Higher mortality risk in Lesbian, bisexual women than heterosexual due to impact of ‘toxic’ social stigma: Study
A research concluded that bi-sexual and lesbian women are at higher risk of premature death compared to heterosexual women, which has indicated health inequalities in the sexual minority groups.
Perhaps the biggest study ever conducted to determine the risks of mismortality by sex orientation indicates that compared with the heterosexual women the risk of dying at an early age for bi-sexual women is 37% higher, lesbian women have a 20% higher risk. This research, the first one of its kind that has differentiated the experience of the bisexual and lesbian women, has brought out one of the health issues of the disparity between the women of the sexual minority. Though earlier research has largely concentrated on differences in health outcomes of diverse women as a result of their sexual orientation and that of their heterosexual peers, there has been inadequate research to explore death inequalities among the different subgroups within the lesbian and bisexual community.
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In their examination, Dr. McKetta stresses the fact that members of the LGBTQ community need to deal with types of stigma, bias, and discrimination that can take different forms and cause damage. The behavioral implication of such unhealthy habits that contribute to chronic stress and unhealthy coping mechanisms are their poor health outcomes and early death.
Bisexual individuals witness much alienation because they are excluded mainly by other communities on assumptions being made about their sexual orientation due to the gender of their real or surrogate partner. This higher premature mortality rate for bisexual women should also be a concern, as it indicates that in all sexual minority groups, there are stark disparities among groups of people, and thus there is a need for focused interventions geared towards eradicating these divides.
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In their view, some steps that the actors could take immediately throughout the healthcare spectrum are presented. Included are non-identity based screening that is scientifically proven for the sexual minority women to decrease the chances of assumptions made on identities, increase the screening and referral of tobacco, alcohol and substance abuse treatment, and mandate culturally oriented training for healthcare providers that intend to care for the sexual minority patients.
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Bisexuals people face rejection from different communities as society treats them to be of the ‘opposite’ sexual orientation based on the gender that s/he had a physical relationship with. The significantly higher-than-normal incidence of mortality among bisexual women portends a situation which requires immense caution to be exercised because it necessitates targeted interventions to redress imbalances that exist in the realm of all sexual minority groups.
According to the scientists, they outline smart and immediately doable recommendations for the stakeholders across the medical system.They consist of ending the practice of biased prevention screening of women in this group that is not informed by facts, strengthening the capacity of screening and referral of tobacco, alcohol, and drug abuse and finally, call for the training of healthcare providers that must reflect the real culture of patients on sexual practices.
A research concluded that bi-sexual and lesbian women were at higher risk of premature death compared to heterosexual women, which has indicated health inequalities in the sexual minority groups.
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