Gay Bowel Syndrome

A term used by scientists in the late 1970s and early 1980s.

Sexually transmitted bowel and rectal diseases are common in gay men and are caused by a wide variety of infectious agents. Each of the entities implicated in the gay bowel syndrome is considered separately and epidemiologic considerations responsible for the appearance of such a syndrome are examined. The emergency physician should be prepared to diagnose and initiate treatment of these disorders on a rational basis. Specific practical guidelines for the workup and management of these patients are suggested.

Source: https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/6893530/

The 2009 McGraw-Hill Manual of Colorectal Surgery states that “gay bowel syndrome” is considered obsolete and derogatory: