Date: Sun, 16 Jan 1994 14:43:00 EDT From: Song Weaver Subject: British medical group backs lowering age of homosexual consent LONDON (UPI) -- The British Medical Association, expressing concern about HIV transmission among teenage males, announced Thursday it was endorsing a campaign to lower the age of homosexual consent to 16 in hopes of improving sexual health counseling for young males. A group of lawmakers launched the campaign Wednesday to lower the age of consent to 16 from the current 21. The age of consent for heterosexuals is currently 16, and lesbians are covered by the same laws because Victorian-era lawmakers refused to believe they existed and wrote no laws to cover them. "What we are most concerned about is HIV (human immunodeficiency virus)," said Dr. Fleur Fasher, head of the medical association's ethics and science division. "Because of the state of the law, it is difficult for health education, health promotion, to be made available (to teenage males)." Medical association doctors said the decriminalization of homosexuality between ages 16 and 21 would allow doctors and health authorities to provide more effective health care, health education and counseling for homosexuals in that age group. The British Medical Association council voted almost unanimously Wednesday night to recommend the government lower the age of consent to 16. In taking the action, the council noted that unsafe sexual behavior and HIV infection have both increased among homosexual men after a period of decline. The council noted that recent figures for new HIV transmissions show that younger males are disproportionately affected. A statement said, the council is concerned that the "current criminalization of homosexual activity inhibits effective health education and health care. The council based its decision on a survey by the Board of Science and Education. The survey showed the average age for the first homosexual encounter is 15.7 years. It also showed that homosexual orientation, which is established before puberty, leads to homosexual behavior and not vice versa. The council concluded from this that lowering the age of consent to 16 would be unlikely to affect the number of men engaging in homosexual activity, either in general or within specific age groups. There was no convincing medical reason against lowering the age of consent for homosexuals to 16, the council said, but to do so would yield positive health benefits.