“I Don't Want to Turn Totally Invisible”: Mental Health, Stressors, and Supports among Bisexual Women during the Perinatal Period

Abstract

Almost no research has examined the parenting experiences of bisexual people. In this mixed-methods study, sexual minority women (N = 64) who were currently trying to conceive, pregnant, or parenting an infant completed standardized questionnaires to assess mental health, social support, and other variables. Fourteen participants identified as bisexual, and 14 reported sexual activity with men in the past 5 years (there was incomplete overlap between these groups). Twenty women (5 bisexual-identified) also completed a qualitative interview. Bisexual women reported poorer scores on assessments of mental health, substance use, social support, and experiences of perceived discrimination, relative to other women in the sample. Differences were particularly pronounced for women who reported sexual activity with men in the past 5 years compared to women who did not. Qualitative analyses highlighted experiences of invisibility and exclusion. It may be particularly challenging for bisexual women to negotiate the invisibility associated with a bisexual identity during the perinatal period, as a result of the implicit assumption that mothers are heterosexual. This invisibility may be linked with a multitude of poor outcomes that could have implications for the mother, baby, and family.

KEYWORDS:

• bisexual
• women
• parenting
• mental health

Acknowledgments

This work was supported by an operating grant from the Canadian Institute of Health Research (CIHR). L. Ross is supported by a New Investigator Award from CIHR and the Ontario Women’s Health Council, Award NOW-84656. In addition, support to CAMH for salary of scientists and infrastructure has been provided by the Ontario Ministry of Health and Long Term Care. The views expressed here do not necessarily reflect those of the Ministry of Health and Long Term Care. We wish to thank the women and their families who made this research possible, and Ms. Vashti Campbell, Ms Cheryl Dobinson, Ms. Rachel Epstein, Dr. Brenda Toner and Dr. Meir Steiner for their contributions to study design, recruitment and data collection.