An overlooked problem | Photo: Unsplash/
Ali Yahya
A new study from the American Journal of Men’s Health reveals startingly statistics about domestic abuse in gay male relationships.
Researchers interviewed 320 men from 160 couples to gather their data.
Of those interviewed, 46% of the men reported experiencing ‘intimate partner abuse in the last year, including physical and sexual violence, emotional abuse and controlling behavior’.
The study explains further risks of this domestic abuse, such as an increased risk of HIV infection. This is due to the power imbalance in an abusive relationship, in which victims ‘may have little or no control over condom use or when and how the couple has sex’.
Rethinking domestic abuse
Rob Stephenson is the author of the study and believes it sheds new light on understanding this phenomenon.
‘We’re stuck in this mental representation of domestic violence as a female victim and a male perpetrator,’ he said. ‘And while that is very important, there are other forms of domestic violence in all types of relationships.’
Stephenson also added that the study found an association between abuse and internalized homophobia.
As he’s quoted saying: ‘The stress of struggling with his sexual identity might cause a gay man to inflict physical or emotional abuse on a partner.’
Finally, Stephenson believes more healthcare providers need to ask men and male couples about domestic abuse.
Other researchers have conducted studies on domestic abuse in LGBTI relationships. The Office of National Statistics found earlier this year that bisexual women are twice as likely to be victims of domestic abuse than straight women.
H/t: HealthDay
More from Gay Star News
46% of bi women have been raped in their lifetime, says UN report
What domestic violence looks like through the eyes of a black lesbian
WATCH: Lesbian YouTubers open up about abuse in relationships
