Bisexuality, Union Status, and Gender Composition of Union: Reexamining the Marital Advantage in Health

• In Event: 2464 - The Implications of Legal Marriage: LGBTQ Individuals and Same-Sex Couples

Abstract

It is widely acknowledged that married individuals have better health outcomes than unmarried individuals. However, this marital advantage paradigm has been developed primarily based on heterosexual populations. No studies to date have examined the health effects of marriage among bisexuals, an understudied sexual minority group with the poorest health, although a few have shown mixed results for gays and lesbians. Similarly, no research has examined how the gender composition of a couple may shape health outcomes, above and beyond the effects of sexual orientation. We analyzed pooled data from the 2013-2017 National Health Interview Survey (n=154,485) and found that the health advantage of marriage only applied to heterosexuals and likely gays and lesbians. Married bisexuals, however, did not enjoy better health than unmarried bisexuals; they even exhibited poorer health when socioeconomic status and health behavior were adjusted for. Among partnered bisexuals, those in a same-gender union were healthier than those in a different-gender union because of their socioeconomic advantages and more health-enhancing behaviors. Together, our findings suggest that bisexuals are faced with unique challenges in their relationships due to stigmatization, which may reduce the health advantage associated with marriage. But bisexuals in a same-gender union are more protected likely due to more supportive relationship dynamics such as collaborative health care work among partners.

Authors

• Ning Hsieh, Michigan State University

• Hui Liu, Michigan State University