Profile of a homosexual in Singapore

A study was done on 40 homosexual subjects and 47 controls between the ages of 18-19 years, matched for race and age. There was no significant difference in the educational level, and family background of the 2 groups. But homosexuals had a significantly more unhappy childhood than the controls, were more often reprimanded than physically punished and were often teased by their classmates and called names. They were not overprotected or infantilized by their parents and there was no overclose relationship with their mothers. The majority mixed with effeminate boys, admired a senior person in school and about a third had a physical relationship with this person. Almost half had been molested when they were young. Less than a fifth had girlfriends. About three-quarters knew of AIDS and of these less than a fifth felt they would give up their sexual practices because of fear of AIDS. The main problems faced by the subjects were confusion about their identity, their desire to find the right partner, relationship problems and difficulties in controlling their impulses.