Neil Patrick Harris: Coming out is personal, individual

There are more out-and-proud celebrities in Hollywood than, say 10 years ago, but actor Neil Patrick Harris warns that we shouldn't expect a flood of coming out stories, because everyone should be able to share their experience as a gay person on their own terms.

"I don't think (coming out) in an exploitative way makes sense. I just feel like that whole world is very personal," the How I Met Your Mother star tells HuffPost Live. "Here's a good analogy – if you're going to jump into the pool and you're not sure how to swim, it's probably not so effective to just push someone into the pool ... It's probably not the best way."

Harris came out in 2006, and says that, in part, his decision to go public with a private detail had to do with respecting his relationship with his now-fianceDavid Burtka.

"I didn't want to disrespect David," he explains. "I didn't want to make David feel like he didn't exist in my life and at the same time I didn't want David's identity to be, 'The guy that's dating me.' It's a very individual thing."

Harris and Burtka announced their engagement in 2011 and are parents to twins Harper and Gideon.