Study Reveals How Toxic Social Stigma Risks Queer Women Of Higher Mortality

A recent study comparing the mortality differences between different sexual orientations found that queer women have a higher mortality risk compared to heterosexual women. Lesbians have a 20% higher and bisexual women have a 37% higher risk than straight women, the Harvard-led study showed. Shedding light on a long-standing issue of health and research inequalities among sexual minority women, scientists associated the higher mortality risk with 'toxic' social stigmas prevalent against LGBTQ+ women worldwide.

Societal Exclusion & Stigma

The study by researchers from the Harvard Pilgrim Health Care Institute in collaboration with institutions such as the Harvard T.H. Chan School of Public Health, the University of Utah, Boston Children's Hospital, and Columbia University, aimed to study the disparity in mortality rate among different sexual orientations.

The study led by Sarah McKetta, a Research Fellow at the Harvard Pilgrim Health Care Institute, emphasises the pressing need to address preventable reasons behind these sexual orientation-based disparities. Researchers also threw light on the anti-LGBTQ+ policies and the increasing hostility against homosexual youth worldwide.

McKetta explains that queer individuals face unique forms of stigma, prejudice, and discrimination, which can be detrimental to the health of the individuals. "These societal pressures contribute to chronic stress and unhealthy coping mechanisms, rendering this population more susceptible to poorer health outcomes and premature mortality," they wrote.

Fellow senior author Brittany Charlton, an associate professor of population medicine at Harvard Medical School and the Harvard Pilgrim Health Care Institute, pointed out the distinct stressors faced by bisexual women, both within and outside the LGBTQ community, which stem from a prejudice termed as 'biphobia'.

They added that bisexual individuals often experience exclusion from various communities even within the homosexual spectrum due to assumptions about their sexual orientation based on the gender of their partner. Charlton emphasised the need for targeted interventions that could build inclusive strategies for bisexual individuals.

How Can We Curb This?

Pointing out that the study participants were all nurses and thus benefited from numerous protective factors not accessible to the general population, researcher McKetta noted that while the findings are significant, they may highlight an even greater disparity within the broader worldwide population.

Stressing on an urgent need for intervention, the scientists proposed actionable first steps that can be integrated across the healthcare landscape. These include implementing evidence-based preventive screening for sexual minority women without making assumptions based on identity and training healthcare providers for a more inclusive system.

The study also points out the need for enhanced screening and referral for treatment of tobacco, alcohol, and other substance use. McKetta stressed the importance of further research to identify specific factors that are mitigating mortality risks. They said that this would develop targeted interventions to ensure everyone has the opportunity for a long and healthy life.