Lesbian Health Inequalities

1
Lesbian Health Inequalities
2
Older Lesbians and Gays

• US research often reflects LGBs from optimal
  affirmation outcome
• Psychologically well adjusted, happy and adapting
  well to getting older
• Not experience any significant decrease in
  self-acceptance or increase in loneliness,
  anxiety or depression as they got older
• Sources of strength crisis competence gender
  role flexibility
• Sources of well-being
• positive identity
• managing conflicts about sexual orientation prior
  to self-identification
• disclosure
• integration with LGB community
• interpersonal support

3
Non-Optimal Affirmation Outcome

• Kaiser, Oregan, 2000 93,311 _at_ 40 sites in USA,
  50-70 year olds
• 740 bisexual 264 lifetime lesbian 309 lesbian
  after 45 1,420 never had adult sex rest
  heterosexual
• Lesbians bisexual women higher socio-economic
  status and more education, but
• Higher rates of
• Obesity
• Smoking
• Alcohol use
• Scored lower on measures for
• Mental health
• Social support
• Use preventive screening services e.g. mammograms
  and Pap test less often

4
Other Health Risk Factors

• Less likely to have children
• Less likely to use contraceptives
• Drink problem more likely to continue as get
  older
• Possible higher levels of child sexual abuse
  more at risk of mental health problems
  unhealthy coping worse general health
• Poor/inaccessible services

5
Possible High Risk Illnesses

• Greater risk of mental health problems
• Greater risk of alcohol related illnesses
• Greater risk of certain cancers breast, lung,
  ovarian, colon

6
GAPS Everywhere

• Research
• Services
• Support Social Projects
• Policies
• Visibility of issues
• Mainstream
• LGB communities/media