What does sexual orientation mean?
How can you tell if someone is straight, gay or bisexual?
Can a person choose their sexual orientation?
If gay or bisexual people had sex with members of the opposite sex, wouldn't they be "cured?"
Since lesbians don't have sexual intercourse with men, do they still need to go to the gynecologist?
Additional Information

Sexual orientation is a term that refers to the gender (male or female) of the people to whom someone is physically and romantically attracted. People who are attracted to people of the same gender are called "gay" or "homosexual." Gay women are also called "lesbians." People who are sexually attracted to people of both genders are called "bisexual." People who are attracted to the opposite gender are called "heterosexual" or "straight."

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You cannot necessarily tell if someone is straight, gay or bisexual just by looking at him or her. Straight, gay, lesbian and bisexual people come from all kinds of family backgrounds, religious and ethnic groups and every social and economic level.

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No, it doesn't work that way. A person does not "decide" what their sexual orientation is. Your sexual orientation is much more than with whom you have sex. It's who you are. Most experts believe that your sexual orientation is set early in life-maybe before you're born.

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No. Your sexual orientation is not based on how you were raised or by who your friends are. It cannot be changed by therapy, willpower or having sex with someone. A person of any sexual orientation can choose whether or not to act on his or her feelings. However, a person who is abstinent-who doesn't have sex-does not stop being straight, gay, lesbian or bisexual. If someone who is gay or lesbian has intercourse with someone of the opposite gender, he or she would no sooner become straight than would a straight person become gay after having sex with a person of the same gender.

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Yes. Pelvic exams don't just check for pregnancy. Pelvic exams ensure that a woman's reproductive system is healthy. A woman is screened for cervical cancer and her uterus and ovaries are checked to ensure that they're healthy. Also, lesbians can get sexually transmitted diseases, such as herpes. It is a good idea for all women to see a gynecologist by the time they are 18, whether they have had sexual intercourse or not, to make sure that their reproductive system is healthy.

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There are many groups and information sources available to the gay, lesbian and bisexual communities. Many telephone directory yellow pages will list services under Community Organizations and/or Crisis Intervention Services. Other useful resources can be found on our links.

The following are resources in the San Francisco Bay Area:

GLBT Youth Talkline (Hours 9:30pm-midnight)
(415) 863-3636
1-800-246-PRIDE (Outside San Francisco)
National Hotline: 1-888-843-4564 (extended hours for youth and adults)

Suicide Prevention and Crisis Intervention
(415) 781-0500 (San Francisco)

National Suicide Prevention Helpline
1-800-273-TALK(8255)

AIDS/HIV Nightline (5pm-5am)
(415) 434-AIDS

Crisis Support Services of Alameda County
1-800-309-2131
Nationwide Hotline: 1-800-SUICIDE

Linea Nocturna
(415) 989-5212 (bilingual/bicultural)

San Francisco Sex Information:
(415) 989-7374

Community United Against Violence (multilingual)
(415) 777-5500
24 Hour Support: 1-415-333-HELP

Center for Human Development-Empowerment Project
(925) 687-8844 (Pleasant Hill, CA)

Equinox
(831) 457-1441 (Santa Cruz)

Positive Images
(707) 579-4947

Santa Cruz Lesbian, Gay, Bisexual and Transgendered Community Center
(831) 425-5422

Spectrum, Center for Lesbian, Gay, and Bisexual Concerns
(415) 457-1115 x201 (San Anselmo)

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