Health and Health Risks Among Sexual Minority Women: An Examination of 3 Subgroups

Przedworski, Julia M.; McAlpine, Donna; Karaca‐Mandic, Pinar; VanKim, Nicole A.

doi:10.2105/ajph.2013.301733

Cited by 46 publications

(19 citation statements)

References 25 publications

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“…57 Combined with the relative lack of bisexual-specific organizations, bisexual individuals have fewer opportunities for affiliation with “similar others”—a protective factor against negative stigma. 57,58 Given these and other findings, 5,32,59 bisexual individuals should be considered a distinct group in mental health research and intervention design.…”

Section: Discussionmentioning

confidence: 96%

Self-Reported Mental Disorders and Distress by Sexual Orientation

Przedworski

VanKim

Eisenberg

et al. 2015

American Journal of Preventive Medicine

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Introduction Sexual minority college students (i.e., those not identifying as heterosexual, or those reporting same-sex sexual activity) may be at increased risk of poor mental health, given factors such as minority stress, stigma, and discrimination. Such disparities could have important implications for students’ academic achievement, future health, and social functioning. This study compares reports of mental disorder diagnoses, stressful life events, and frequent mental distress across five gender-stratified sexual orientation categories. Methods Data were from the 2007–2011 College Student Health Survey, which surveyed a random sample of college students (N=34,324) at 40 Minnesota institutions. Data analysis was conducted in 2013–2014. The prevalence of mental disorder diagnoses, frequent mental distress, and stressful life events were calculated for heterosexual, discordant heterosexual, gay or lesbian, bisexual, and unsure students. Logistic regression models were fit to estimate the association between sexual orientation and mental health outcomes. Results Lesbian, gay, and bisexual students were more likely to report any mental health disorder diagnosis than heterosexual students (p<0.05). Lesbian, gay, bisexual, and unsure students were significantly more likely to report frequent mental distress compared to heterosexual students (OR range, 1.6–2.7). All sexual minority groups, with the exception of unsure men, had significantly greater odds of experiencing two or more stressful life events (OR range, 1.3–2.8). Conclusions Sexual minority college students experience worse mental health than their heterosexual peers. These students may benefit from interventions that target the structural and social causes of these disparities, and individual-level interventions that consider their unique life experiences.

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Section: Discussionmentioning

confidence: 96%

Self-Reported Mental Disorders and Distress by Sexual Orientation

Przedworski

VanKim

Eisenberg

et al. 2015

American Journal of Preventive Medicine

Self Cite

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show abstract

“…That said, probabilitybased studies have quite frequently found that bisexual women differ significantly from lesbian and heterosexual women in terms of age and income, with bisexual women being significantly younger and more likely to be living in poverty. 8,9,13,22 Research on patterns of poverty within lesbian, gay, and bisexual populations also shows bisexual adults experience the highest rates of poverty, and in some cases, a higher propensity to receive public assistance. 23 The correlation between poverty and bisexual identity is an area in need of further investigation, as the health consequences of living in poverty very likely drive many of the disparities typically seen among bisexual women.…”

Section: Discussionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Health Behavior, Status, and Outcomes Among a Community-Based Sample of Lesbian and Bisexual Women

Hughes

Everett

2015

LGBT Health

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Purpose: To compare health behaviors, and physical and mental health outcomes in a community-based sample of bisexual and lesbian women. Methods: The Chicago Health and Life Experiences of Women (CHLEW) study is a longitudinal study of sexual minority women's health. Wave 3 of the CHLEW used a modified version of respondent-driven sampling to recruit a supplemental sample of bisexual-identified women into the study, with an additional focus on younger women, and Black and Latina women. Face-to-face interviews were conducted and data were captured using computer-assisted interviews. Data from the supplemental Wave 3 sample are reported here. Results: Bisexual (n = 139) and lesbian women (n = 227) did not differ on most health outcomes, either in terms of prevalence or adjusted odds. Bisexual women were at higher risk of ever being diagnosed with a sexually transmitted infection (STI) (AOR = 3.01) and scoring 10 or more on the Center for Epidemiologic Studies Depression Scale (CES-D) (AOR = 1.73) compared to lesbian women. Conclusion: In contrast to the prevailing view of bisexual women as being at higher risk for many/most negative health outcomes, we found relatively few differences between bisexual and lesbian women in the current study. Additional research is needed to better understand risk and resilience factors among bisexual women specifically, and sexual minority women more broadly.

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“…[35][36][37][38][39][40] These findings suggest that BWSW's unique experiences with stigma and medical mistrust are likely contributing to these disparities in seeking care, even when care is clinically necessary. The emergence of new biomedical technologies that screen for and treat life threatening diseases and conditions has led to great advances in medical care, yet they are ineffective if patients are not under the care of medical practitioners to utilize these technologies.…”

Section: Resultsmentioning

confidence: 99%

Understanding the Influence of Stigma and Medical Mistrust on Engagement in Routine Healthcare Among Black Women Who Have Sex with Women

et al. 2017

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Purpose: For Black women who have sex with women (BWSW), obtaining routine healthcare can be obstructed by a number of psychosocial barriers, including experiences of stigma, related to both sexual orientation and race, and medical mistrust, both race-based and global. Previous research demonstrates that sexual orientation and race-based stigma, as well as global and race-based medical mistrust, each have a negative impact on health outcomes and engagement in care (EIC) independently. This study addresses gaps in the literature by examining the impact of these psychosocial barriers and their interactions among BWSW, an understudied population. Methods: Participants (256 BWSW) were surveyed at a Black Gay Pride festival. Separate generalized linear models assessed the independent and multiplicative effects of participants' self-reported sexual orientation stigma, race-based stigma, race-based medical mistrust, and global medical mistrust related to their engagement in routine physical exams and blood pressure screenings. Results: Prevalence rates of both stigma measures were low, but prevalence rates of global and race-based medical mistrust were high. The results show that experiencing sexual orientation stigma or having race-based medical mistrust predicts significantly lower EIC. Furthermore, the frequencies of obtaining recent physical examinations and blood pressure screenings were significantly related to three-and two-way interactions between stigma and medical mistrust, respectively. Conclusion: There is an urgent need to address the intersectionality of these psychosocial barriers in an effort to increase BWSW's EIC.Keywords: barriers to care, lesbian, race/ethnicity/culture, women who have sex with women (WSW)

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Health and Health Risks Among Sexual Minority Women: An Examination of 3 Subgroups

Cited by 46 publications

References 25 publications

Self-Reported Mental Disorders and Distress by Sexual Orientation

Self-Reported Mental Disorders and Distress by Sexual Orientation

Health Behavior, Status, and Outcomes Among a Community-Based Sample of Lesbian and Bisexual Women

Understanding the Influence of Stigma and Medical Mistrust on Engagement in Routine Healthcare Among Black Women Who Have Sex with Women

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