Do Bisexuals Face More Health Risks?

Bisexual women say they often face bias from both the straight and gay communities — and new studies suggest it’s harming their health.

Of the 3.5 percent of adults in the U.S. who identify as lesbian, gay, or bisexual, more than half of them are bi. Yet many say they feel misunderstood or judged. The belief that bisexuality is “just a phase” is only one of the common prejudices. Also, “men expect us to have no sexual boundaries,” Walkley says. When these assumptions are combined with other prejudices against bisexual women — they can’t be monogamous, they don’t want to “make up their minds,” they’re into kinky sexual experimentation — it puts them at risk for some dangerous health problems.

1. Depression

While there are, of course, plenty of happy, healthy bisexuals, as a group, they are more likely to suffer from depression and anxiety than straight or gay women, according to the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services Office on Women’s Health. They also have higher rates of alcoholism and suicidal thoughts. “Bi women often face hostility from both the straight and gay communities,” says Mimi Hoang, Ph.D., a psychologist in LA. “[This leads] many bi women to develop their sexual identities in isolation, causing confusion and hopelessness.” Painful feelings can be a gateway for drug and alcohol abuse as well as depression and anxiety. Left untreated, all these can seriously affect your work and relationships.

What to Do: Find peer support on BiNetUSA.org or its Facebook group. If you have trouble getting through your day or feel unhappy most of the time, consider seeing a professional. BiZone.org offers a directory of bi-aware therapists across the country, and your school or community LGBT center is a good resource for locating a therapist specializing in bisexual issues. You could also look into methods to help regain control over the anxiety. Many people these days are trying CBD oil-based products to do this, and I’ve known some people who use them ask themselves “Do you want to create your own CBD brand?” after some time on the medication to help others. It can be worth considering if traditional medication is intimidating, or if you have problems with traditional drugs. Speaking of, if issues with drugs and alcohol are having a particularly detrimental impact on your quality of life, you might also want to consider researching a rehabilitation facility such as https://www.alcoholismtreatment.com/

2. Violence

An alarming 61 percent of bisexual women have experienced rape, physical violence, and stalking by an intimate partner — compared with 44 percent of lesbians and 35 percent of heterosexual women — according to new research from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. Although the report didn’t explore why this happens, the study authors suspect it’s due to prejudiced people acting on misconceptions and fears about people who aren’t like them.

What to Do: Know that you’re not to blame for the abuse — your partner’s behavior is on him or her. If you’re in an abusive relationship with a man or a woman, visit TheHotline.org or call the National Domestic Violence Hotline at 800-799-7233. They can help you create a plan to remove yourself from the relationship safely.

3. STIs

A woman’s sexual orientation does not put her at higher risk for STIs — the risk depends on her sexual behaviors. However, young adults who identify as bisexual are more likely to report having had sex for the first time before age 16, according to a recent study. And people who are sexually active as teenagers have a higher rate of STIs, which can raise the risk for cervical cancer and infertility.

What to Do: Practice safe sex no matter who you’re with. Use condoms for vaginal and anal sex and dental dams for oral sex, and wash sex toys according to the manufacturer’s instructions after each use, says Jennifer Potter, M.D., director of women’s health programs at Fenway Health in Boston. Continue reading here.

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