Older gay, bisexual individuals face higher risk of multiple conditions

New research further confirms that gay, lesbian, and bisexual individuals have higher odds of multiple illnesses compared to heterosexual individuals of the same age. Researchers looked at national health survey data from more than 25,000 individuals over the age of 50 in 2015-2017 (663 of whom identified as gay or bisexual), and found that gay men were more than twice as likely to report two or more chronic conditions than heterosexual men. Gay and bisexual men were also likelier to report mental illness. Compared to heterosexual women, gay or bisexual women were four times as likely to report drug use in the year prior to being surveyed, and almost twice as likely to report mental illness. And both groups had higher odds of reporting multiple conditions at the same time. Gay and bisexual individuals often face stigma because of their sexual identity, which can lead to chronic stress and mental health conditions.