Why men who have sex with men say they're straight

Bisexual men do not disclose their sexual orientation to their female partners because of the stigma associated with same-sex relationships, according to a new study.

Research published in Archives of Sexual Behaviour focused on 203 bisexual men in New York who had not told their current female partners about their previous same-sex relationships. All the men in the study were over 18 and had had sex with a man and a woman in the past year.

The men said they were concerned about the stigma of having same-sex relationships and wanted to avoid homophobia, as well as "ridicule, rejection and victimisation".

Our results clearly identify the need for public education campaigns to dispel myths about bisexual men—that bisexual men are not gay, do not have HIV, and are not necessarily non-monogamous

• Lead author Dr Eric Schrimshaw of Columbia University said.

The findings indicate that bisexual, rather than gay men are more likely to think they will be stigmatised for their sexual orientation. Dr Schrimshaw added:

The anticipated negative reactions from female partners suggest the need for strategies to assist behaviorally bisexual men disclose their sexual history in ways that minimise negative reactions and work with the couple to preserve the relationship

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