Study shows sexual minority women die earlier than heterosexual women 26%

Life Crisis for Sexual Minority Women: a Shocking Study Reveals the Truth About Premature Deaths

On May 1, 2024, a study conducted by the Harvard T.H. Chan School of Public Health and its collaborators revealed a disturbing reality: women who identify themselves as bisexual or lesbian die earlier than heterosexual women. The results of the study were published in the journal JAMA and featured in a feature story on Medical Xpress on April 25th, drawing widespread public attention.

The researchers analyzed data from the Nurses' Health Study II, which included more than 100,000 female nurses and tracked their deaths for nearly 30 years. The results found that the average premature death rate for sexual minority women was 261 TP3 T. More specifically, the premature death rate for bisexual women was 371 TP3 T, and for lesbian women it was 201 TP3 T. The study also found that the average premature death rate for women who had been in a relationship with their partner was 261 TP3 T.

Sarah McKetta, a postdoctoral researcher and lead author of the study, explains that the stigma, prejudice, and discrimination faced by the LGBTQ community results in chronic stress and unhealthy coping mechanisms, which ultimately lead to deteriorating health and premature death. She emphasized that inequalities in mortality related to sexual orientation underscore the urgent need to address preventable causes, especially in the context of an increasingly unfavorable policy environment for LGBTQ people in the United States.

Brittany Charlton, the study's senior author and an associate professor in the Department of Epidemiology, expressed concern about the more pronounced premature mortality among bisexual women. She points out that bisexual women face pressures not only from outside the LGBTQ community, but also from within the community that stem from fear of bisexuality. Additionally, bisexuals are often excluded from communities because of their partner's gender, and this exclusion exacerbates their feelings of isolation.

Co-authors of the study also include Landon Hughes, Sebastien Haneuse and Bryn Austin of the Harvard Chan School of Business. Their work provides us with an important lens to better understand the health challenges faced by sexual minorities and motivates us to take action to improve the quality and longevity of their lives.

The findings of this study are a strong call for all of us - whether policymakers, health care providers, or the community at large - to work together to eliminate prejudice and discrimination against sexual minorities and create a more inclusive and healthy and create a more inclusive and healthy social environment. Only then can we truly achieve health equity and give everyone the opportunity to live long and fulfilling lives.

- LAU KIT LUN

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