Reconsidering the Marital Advantage: Sexual Orientation and Self-Rated Health in the Post-Obergefell Era

• In Event: Sociology of Sexualities Section Roundtables
  In Refereed Roundtable (60 minute): Table 6: Sexuality and Health

Abstract

Marriage has long been associated with improved health and well-being, yet its benefits may not extend equally across social groups. Using data from the 2016–2023 National Health Interview Survey (NHIS), this study examines whether the health advantages of marriage are consistent across sexual orientation groups in the United States. Integrating the marital resource model with minority stress theory, this research investigates whether marriage provides the same protective health benefits for lesbian, gay, and bisexual (LGB) adults as for heterosexuals. Logistic regression models predicting self-rated health reveal that while marriage remains associated with better health for heterosexual and gay/lesbian adults, bisexual adults experience an attenuated or reversed marital advantage. These findings underscore that marriage operates as a conditional social determinant of health, shaped by structural stigma, social recognition, and identity visibility.

Author

• Caleb Cameron Cooley, Texas Christian University