Partnership-Health Associations Among Bisexual Individuals in a U.S. Population-Level Sample

Abstract

Bisexual individuals face health disparities compared to heterosexual and other sexual minority individuals. Romantic partnership status is an underexplored protective factor of bisexual health, despite literature indicating romantic partnership generally relates to health advantages. Using U.S. population-level data (N = 3,272), we conducted the first multidomain test of partnership–health associations among bisexual cisgender individuals. We first ran bivariate logistic regressions in the aggregated sample, testing partnership status as a predictor of each health outcome. We then repeated the analysis in groups disaggregated by sex. Partnership related to more health advantages than disadvantages, overall. In the aggregated sample, partnership related to lower likelihood of recent poor mental health. Partnered bisexual men reported significantly lower heart disease prevalence and less heavy drinking than single men. Partnered bisexual women reported significantly higher likelihood of recent exercise than single women. Findings encourage continued and expanded population-level data collection on sexual orientation, including adding items about partners.

Keywords:

• Bisexuality
• health
• relationships
• sampling

Disclosure statement

No competing financial interests exist for any author.

Notes

1 Definitions of the term ‘bisexuality’ differ across research and social contexts (Flanders, LeBreton, Robinson, Bian, & Caravaca-Morera, 2017), reflecting the evolving and complex construct of bisexuality. Broadly, bisexuality may be defined as being attracted to, or engaging in sexual behavior with, individuals from more than one sex.

Additional information

Notes on contributors

Steve N. Du Bois

Steve N. Du Bois, Ph.D. is an Assistant Professor of Psychology at the Illinois Institute of Technology, and PI of the Du Bois Health Behavior Lab. He received his B.A. from the University of Michigan, Ph.D. from the University of Illinois at Chicago, and completed his Postdoctoral work at The Family Institute at Northwestern University. His research, and the research of his graduate students, focuses on health behaviors, e.g. sex and substance use in men who have sex with men; partnership and health, e.g. health in single vs married sexual and gender minorities; and health disparities in marginalized communities, e.g. treatment engagement in African Americans living with HIV and Serious Mental Illness. He has received multiple research grants for his work, including recently to fund a longitudinal, dyadic study of health in long-distance relationships. He is a Licensed Clinical Psychologist with a small private practice in Chicago, specializing in individual and couple therapy. He loves teaching, and currently teaches classes on Health Psychology, Social Determinants of Health, and Individual and Cultural Differences. He is a Cubs fan, tennis player, and proud uncle of six nieces and three great nephews.

Arryn A. Guy

Arryn A. Guy is a PhD Candidate at the Illinois Institute of Technology and a senior graduate student in the Du Bois Health Behavior Lab. Her research focuses on chronic illness and sexual health in sexual, gender, and racial/ethnic minorities. Specifically, her work thus far has focused on the effects of self-efficacy and stigma on HIV treatment engagement in African Americans living with HIV. She is excited to be completing her Pre-Doctoral Clinical Internship at Hines VA and will be graduating in the summer of 2020!

Nicole Legate

Nicole Legate is an Assistant Professor in the Department of Psychology at Illinois Institute of Technology. She received her PhD in clinical psychology from the University of Rochester. Her research focuses on how close others (parents, friends, partners) can promote health and wellness in sexual minorities.

Ashley D. Kendall

Ashley D. Kendall received her PhD in clinical science from Northwestern University, and is currently an Assistant Professor of Medicine in the Center for Dissemination and Implementation Science at the University of Illinois at Chicago. Her federally-funded research focuses on use of mobile technology and mindfulness-based techniques to address the interrelated issues of mental health and HIV risk behaviors among youth.