Women's Sexual Orientation and Health: Results from a Canadian Population-Based Survey

Abstract

The current study sought to determine whether health status and health risk behaviors of Canadian women varied based on sexual identity. This was a cross-sectional analysis of data from the Canadian Community Health Survey: cycle 2.1, a national population-based survey designed to gather health data on a representative sample of over 135,000 Canadians including 354 lesbian respondents, 424 bisexual women respondents, and 60,937 heterosexual women respondents. Sexual orientation was associated with disparities in health status and health risk behaviors for lesbian and bisexual women in Canada. Bisexual women were more likely than lesbians or heterosexual women to report poor or fair mental and physical health, mood or anxiety disorders, lifetime STD diagnosis, and, most markedly, life-time suicidality. Lesbians and bisexual women were also more likely to report daily smoking and risky drinking than heterosexual women. In sum, sexual orientation was associated with health status in Canada. Bisexual women, in particular, reported poorer health outcomes than lesbian or heterosexual women, indicating this group may be an appropriate target for specific health promotion interventions.

KEYWORDS:

• lesbian
• bisexual women
• sexual orientation
• health status
• risk behaviors
• mental health
• women's health

Notes

This work was funded by a Janus Grant from the College of Family Physicians of Canada. Dr. Steele is supported as a Career Scientist by the Ontario Ministry of Health and Long-Term Care. Dr. Ross is supported as a New Investigator by the Canadian Institutes of Health Research and Ontario Women's Health Council, Award NOW-84656.

^aANOVA for age; chi-square for other variables.

^bSD = standard deviation.

^cCI = confidence interval.

^aUnderweight excluded from analysis.

^bLower 95% confidence interval.

^cUpper 95% confidence interval.

^d“Low income adequacy” described individuals in the lowest two quintiles (lowest and lower-middle) of household income relative to household size.

^eRange 0 to 4, higher values indicate better self-perceived general health.

^aLower 95% confidence interval.

^bUpper 95% confidence interval.

^c“Low income adequacy” described individuals in the lowest two quintiles (lowest and lower-middle) of household income relative to household size.

^aLower 95% confidence interval.

^bUpper 95% confidence interval.

^c“Low income adequacy” described individuals in the lowest two quintiles (lowest and lower-middle) of household income relative to household size.

^dRange 0 to 4, higher values indicate better self-perceived general health.