How would you define a healthy gay man?

How would you define a healthy gay man, how would you define what it takes to make you feel healthy?

Would it be that you are physically fit, not too skinny but not too muscle bound, could you be defined as healthy if you are over or underweight?

Would it be if you were a smoker, HIV positive or someone who never drinks alcohol or takes drugs?

Would you consider someone to be healthy if they took anti-depressants or other regular medication?

Can you be healthy and disabled?

Can you be a healthy gay man and be transgendered?

Does this change your definition of health?

Everyone claims to be healthy, but what does healthy mean, and whose definition of health are they using?

We define gay men’s health as a balance between the physical, emotional and psychological components of a gay man. Each of these three elements contributes to their overall health, when any one of these elements is upset poor health may result.

Maybe we all need to look after our health...

Over the Rainbow can help you in a most of these areas. We can help you consider HIV/Hepatitis/Syphilis testing, hepatitis vaccinations, discuss sexually transmitted infections and regular sexual health screening and, in some areas, carry out those screens for you or refer you to your local sexual health clinic.

We can also discuss prostate, testicular problems and self-examination, as well as being able to help with all aspects of negotiating safer sex and risk reduction, if you feel you might be having too much sex or lots of unprotected sex.

Our counselling service is also available for you to discuss problems in a safe, confidential space with a qualified, professional counsellor, helping you to see things from a different perspective, think and act more productively and feel more confident in yourself.

We work closely with local drug and alcohol agencies if you feel you need a referral to a specialist service.

We would like to empower and support you to take care of yourself as a whole, to educate you and provide easy access to condoms and lube, reducing the risk of catching a sexually transmitted infection.

The services we offer are available in person or over the telephone. There are many good resources available to you, if they are not enough, we can extend them or provide you with more help and information.

We can change our services, but also the attitudes of individuals must change, and the attitude of the community at large.

Is the culture in the gay community one that prevents people admitting that they need help or advice? Do you wonder - who cares? Who can help? Where do I go?

Would a culture based on love and respect be such a bad thing?