Sexual Orientation Self-Presentation Among Bisexual-Identified Women and Men: Patterns and Predictors

Mohr, Jonathan J.; Jackson, Skyler D.; Sheets, Raymond L.

doi:10.1007/s10508-016-0808-1

Cited by 70 publications

(76 citation statements)

References 40 publications

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“…It has been theorized that bisexuals overall face additional types of stigma and discrimination based on their sexual identity on top of the minority stress experienced by gay and lesbian individuals. In particular, they may face skepticism regarding the very existence of bisexuality, arising from the commonly held binary model of sexual orientation (e.g., homosexuality or heterosexuality), leading to perceptions that bisexuals are confused about whether they are heterosexual or gay/lesbian or temporarily experimenting (Mohr et al, 2017). Additionally, bisexual individuals in a same-gender relationship are frequently perceived as gay or lesbian, while those in an opposite-gender relationship are perceived as heterosexual, an “invisibility” that may be internalized and contribute to mental distress and social isolation.…”

Section: Discussionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Disparities in substance use behaviors and disorders among adult sexual minorities by age, gender, and sexual identity

Schuler

Exten

Evans-Polce

et al. 2018

Drug and Alcohol Dependence

182

121

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Background: Sexual minorities (SMs) experience elevated rates of substance use behaviors and disorders relative to heterosexuals; minority stress is theorized to contribute to these disparities. As SMs are not a homogenous group, analyses that aggregate SMs across sexual identity, age, or gender obscure important variation among this population. To date, age- and gender-specific disparities have not been rigorously examined using a large national sample. Methods: Using data on 67,354 adults (ages 18–49) from the 2015 and 2016 National Survey of Drug Use and Health we examined age- and gender-specific disparities in smoking, heavy episodic drinking, marijuana use, illicit drug use, and alcohol/substance use disorder. Age groups were ages 18–25, 26–34, and 35–49. Using logistic regression, we estimated age- and gender-specific odds ratios for gay/lesbian and bisexual individuals, relative to heterosexuals; analyses adjusted for demographic characteristics. Results: Bisexual women had significantly elevated odds of all outcomes at all ages, relative to heterosexual women. Gay/lesbian individuals had significantly elevated odds for nearly all outcomes compared to same-gender heterosexuals at ages 18–25, but not consistently at older ages. For bisexual men, significant disparities compared to heterosexual men were only observed at ages 35–49 for marijuana use and alcohol/substance use disorder. Conclusions: We find notable within-group differences regarding SM disparities. While disparities were most pronounced in young adulthood for gay/lesbian individuals and mid-adulthood for bisexual men, bisexual women uniquely experienced disparities across all ages. Minority stress experiences may vary with respect to gender, age/cohort, and sexual identity, resulting in differential risk for substance use.

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Section: Discussionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Disparities in substance use behaviors and disorders among adult sexual minorities by age, gender, and sexual identity

Schuler

Exten

Evans-Polce

et al. 2018

Drug and Alcohol Dependence

182

121

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“…The process of managing one’s sexual identity and making decisions about disclosure can be especially complicated for bisexual individuals (43, 44). Bisexual and other non-monosexual individuals are more likely than monosexual individuals to identify with multiple sexual identity labels (43).…”

Section: Bisexual Minority Stressmentioning

confidence: 99%

“…In addition to using multiple identity labels, there is evidence that some bisexual individuals present their sexual orientation differently in different contexts. A recent study found that individuals who privately identified as bisexual varied in whether they publicly identified as bisexual, heterosexual, or another sexual minority identity depending on the context (44). They found that it was more common for bisexual individuals to be open about being non-heterosexual in general compared to being explicitly open about being bisexual.…”

Section: Bisexual Minority Stressmentioning

confidence: 99%

“…They found that it was more common for bisexual individuals to be open about being non-heterosexual in general compared to being explicitly open about being bisexual. Although we are just beginning to understand the nuances of how bisexual individuals manage disclosure and concealment of their sexual identities, it is likely that these decisions reflect attempts to reduce exposure to binegativity and they may also reflect pressure to conform to the sexual orientation binary (44). …”

Section: Bisexual Minority Stressmentioning

confidence: 99%

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Bisexuality, Minority Stress, and Health

