Your mental health refers to how well you are feeling emotional and well your mind is working. Your mental health is very important because it can affect your physical health and your overall well-being.
When someone has a mental health issue, it means their mental well-being is suffering just like your body suffers when it gets hurt. There are many reasons people experience mental health issues. Some men are born at greater risk and others are at risk after dealing with things like stress or trauma.
Sometimes mental health issues can be small and go away easily. Other times they can be serious and make it hard for people to function normally.
Men who have sex with other men may experience mental health issues like depression and anxiety, not because of who they have sex with but because they may experience violence, stigma, and discrimination.
Being able to recognize a mental illness is important because sometimes they can increase your risk for getting HIV by increasing your use of substances or of high risk sex.
Find out more about two common mental health issues, Depression and Anxiety, and importantly, where you can get help.
