Health & HIV/AIDS

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  Demographics and LGBT Health

  By Gary J. Gates
  March 2013
  

  New article published in the Journal of Health and Social Behavior, examines recent studies documenting health disadvantages for same-sex couples compared with different-sex married couples that cannot be fully explained by differences in socioeconomic status. The 2012 U.S. presidential election saw, for the first time, the election of a major party candidate who publicly supported same-sex couples’ right to marry. Exit polling from that election found that 49 percent of voters supported legal marriage for same-sex couples in their states, compared with 46 percent who opposed.

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  Same-Sex Legal Marriage and Psychological Well-Being: Findings from the California Health Interview Survey

  By Richard G. Wight, Allen J. LeBlanc, and M.V. Lee Badgett
  December 2012
  

  Psychological distress is lower among lesbian, gay and bisexual individuals who are legally married to a person of the same sex, compared with those not in legally recognized unions. The study also has implications for understanding mental health disparities based on sexual orientation: There were no statistically significant differences in psychological distress between heterosexuals, and lesbian, gay, and bisexual persons in any type of legally recognized same-sex relationship.

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• Patterns and Predictors of Disclosure of Sexual Orientation to Healthcare Providers among Lesbians, Gay Men, and Bisexuals

  By Laura E. Durso & Ilan H. Meyer
  December 2012
  

  New research shows that bisexual men and women are less likely than gay men and lesbians to disclose their sexual orientation to healthcare providers. The study found that concealment of sexual orientation from healthcare providers was related to poor psychological wellbeing. The study found that LGB individuals with greater internalized homophobia were less likely to disclose their sexual orientation to healthcare providers than individuals with lesser internalized homophobia.

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• HIV Discrimination in Dental Care: Results of a Testing Study in Los Angeles Study

  By Brad Sears, Christian Cooper, Fariba S. Younai, Tom Donohoe
  June 2012
  

  This study examines HIV discrimination among dentists in Los Angeles County. For people living with HIV/AIDS (PLWHA), dental care is particularly important because problems in the mouth may be the first symptoms of an HIV infection and can also signify disease progression. This study reveals that 5 percent of dentists in Los Angeles County have a blanket policy of refusing to accept any HIV-positive patient, which is substantially lower than the finding for other health care providers.

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• Stress and Mental Health Among Midlife and Older Gay-Identified Men

  By Richard G. Wight, Allen J. LeBlanc, Brian de Vries, Roger Detels
  January 2012
  

  Sexual minority stress, along with aging-related stress, jeopardizes the mental health of midlife and older gay men. Legal marriage for same-sex couples may also confer a unique protective effect against poor mental health.

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• PTSD and Sexual Orientation: An Examination of Criterion A1 and Non-criterion A1 Events

  By Ilan H. Meyer, Edward J. Alessi, James I. Martin
  December 2011
  

  LGB participants reporting one of the qualifying events not currently included in the DSM, such as ending a relationship and unemployment, were more likely than those reporting events currently included to have symptoms diagnosable as PTSD, suggesting that these additional qualifying events should be added for PTSD.

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• HIV Discrimination in Dental Care: Results of a Discrimination Testing Study in Los Angeles County

  By Brad Sears, Christian Cooper, Fariba S. Younai, Tom Donohoe
  December 2011
  

  This study used trained testers to measure the level of HIV discrimination by dentists in Los Angeles County. The findings suggest the need for more targeted education efforts to ensure equal access to dental services for all PLWHA.

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• “We’d Be Free”: Narratives of Life Without Homophobia, Racism, or Sexism

  By Ilan Meyer, et al.
  August 13, 2011
  

  This study examined the effects of exposure to everyday experiences of inequality. It finds that stigma and social inequality can increase stress and reduce well-being for LGB people, even in the absence of major traumatic events such as hate crimes and discrimination.

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• Minority Stress and Physical Health among Sexual Minorities

  By David M. Frost, Keren Lehavot, Ilan H. Meyer
  August 2011
  

  New research shows that lesbians, gay men, and bisexuals (LGB) are at increased risk for physical health problems due to prejudice-related stress. Findings from a new report were presented at the American Psychological Association’s annual conference in Washington, DC on August 5, 2011.

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• Statewide Estimation of Racial/Ethnic Populations of Men Who Have Sex with Men in the U.S.

  January 2011
  

  Men who have sex with men (MSM) bear the greatest burden of human immunodeficiency virus HIV/AIDS in every state in the U.S., but their populations are poorly defined. Authors of the study estimated and compared populations of MSM in 2007 by region, state, and race/ethnicity.

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• American Bar Association Hearing – Racing the Closet

  By Russell Robinson
  October 2010
  

  The following presentation and statement is by Williams Institute Faculty Advisory Board Member Russell Robinson on his article Racing the Closet, published in 2009.

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• Still Caught in the Storm

  With Contributions by Gary J. Gates
  October 2010
  

  With contributions from Williams Distinguished Scholar Gary Gates, “Still Caught in the Storm” is a report released by the Southern AIDS Coalition National Policy Center focusing on the ongoing epidemic of HIV/AIDS among gay and bisexual men in the 16 Southern states and the District of Columbia.

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• HIV Prevalence Rates Among Men Who Have Sex with Men in the Southern United States: Population-Based Estimates by Race/Ethnicity

  Co-Authored by Gary J. Gates
  September 2010
  

  Williams Distinguished Scholar Gary Gates co-authored a paper titled “HIV Prevalence Rates Among Men Who Have Sex with Men in the Southern United States: Population-Based Estimates by Race/Ethnicity” that has been published in the journal AIDS and Behavior.

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• Effects of Lifting Blood Donation Bans on Men Who Have Sex with Men

  By Gary J. Gates, Naomi G. Goldberg
  June 2010
  

  The Food and Drug Administration prohibits the donation of blood by any man who has had sex with another man (MSM) since 1977. This research brief uses data sources to estimate the size of the MSM population and apply those estimates to blood donation patterns in the US to predict the impact of lifting the ban on the nation’s blood supply.

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• Estimating Populations of Men Who Have Sex with Men in the Southern United States

  November 2009
  

  Population estimates of men who have sex with men (MSM) by state and race/ethnicity are lacking, hampering effective HIV epidemic monitoring and targeting of outreach and prevention efforts. We created three models to estimate the proportion and number of adult males who are MSM in 17 southern states.

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• HIV Discrimination in Health Care Services in Los Angeles County

  By Brad Sears, Deborah Ho
  World AIDS Day, December 1, 2006
  

  This report presents the results of three studies conducted from 2003 to 2005 measuring HIV-discrimination in health care in Los Angeles County. The studies found that 46% of skilled nursing facilities, 26% of plastic and cosmetic surgeons, and 55% of obstetricians in Los Angeles County would not take any patient who was HIV-positive for any type of service, even when patients were asymptomatic.

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