Gay and Bisexual Men's Urology
Like all men, gay and bisexual men can experience issues affecting their urologic health. Some common urologic problems include:
- Erectile dysfunction
- Benign prostatic hyperplasia (an enlarged prostate) causing difficulty with urination
- Prostate cancer
- Kidney stones
- Peyronie’s disease (penile curvature)
- Low testosterone
- Testicular pain
While the problems affecting gay and bisexual men are similar to those that impact heterosexual cis-men, these patients often benefit from different approaches to care.
Led by Channa Amarasekera, MD, the Northwestern Medicine Gay and Bisexual Men’s Urology program was created to improve the urologic care experience, outcomes and quality of life for patients who were assigned male at birth (AMAB) and identify as gay or bisexual.
Research
Dr. Amarasekera’s research focuses on health outcomes in urology for men who have sex with men. His current research interests focus on identifying and addressing urologic healthcare disparities faced by members of sexual minorities.
Selected Media
In this podcast, Dr. Amarasekera discusses prostate cancer treatment considerations for gay and bisexual men. He shares his published study assessing areas of sexual function predicted to be important after treatment and what other urologists need to know about when caring for gay and bisexual patients with prostate cancer.
Selected Publications
A Pilot Study Assessing Aspects of Sexual Function Predicted to Be Important After Treatment for Prostate Cancer in Gay Men: An Underserved Domain Highlighted. Amarasekera C, Wong V, Jackson K, Yura E, Patel M, Manjunath A, Kundu S. LGBT Health. 2020 Jul; 7(5): 271-276.
Prostate cancer in sexual minorities and the influence of HIV status. Amarasekera C, Wong V, Yura E, Manjunath A, Schaeffer E, Kundu S. Nat Rev Urol. 2019 Jul; 16(7): 404-421.