Male Body Image Self-Consciousness During Physical Intimacy (M-BISC): Validating the M-BISC With Gay Men.

INTRODUCTION: An expanding area of research within the realm of body image is its role in human sexual functioning, which denotes people's overall satisfaction with their performance during a specific sexual encounter. Traditionally, studies investigating the association between body image and sexual functioning have focused on women. The Male Body Image Self-Consciousness Scale (M-BISC) was developed to exclusively assess male body image self-consciousness during sexual activity using a sample consisting primarily of heterosexual men. AIM: The purpose of the current study is to evaluate the dimensionality, reliability, and validity of the M-BISC with a sample of gay men. Research suggests that sexual difficulties and body image concerns can overlap and interrelate. Therefore, 2 subscales (erectile difficulties and body embarrassment) from the Gay Male Sexual Difficulties Scale (GMSDS) were used to assess the validity of the scale. METHODS: 1,930 men self-identifying as "exclusively gay" completed an online survey consisting of demographics, the M-BISC, and the GMSDS (erectile difficulties and body embarrassment subscales). MAIN OUTCOME MEASURE: The replicability of the M-BISC factor structure with a gay male sample was determined using an exploratory and confirmatory factor analysis. Additionally, the GMSDS (erectile difficulties and body embarrassment subscales) was used to determine the validity of the M-BISC. RESULTS: Exploratory and confirmatory factor analyses revealed that, following the removal of 3 items, the M-BISC was unidimensional. Scale score reliability for the 14-item M-BISC was good. Finally, as predicted, scores on the M-BISC correlated with scores on the GMSDS (ie, greater sexual difficulties). CLINICAL IMPLICATIONS: The results indicate that assessment scales developed using samples consisting primarily of heterosexual men may not be appropriate for use with gay men in their original form. Thus, limiting the accuracy of the measurement and increasing the risk of misdiagnoses. STRENGTH & LIMITATIONS: Strengths of this study include a large sample of exclusively gay men and the utilization of best-practice statistical analysis for assessing factor structure, validity, and reliability of measures. Limitations include the assumption that the M-BISC should be used in lieu of a novel scale developed exclusively for gay men. Further, the study utilizes an Internet sample consisting primarily of Caucasian gay men. CONCLUSION: Results of the current study illustrate that the M-BISC is a valid tool to measure gay men's body concerns during intimacy. More importantly, it also highlights gay men's elevated body concerns during intimacy and the need to understand the etiology of these apprehensions. Currently, there is a noticeable gap in the literature regarding the cause of gay male body concerns that have potential clinic implications. Kiss MJ, Morrison TG, McDonagh LK. Male Body Image Self-Consciousness During Physical Intimacy (M-BISC): Validating the M-BISC With Gay Men. J Sex Med 2018;16:307-315.

Accurately Assessing Gay Men's Erectile Functioning: A Critique of the International Index of Erectile Function (IIEF) Use with Gay Men.

The International Index of Erectile Functioning (IIEF) has been widely used to measure gay men's erectile functioning. However, the IIEF was initially developed using a sample of men whose sexual orientation was unspecified. Using scales not validated for specific populations can result in inaccurate assessments. The purpose of the current study was to evaluate the dimensionality, reliability, and validity of the IIEF with a large sample of gay men. One thousand and eighteen men self-identifying as "exclusively gay" completed an online survey consisting of demographics, the IIEF, the Hospital Anxiety and Depression Scale (HADS), the Perceived Stress Scale 4 (PSS4), and the Gay Male Sexual Difficulties (GMSD) erectile difficulties sub-scale. The replicability of the IIEF factor structure with a gay male sample was determined using exploratory and confirmatory factor analyses. Additionally, the HADS, PSS4, and GMSD were used to determine the validity of the IIEF. The current study was unable to replicate the IIEF factor structure. Four items required deletion and the factor solution differed from the original. Thus, reinterpretation of the latent variables was deemed necessary. Although the resultant 12-item IIEF evidenced model fit, validity, and reliability, it is not recommended for use with gay men. The revised IIEF is unable to accurately measure gay men's erectile functioning as the content of the items fail to capture their sexual behaviors (i.e., insertive and receptive anal sex).

A Meta-Analytic Review of the Association Between Disgust and Prejudice Toward Gay Men.

A sizeable number of studies have documented a relationship between heterosexual persons' experience of disgust (measured as an individual difference variable or induced experimentally) and prejudice toward gay men (i.e., homonegativity). Yet, to date, no one has attempted to meta-analytically review this corpus of research. We address this gap by conducting a meta-analysis of published and unpublished work examining heterosexual men and women's disgust and their homonegativity toward gay men. Fourteen articles (12 published, two unpublished) containing 17 studies were analyzed (N = 7,322). The average effect size for disgust sensitivity studies was moderate to large (d = 0.64), whereas for disgust induction studies, the effect was large (d = 0.77). No evidence of effect size heterogeneity emerged. Future directions and recommendations for methodological improvements are outlined.

"We're Disgusted With Queers, not Fearful of Them": The Interrelationships Among Disgust, Gay Men's Sexual Behavior, and Homonegativity.

Using a combination of personal reflections, published literature, and original empirical research, we argue that the disgust triggered by gay men's sexual practices (specifically, anal intercourse) is a critical, though overlooked, contributor to heterosexual men and women's homonegativity (i.e., negative attitudes and behaviors directed toward men who are or are perceived to be gay). We conclude our article by articulating several directions for future inquiry that we believe will advance current understanding of prejudice and discrimination directed toward gay men.