Study: Lesbian and bisexual women at higher mortality risk due to 'toxic' social stigma

A large study investigating mortality differences based on sexual orientation reveals that bisexual women face a 37 per cent higher risk of premature death compared to heterosexual women, while lesbian women have a 20 per centhigher risk.

This study, distinguishing between lesbian and bisexual women for the first time, sheds light on longstanding health disparities among sexual minority women.

While previous research documented health inequalities between sexual minority women and heterosexual women, limited research has explored mortality differences, especially among various subgroups within the sexual minority community.

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The latest research, led by scientists from Harvard Pilgrim Health Care Institute along with Harvard T.H. Chan School of Public Health, University of Utah, Boston Children's Hospital, and Columbia University, highlights major health gaps that result in significant differences in death rates.

Sarah McKetta, the main researcher and a Research Fellow at the Harvard Pilgrim Health Care Institute, stresses the urgent importance of tackling preventable reasons behind the differences in health based on sexual orientation. This is especially crucial given the increasingly unwelcoming policies towards LGBTQ people in the US

Dr McKetta also points out that LGBTQ individuals encounter specific types of discrimination and prejudice, which can lead to various negative effects. These societal challenges result in long-term stress and harmful coping methods, making this group more prone to health problems and early death.

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The study's ability to analyse results based on different sexual orientation groups is seen as a major strength by researchers. Brittany Charlton, a professor at Harvard Medical School and the Harvard Pilgrim Health Care Institute, points out the unique challenges bisexual women face, both within and outside the LGBTQ community, due to biphobia.

Charlton also mentions that bisexual people often feel excluded from certain groups because others make assumptions about their sexuality based on their partner's gender.

The higher risk of early death among bisexual women is worrying, highlighting the need for specific actions to reduce these differences among all sexual minority groups.

(With inputs from agencies)