SSM improves gay men's health

[gyeonghwa]

www.bbc.co.uk/news/health-16203621

Same-sex marriages are legal in six US states, with Massachusetts the first to allow them in 2003.

Researchers from Columbia University Mailman School of Public Health surveyed the demand for medical and mental health care from 1,211 gay men registered with a particular health clinic in the 12 months prior to the change, and the 12 months afterwards.

They found a 13% drop in healthcare visits after the law was enacted.

There was a reduction in blood pressure problems, depression and "adjustment disorders", which the authors claimed could be the result of reduced stress.

I have wanted to do research in this area before. I speculated that LGBTQ folks in non-LGBTQ friendly areas are more likely to have unhealthy practices as opposed to areas where they are tolerated. The article points out that social exclusion is a contributing factor to unhealthy behavior.

Of course, the Religious Right's argument against gay marriage is that gay men have health problems.

[brendanrizzo]

Does this have anything to do with the idea that married people supposedly live longer than single people?

[gyeonghwa]

Dec 17, 2011 16:25:54 GMT -5 brendanrizzo said:

Does this have anything to do with the idea that married people supposedly live longer than single people?

I think it has more to do with the idea of being socially accepted. Being socially excluded leads to depression in many cases, and it also leads to a whole host of other health problems. When there is attention to LGBTQ folks, there is more attention to their sexual health. Thus LGBTQ folks in countries with high visibility (the US, though it's not evenly spread) are less likely to engage in risky sex behavior than in countries with low visibility (Hong Kong and Singapore). Marriage is one of the many ways LGBTQ folks can attain visibility and social acceptance.

[Mlle Antéchrist]

Dec 17, 2011 17:27:04 GMT -5 gyeonghwa said:

I think it has more to do with the idea of being socially accepted. Being socially excluded leads to depression in many cases, and it also leads to a whole host of other health problems. When there is attention to LGBTQ folks, there is more attention to their sexual health. Thus LGBTQ folks in countries with high visibility (the US, though it's not evenly spread) are less likely to engage in risky sex behavior than in countries with low visibility (Hong Kong and Singapore). Marriage is one of the many ways LGBTQ folks can attain visibility and social acceptance.

That would be my speculation as well. The issue of substance abuse in the gay community, for example, can be directly attributed to the trauma that comes with being a persecuted minority. It makes sense that much more LGBT-friendly regions would promote better health.

I do wonder if there might also be a correlation between better overall sexual health (regardless of orientation) and a society's views on same-sex behavior, being that acceptance of LGBTs does seem to go hand in hand with more open-minded views on reproductive health (such as the way sex ed. is handled in schools, the availability of contraceptives, abortion, etc., and so on).

[Distind]

But how exactly would you compensate for the likely factor that those with stable relationships and less risk taking behaviors are more likely to marry?

Is this isolating some of the responsible and well adjusted from the rest of the group or is it actually indicative of an improvement in their well being due to being married?

[Vene]

Dec 19, 2011 13:10:27 GMT -5 Distind said:

But how exactly would you compensate for the likely factor that those with stable relationships and less risk taking behaviors are more likely to marry?

Is this isolating some of the responsible and well adjusted from the rest of the group or is it actually indicative of an improvement in their well being due to being married?

Considering they looked at the health of them before and after SSM was legalized, not their health before and after they were married (which was actually not examined), I think we're dealing with societal factors instead of relationship factors.

[rixon]

what kind of research is that is......................

[lexikon]

Necromancy.