No one likes going to the doctor. It's scary.
But for gay men, it's even scarier. For one, gay men experience a great deal of stigma and shaming, which makes difficult conversations even harder. Gay men, as a population, are also at higher risk for certain sexually transmitted diseases and conditions. That's also scary. Lastly, predicting a health care provider's response to gay-specific isn't easy. Some doctors are totally comfortable talking about gay sex and gay men's health; in other instances, doctors shut down entirely.
The reality is, gay men need to feel empowered to have difficult conversations with their doctor. After all, your life is literally on the line. And if your doctor doesn't respond with professionalism and understanding, it's time to find someone new.
To get the ball rolling, I asked the gay internet (i.e., my Facebook page) for questions that they're afraid to ask their doctor -- and walked the walk by asking my own doctor, Dr. Jay Gladstein. Here's what he had to say: