Citation

Operario D, Gamarel KE, Grin BM, Lee JH, Kahler CW, Marshall BD, van den Berg JJ, Zaller ND. Am. J. Public Health 2015; 105(10): e27-34.

Affiliation

Don Operario, Benjamin M. Grin, Ji Hyun Lee, Christopher W. Kahler, and Brandon D. L. Marshall are with the Brown University School of Public Health, Providence, RI. Kristi E. Gamarel is with the Department of Psychiatry and Human Behavior, Alpert Medical School, Brown University. Jacob J. van den Berg is with the Miriam Hospital and the Division of Infectious Diseases, Alpert Medical School, Brown University. Nickolas D. Zaller is with the Fay W. Boozman College of Public Health, University of Arkansas, Little Rock.

Copyright

(Copyright © 2015, American Public Health Association)

DOI

10.2105/AJPH.2015.302762

PMID

26270288

Abstract

OBJECTIVES: We used nationally representative data to investigate health disparities associated with sexual minority status among adults in the United States.

METHODS: We analyzed data from 11 114 adults who participated in the 2001 to 2010 waves of the National Health and Nutrition Examination Survey. Using multiple logistic regressions, we examined the prevalence of HIV, sexually transmitted infections, mental health problems, cigarette smoking, and alcohol and illicit drug use in sexual minorities and heterosexual adults.

RESULTS: After adjusting for sociodemographic characteristics, sexual minority men had greater odds of mental health problems, testing positive for HIV and herpes simplex virus type 2 and self-reported gonorrhea and chlamydia. Sexual minority women had greater odds of mental health problems, testing positive for hepatitis C, smoking, heavy drinking, and illicit drug use.

CONCLUSIONS: Numerous health disparities continue to face sexual minority men and women in the United States. Notably, health disparities persisted beyond the role of sociodemographic factors, including access to insurance and primary care, suggesting that further research is warranted to identify the determinants of health inequity for sexual minorities. (Am J Public Health. Published online ahead of print August 13, 2015: e1-e8. doi:10.2105/AJPH.2015.302762).

Language: en