Gay OCD / HOCD Test

Gay OCD, also known as Homosexual OCD (HOCD), or Sexual Orientation OCD (SO-OCD), is a term for a type of Pure Obsessional OCD (Pure O) in which an individual reports experiencing repeated, unwanted obsessions related to their sexual orientation. It is important to note that the terms Gay OCD and HOCD, while used commonly as shorthand for this type of OCD, are misnomers. Just as some “straight” people obsess about being gay, some homosexuals (male and female) experience obsessive fears of being “straight”. At its core, HOCD is primarily about the overwhelming discomfort with experiencing uncertainty about one’s sexual orientation.

While it may seem that the individual with Gay OCD / HOCD has obsessions without compulsions, a review of his/her symptoms almost always reveals various compulsive behaviors, avoidant behaviors, reassurance-seeking behaviors, and “mental compulsions” which are not at first as easily observed as other, more obvious OCD compulsions.

The OCD Center of Los Angeles offers this confidential questionnaire in an effort to help you get a better idea of whether or not you are exhibiting signs of Gay OCD / HOCD. Simply check those items that apply to you, and email it to us using the simple form below. While this questionnaire is not meant to replace a thorough evaluation, it may help in identifying traits of Gay OCD / HOCD.

1.  I often have unwanted thoughts and/or mental images related to my sexual orientation.

2.  These thoughts and/or mental images cause me great distress, and I can’t get them out of my mind no matter how much I try.

3.  I worry excessively that I will act on these thoughts.

4.  I sometimes experience unwanted sensations in or near my sexual organs in unexpected situations (i.e., after seeing an attractive person of the same gender, or while watching film or TV show with a gay character), and I worry this is evidence that I am sexually aroused or that I am gay.

5.  I often worry about acting in a manner that could be construed as ‘gay’ (i.e., being effeminate or butch).

6.  I repeatedly worry about the possibility that I will suddenly and inexplicably ‘turn’ gay.

7.  I worry that some childhood same-sex experimentation is ‘proof’ that I am actually gay, or that it somehow ‘made’ me gay.

8.  I fear the possibility that I am ‘living a lie’ in terms of my sexual orientation.

9.  I worry excessively that I do not really love, or am not really sexually attracted to, my spouse or partner, and that this is evidence that I am gay.

10.  I prefer to avoid being around certain people, places, or situations in an effort to ensure that I will not have unwanted thoughts about my sexual orientation (or unwanted sensations in or near my sexual organs).

11.  I avoid certain movies, tv shows, books, magazines, news stories, performers, music, or websites in order to avoid having unwanted thoughts about my sexual orientation.

12.  I sometimes read certain books, newspaper articles, magazines, or websites (or watch certain TV shows or movies) in an effort to ‘test’ whether I am sexually aroused by ‘gay’ subject matter.

13.  I sometimes ‘test’ myself by looking at gay pornography to see if I become sexually aroused.

14.  I sometimes look at straight pornography for the main purpose of ensuring that I become sexually aroused by it.

15.  I sometimes have sex or masturbate in order to prove to myself that I am straight, or to get some sense of certainty about my sexual orientation.

16.  I sometimes check myself (either physically or mentally) to see if I am sexually aroused in situations in which I don’t want to be aroused (i.e., after seeing an attractive person of the same gender).

17.  I often repeat certain ritualized behaviors, phrases, or prayers in order to rid myself of unwanted thoughts about my sexual orientation, or in an effort to ensure that my sexual orientation will not change.

18.  I sometimes ask others for reassurance about my sexual orientation.

19.  I frequently analyze my personal behaviors or characteristics that I think might indicate that I am gay (i.e., my speech patterns, how I dress, how I cross my legs, my musical preferences).

20.  I am not comfortable with the idea of finding people of the same gender attractive (i.e., models, movie stars, entertainers, attractive co-workers and friends).

21.  I sometimes wash or shower or change my clothes in order to get rid of gay thoughts or feelings, or after exposure to gay people, places or situations.

22.  I sometimes repeat routine behaviors (e.g., entering a room, turning off light switches, reading a book) because I feel I need to do the behavior with a ‘straight’ thought in my mind, not a ‘gay’ thought.

23.  I avoid eating certain foods (i.e., bananas or cucumbers) that I associate with genitalia in an effort to avoid unwanted thoughts about my sexual orientation.

24.  I am often worried that I will have uncomfortable thoughts about my sexual orientation forever, and that this obsession will ultimately ruin my life.

25.  I worry that if I am gay, I will be subject to public ridicule, and/or will be rejected by people who are important to me.

26.  I worry that if my sexual orientation is not as I think it should be, I will lose my sense of identity, and/or that I will have to spend the rest of my life having sex that feels alien to who I am.

27.  I worry that if my sexual orientation is not as I think it should be, I will never again be able to truly connect on a romantic level to another person.

28.  My obsessional thoughts about my sexual orientation are interfering with my relationships and/or with my academic or professional functioning.

