Identity, however, is not always consistent with behavior for example, some gay-identified men also have sex with women, and some heterosexually identified men also have sex with men ( Doll et al., 1992 Montgomery, Mokotoff, Gentry, & Blair, 2003 Ross, Essien, Williams, & Fernandez-Esquer, 2003). One aspect of self-concept is sexual orientation identity, which includes, among others, definitions of the self as heterosexual or straight, homosexual or gay, and bisexual.
Conceptions of self can have consequences for health in general, and sexual risk in particular ( Courtenay, 2000 Goodyear, Newcomb, & Allison, 2000 Marín, Gómez, Tschann, & Gregorich, 1997).