much easier than getting into a detailed dialogue with a patient and asking if he's gay, bi, straight, questioning, curious, confused, experimenting, etc. "MSM" pretty much covers all the bases.
|