Posted on 11/11/2022 7:26:20 AM PST by Red Badger
The study found that 0.8% of same-sex patients with high-risk sexual activity were diagnosed with Crohn’s disease, while only 0.49 heterosexual men who engaged in high-risk sexual activity had Crohn’s disease.
The research will enable the development of individualized, precision medicine for the management of inflammatory bowel disease in this underrepresented minority patient group.
According to a recent study from Case Western Reserve University and University Hospitals Cleveland Medical Center (UH), gay men are more than twice as likely as heterosexual males to develop inflammatory bowel disease (IBD) when both groups participate in high-risk sexual activity.
The study was recently published in the peer-reviewed medical journal Gut.
“To our knowledge, this is the first large population-based study that demonstrates a higher prevalence of IBD in men who engage in high-risk same-sex sexual activity,” said Emad Mansoor, study lead author and assistant professor at the Case Western Reserve School of Medicine and UH. “Our study is expected to open a new field of research into gastrointestinal inflammatory conditions.”
“Studying the cause of IBD in this underrepresented patient population in comparison to other patient groups,” said Fabio Cominelli, corresponding study author, professor at the School of Medicine, and chief scientific officer at UH, “will allow us to further investigate the cause of disease development in Crohn’s disease and ulcerative colitis patients and develop personalized precision medicine and treatment strategies, while also reducing stigma.”
The study’s importance is highlighted by the fact that, according to Gallup, more than 7.1% of Americans identify as LGBTQIA+, up from 5.6% in 2020.
The findings
Between 2002 and 2022, the researchers analyzed self-reported data from individuals treated at 58 healthcare organizations in the United States.
According to the data, 0.8% of individuals with a diagnosis of high-risk same-sex activity had Crohn’s disease, and 1.26% had ulcerative colitis. These results were contrasted with those of males who participate in high-risk heterosexual behavior, of whom 0.49% had Crohn’s disease and 0.52% had ulcerative colitis.
This study defined high-risk sexual activity as sexual contact without barrier protection as well as having several sexual partners.
The team also further analyzed the data in relation to Crohn’s disease and found men who engaged in high-risk same-sex sexual activity were more likely to have peri-anal disease including peri-anal abscess, rectal abscess, and stricturing disease of the colon or small intestine. Among those with severe manifestations of ulcerative colitis, men who engaged in high-risk same-sex sexual activity were more likely to undergo partial colectomy.
The findings will be further evaluated by the team–including an investigation into the potential role of the gut microbiome–during a long-term study that allows investigators to track participants over time.
Continuing research with NIH funding The team will continue its research to better understand if and how LGBTQIA+ individuals are more susceptible to gastrointestinal disorders through funding awarded this year for the Cleveland Digestive Diseases Research Core Center (DDRCC).
The center recently received a $100,000 supplementary grant from the National Institutes of Health (NIH). It will allow the researchers to significantly expand the number of LGBTQIA+ patients included in the DDRCC’s biorepository core, which collects plasma, tissue and stool samples, and gut microbiome analyses.
“This supplementary grant is an addition to our $1 million NIH grant funding that is running from 2020 through 2025,” Cominelli said. “We are in the process of opening a new clinic dedicated to LGBTQ+ patients with the goal of improving access to healthcare. Our goal is to improve patient access and develop new therapies for gastrointestinal conditions.”
Reference:
“Epidemiology of inflammatory bowel disease in men with high-risk homosexual activity” by Emad Mansoor, Scott A Martin, Abe Perez, Vu Quang Nguyen, Jeffry A Katz, Shubham Gupta and Fabio Cominelli, 1 September 2022, Gut.
DOI: 10.1136/gutjnl-2022-328218
That’s what happens when you ride the Hershey Highway.
Odd, I know 3 people who have it and none of them are gay. One of them was fairly famous. He was in a movie and his face was so swollen due to Prednisone that it was hard to recognize him.
Then from Hoof and Mouth to Dick and Butt disease.
What the hey it’s Friday.
“We find that repeated insertions of objects into an outflow mechanism causes problems.”
You mean there’s more than monkeypox, HIV and AIDS? You don’t say.
Jesus hates sodomy but died for the sodomite.
Anal fissures.
Oh my.
I’m surprised it is only twice, and not ten times more likely.
You beat me. Me: “Well, DUH!”
Fissures of men..........
That’s pretty interesting but by no means amazing. Crohn’s is an extremely painful and debilitating disease. Often people have to have sections of colon removed to treat it.
Gay men have a much-higher risk of contracting EVERY disease or thing that will kill you.
From violence to dementia to addiction to cancer
“Come on ev’rybody we’ve got quilting to do.”
Huh. Who would ever guess that gay men could get an autoimmune diseases that strikes people’s colons?
They’re on the Hershey Highway to Hell.
Duh! The f***ing a**holes get Crohn’s disease by f***ing a**holes. No, sh*t.
Gee, I wonder what might cause it? Trust “the science” “the science” always knows.
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