Bisexual and lesbian women die younger: study

Alexandra Klausner
·3 min read
Bisexual women are 37 percent more likely to die sooner than heterosexual women.
Bisexual women are 37% more likely to die sooner than heterosexual women.

Bisexual and lesbian women die sooner than heterosexual women, according to researchers.

A study from the Pilgrim Health Care Institute found that bisexual women die 37% younger than heterosexual women and that lesbian women die 20% sooner. Scientists say this is likely due to the toxic social stigmas these women face about their sexuality.

“The sexual orientation-related inequities in mortality highlight the urgent need to address preventable causes, particularly given the increasingly hostile policy climate for LGBTQ people in the US. LGBTQ people are subjected to unique forms of stigma, prejudice, and discrimination that ‘get under the skin’ in a myriad of ways,” Sarah McKetta, Lead Author, Research Fellow at the Harvard Pilgrim Health Care Institute said in a press release. 

The study said lesbian women are 20% more likely to die sooner. Getty Images
The study said lesbian women are 20% more likely to die sooner. Getty Images

“These toxic social forces result in chronic stress and unhealthy coping mechanisms, which make this population vulnerable to worse health and premature mortality,” McKetta explained.

Bisexual women feel ostracized by both the heterosexual and the LGBTQ community, the authors of the study published in the journal JAMA explained. 

“Bisexual women face distinct stressors from outside, as well as within, the LGBTQ community that are rooted in biphobia. Additionally, bisexual people are often excluded from various communities,” said senior author Brittany Charlton, Harvard Medical School associate professor of population medicine at the Harvard Pilgrim Health Care Institute.

“The more pronounced premature mortality rate among bisexual women is troubling, and underscores the need for targeted interventions to reduce these disparities among all sexual minority groups,” Charlton added.

Researchers said that doctors should be trained to be culturally informed. smolaw11 – stock.adobe.com
Researchers said that doctors should be trained to be culturally informed. smolaw11 – stock.adobe.com

The researchers used data from over 100,000 female nurses born between 1945 and 1964 that were part of a study called Nurses’ Health Study II.

The study participants were asked about their sexual orientation in 1995 and researchers tracked the orientation of participants after they died with 30 years of death records.

They said that women facing societal pressures and chronic stress were more likely to develop unhealthy coping mechanisms that could lead to an earlier death.

The study said that sexual minority groups are chronically stressed and may seek out unhealthy coping mechanisms. Getty Images
The study said that sexual minority groups are chronically stressed and may seek out unhealthy coping mechanisms. Getty Images

The study authors suggested that sexual minority women get more preventive screening for health issues as well as screenings and treatment referrals for tobacco, alcohol, and any substance use. They also said that doctors should be culturally informed and trained on how to care properly for sexual minority patients.

They said the fact that the study participants were nurses who may have had access to more care than the general population may have skewed the data. The findings were still “striking on their own” nonetheless, researchers said.

Future research needs to examine the specific factors that exacerbate or ameliorate these risks, so we can develop targeted interventions to ensure all people have the opportunity to live long, healthy lives.” Dr. Charlton said.

“It is imperative that we work to address the systems and structures that undermine the well-being and dignity of LGBTQ people,” Chartlton continued.