Impact of early sexual debut on gay men's tobacco use.

Young men's sexual experiences with men are different from their sexual experiences with women because of homophobia. Early sexual debut with another man could lead to tobacco use as a result. The study assessed 691 HIV-negative gay men recruited from southwestern Pennsylvania. Early sexual experiences with men and women were associated with participants' smoking behaviors. It is thought that the early sexual debut with men may place these individuals at risk for homophobia as well as for being socialized in environments that will influence their smoking behavior. To be effective, tobacco control programs need to be culturally competent regarding issues that affect gay men.