Same-sex couples share many of the same problems as heterosexual relationships, e.g. communicative problems, jealousy, infidelity etc.However, the development of the personality of a homosexual person in a society which has only recently started to accept homosexuality means that two partners often have a previous history of typical homosexual distress caused by homophobia, which may still shape their behaviour. This must be considered when treating patients; it would be exaggerated and wrong to assume that same-sex couples are completely different from heterosexual ones, but at the same time it would be a mistake not to admit that some important differences do exist.