Feinstein

Dyar

2017

Curr Sex Health Rep

337

192

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Purpose of review Bisexual individuals are at increased risk for negative health outcomes compared to heterosexual individuals and often compared to gay/lesbian individuals as well. The goal of this article is to summarize the current evidence-base on bisexual health disparities, to describe factors that influence them, and to review interventions designed to improve the health of bisexual individuals. Recent findings Based on our review of the literature, we conclude that there is strong evidence that bisexual individuals are at increased risk for mental health and substance use problems. These disparities are evident across dimensions of bisexuality (identity, attraction, and behavior), but there are important nuances to these findings. There is also evidence that bisexual men are at increased risk for sexually transmitted infections (STIs) compared to heterosexual men and that bisexual women are at increased risk for STIs compared to both lesbians and heterosexual women. Although there are numerous causes of these disparities, a leading contributor is stress related to stigma and discrimination. Most of the interventions that have been developed for bisexual individuals are HIV prevention programs for behaviorally bisexual men of color. Despite less attention to mental health and substance use interventions for bisexual individuals, recent developments show promise in their potential application to this population. Summary Bisexual individuals are at increased risk for mental health, substance use, and sexual health problems, and this is due, in part, to stigma and discrimination. Future research should continue to examine how different dimensions of bisexuality relate to health disparities and factors that influence them. There is also an urgent need to develop, test, and disseminate interventions to improve the health of bisexual individuals.

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“…Bisexual women may not disclose their sexual orientation because of fears of encountering biphobia (Eady, Dobinson, & Ross, 2011; Ross et al, 2012) and discrimination (Koh et al, 2014; Sherman et al, 2014). They may also choose not to disclose as a result of lower salience and centrality of their sexual identity (Dyar et al, 2015), which may be especially relevant if they are have a different gender partner (Mohr, Jackson, & Sheets, 2016; Schrimshaw et al, 2013). Bisexual identities are typically invisible, since sexual identity is often presumed according to one’s partner’s gender, whereby male-partnered women are assumed to be heterosexual and female-partnered women are assumed to be lesbian.…”

Section: Sexual Identity Disclosure Among Sexual Minority Womenmentioning

confidence: 99%

Male-partnered sexual minority women: Sexual identity disclosure to health care providers during the perinatal period.

Goldberg

Ross

Manley

et al. 2017

Psychology of Sexual Orientation and Gender Diversity

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Male-partnered sexual minority women (SMW) have received little research attention, despite the fact that they represent a large proportion of SMW – particularly child-bearing SMW. Male-partnered SMW are less “out” than female-partnered SMW and will likely be “read” as heterosexual by perinatal providers. Given this, and evidence that pregnant women have unique mental health care needs, the current study focuses on male-partnered SMW (n = 28) during the perinatal period, recruited from Toronto, Canada and Massachusetts, USA, in an effort to understand disclosure and concealment processes in general and to perinatal heath care providers specifically. Women generally reported that they did not disclose (but made no effort to conceal) their sexual identities and histories in new or unfamiliar relationships, largely because the topic rarely came up, although some women highlighted bisexual invisibility and fear of biphobia as reasons for non-disclosure. Despite overall positive experiences with perinatal providers, less than one-quarter of the sample (n = 6) had disclosed their sexual identities and histories to them. Most women felt that this information was generally not relevant to their health care, and particularly their reproductive/obstetric care, although some believed that disclosure would be appropriate under conditions of sexual health risk (n = 8). Others noted that although they did not feel the need to disclose, they did prefer an LGBQ-affirming provider (n = 7). Findings provide insight into male-partnered SMW’s views and patterns of disclosure during the perinatal period, and have implications for providers, organizations, and scholars who interface with SMW. Pregnant sexual minority women with male partners are often assumed to be heterosexual, raising questions about whether and when these women disclose their sexual minority status in the perinatal context. This qualitative study of 28 women found that most participants did not share their sexual identity or sexual histories with their perinatal health care providers because this information was perceived as not relevant to their care, although some women nevertheless valued having LGBTQ friendly providers.

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Sexual Orientation Self-Presentation Among Bisexual-Identified Women and Men: Patterns and Predictors

Cited by 70 publications

References 40 publications

Disparities in substance use behaviors and disorders among adult sexual minorities by age, gender, and sexual identity

Disparities in substance use behaviors and disorders among adult sexual minorities by age, gender, and sexual identity

Bisexuality, Minority Stress, and Health

Male-partnered sexual minority women: Sexual identity disclosure to health care providers during the perinatal period.

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