29. Hours per day having obsessions about my sexual orientation:

*First name

Last name (optional)

*Valid Email Address
(Test results will be sent to this address)

*Re-enter Email Address

*City

*State or Province
Select one…AlabamaAlaskaAlbertaArizonaArkansasBritish ColumbiaCaliforniaColoradoConnecticutDelawareFloridaGeorgiaHawaiiIdahoIllinoisIndianaIowaKansasKentuckyLouisianaMaineManitobaMarylandMassachusettsMichiganMinnesotaMississippiMissouriMontanaNebraskaNevadaNew BrunswickNew HampshireNew JerseyNew MexicoNew YorkNewfoundland and LabradorNorth CarolinaNorth DakotaNorthwest TerritoriesNova ScotiaNunavutOhioOklahomaOntarioOregonPennsylvaniaPrince Edward IslandPuerto RicoQuebecRhode IslandSaskatchewanSouth CarolinaSouth DakotaTennesseeTexasUtahVermontVirginiaWashingtonWest VirginiaWisconsinWyomingYukonOther

*Country
Select one…United StatesCanadaAustraliaUnited KingdomAfghanistanAlbaniaAlgeriaAmerican SamoaAndorraAngolaAnguillaAntarcticaAntigua And BarbudaArgentinaArmeniaArubaAustraliaAustriaAzerbaijanBahamasBahrainBangladeshBarbadosBelarusBelgiumBelizeBeninBermudaBhutanBoliviaBosnia And HerzegovinaBotswanaBouvet IslandBrazilBritish Indian Ocean TerritoryBruneiBulgariaBurkina FasoBurundiCambodiaCameroonCanadaCape VerdeCayman IslandsCentral African RepublicChadChileChinaChristmas IslandCocos (Keeling) IslandsColombiaComorosCongoCongo, The DrcCook IslandsCosta RicaCote D’ivoireCroatiaCubaCyprusCzech RepublicDenmarkDjiboutiDominicaDominican RepublicEast TimorEcuadorEgyptEl SalvadorEquatorial GuineaEritreaEstoniaEthiopiaFalkland IslandsFaroe IslandsFijiFinlandFranceFrance, MetropolitanFrench GuianaFrench PolynesiaFrench Southern TerritoriesGabonGambiaGeorgiaGermanyGhanaGibraltarGreeceGreenlandGrenadaGuadeloupeGuamGuatemalaGuineaGuinea-bissauGuyanaHaitiHeard And Mc Donald IslandsHondurasHong KongHungaryIcelandIndiaIndonesiaIranIraqIrelandIsraelItalyJamaicaJapanJordanKazakhstanKenyaKiribatiKorea, D.P.R.O.Korea, Republic OfKuwaitKyrgyzstanLaosLatviaLebanonLesothoLiberiaLibyaLiechtensteinLithuaniaLuxembourgMacauMacedoniaMadagascarMalawiMalaysiaMaldivesMaliMaltaMarshall IslandsMartiniqueMauritaniaMauritiusMayotteMexicoMicronesia, Federated States OfMoldovaMonacoMongoliaMontserratMoroccoMozambiqueMyanmar (Burma)NamibiaNauruNepalNetherlandsNetherlands AntillesNew CaledoniaNew ZealandNicaraguaNigerNigeriaNiueNorfolk IslandNorthern Mariana IslandsNorwayOmanPakistanPalauPanamaPapua New GuineaParaguayPeruPhilippinesPitcairnPolandPortugalPuerto RicoQatarReunionRomaniaRussian FederationRwandaSaint Kitts And NevisSaint LuciaSaint Vincent And The GrenadinesSamoaSan MarinoSao Tome And PrincipeSaudi ArabiaSenegalSeychellesSierra LeoneSingaporeSlovakiaSloveniaSolomon IslandsSomaliaSouth AfricaSouth Georgia And South S.S.SpainSri LankaSt. HelenaSt. Pierre And MiquelonSudanSurinameSvalbard And Jan Mayen IslandsSwazilandSwedenSwitzerlandSyriaTaiwanTajikistanTanzaniaThailandTogoTokelauTongaTrinidad And TobagoTunisiaTurkeyTurkmenistanTurks And Caicos IslandsTuvaluUgandaUkraineUnited Arab EmiratesUnited KingdomUnited StatesU.S. Minor IslandsUruguayUzbekistanVanuatuVenezuelaViet NamVirgin Islands (British)Virgin Islands (U.S.)Wallis And Futuna IslandsWestern SaharaYemenYugoslavia (Serbia And Montenegro)ZambiaZimbabweOther

Phone (If you wish to be contacted by phone)

  Please click on “Submit” one time only. Thank you.

Please note: By sending this email, you are agreeing to be contacted by the OCD Center of Los Angeles. We respect your privacy and confidentiality and we will never share, sell, rent, loan, or give away your name, email address, or any other personal information to anyone.