LGBT life expectancy

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The life expectancy of lesbian, gay, bisexual and transgender (LGBT) people is a subject of research. Early research by the Cameron group purporting to find a significantly shorter life expectancy among homosexuals is not considered reliable, although it has been widely misused and cited. [1] [2] [3] [4] During the AIDS crisis, a loss in average life expectancy was observed among gay men. [3] [2]

Contents

In the late 2000s, research suggested "the claims of drastically increased overall mortality in gay men and lesbians appear unjustified". [5] As of 2020, data from Sweden found no gap in mortality between homosexual and heterosexual individuals, although mortality may be higher in bisexuals. [6]

There is not yet reliable research on life expectancy of transgender people, [7] although false statistics have been widely circulated. [8]

Gay and bisexual life expectancy

Flawed claims of significantly shorter life expectancy

Cameron studies

Early studies by the controversial psychologist Paul Cameron purported to find that homosexuals had a life expectancy 20 to 30 years shorter than heterosexuals; however his methodology and flaws make his findings unreliable. [9] [10] Cameron's methodology was described as "just ridiculous" by demographer Nicholas Eberstadt at the conservative American Enterprise Institute; and the epidemiologist Morten Frisch described his work ''of such a grave nature that no decent peer-reviewed scientific journal should let it pass for publication". [2] Cameron had relied on newspaper obituaries which clearly referred to sexual orientation. [9] In the 1980s, Cameron was expelled from the American Psychological Association for violations. [2]

Hogg et al.

Another study published in 1998 by Hogg et al. modelled the impact of AIDS deaths in Vancouver between 1987 and 1992, estimating a loss of life expectancy in the gay and bisexual male population of between 8 and 20 years. [2] The authors released a statement in 2001 clarifying that their findings would no longer be relevant as AIDS deaths had fallen significantly, [3] primarily due to antiretroviral therapy. [2]

Misuse

Despite the flaws of Paul Cameron's research, and the limitations of the Hogg study, many anti-gay groups and individuals have cited these studies to characterize homosexuality as inherently dangerous or as an unhealthy "lifestyle". [11] [2] Paul Cameron's research group claimed that homosexuality is "as dangerous to public health as drug abuse, prostitution, and smoking". [5] In 1997, the U.S. secretary of education William Bennett claimed that gay men die at 43 years during a television interview, a figure from a flawed Cameron study. [4] [12]

In response to frequent misuse, Hogg et al. noted their findings would no longer be applicable in 2001. [3] In 2003, the economist Walter E. Williams cited the Hogg study to argue that homosexuals should pay more for life insurance, stating "that's a lifestyle shortening of life expectancy greater than obesity and tobacco use". [13] In 2012, the Australian Anglican Archbishop Peter Jensen claimed that gay people had "significantly shorter life". [1]

Frisch 2009 and 2013 studies

The Danish epidemiologist Morten Frisch carried out more robust research in 2009 using marriage data from Denmark. His study found excess mortality was limited to the first few years of marriage, consistent with men who had preexisting illnesses (such as HIV/AIDS) marrying and dying. [1] Frisch stated "we observed a drastic reduction from 9.63 excess deaths per 1000 person-years among those who married their partner in the pre-HAART period to 1.53 excess deaths per 1000 person-years for those who married during the HAART period". According to Frisch, "the claims of drastically increased overall mortality in gay men and lesbians appear unjustified". [5]

Same-sex marriage has been linked with increases in life expectancy compared to unmarried same-sex couples. Gay couple wedding faceless.jpg
Same-sex marriage has been linked with increases in life expectancy compared to unmarried same-sex couples.

In 2013, Frisch also carried out another study which found excess mortality in homosexual men had shrunk further. [14] [15] [16] It linked same-sex marriage with increases in life expectancy. [14]

2014 retraction

A 2014 study by Hatzenbuelher et al. purported to find that sexual minorities living in areas with high levels of anti-gay prejudice had their life expectancy reduced by 12 years. However, it was retracted in 2019 when it was discovered there was a coding error in the data, and that after correcting the error it "rendered the association between structural stigma and mortality risk no longer statistically significant". [17]

2020 LGB mortality study

A 2020 study in Sweden found that mortality among homosexual men and women did not significantly differ from heterosexuals, although it was elevated for bisexual men and women. [6]

Transgender life expectancy

According to Bosson et al. "the systematic research needed to determine the average life expectancy of transgender people has not yet been conducted". [7]

One unsubstantiated statistic widely circulated in the media claims that the life expectancy of transgender women of color is only 35 years old; however, this is not corroborated by any research. [8] According to sociologist Laurel Westbrook, this inaccurate statistic was calculated by averaging the age of transgender murder victims. This is an erroneous methodology for calculating life expectancy, as murder victims are not a representative population of transgender people. [18]

Several studies have been conducted that indicate that transgender individuals have an increased mortality rate, however these studies are not conclusive. [19] [20] [21] [22] [23]

See also

Related Research Articles

<span class="mw-page-title-main">LGBT movements</span> Social movements

Lesbian, gay, bisexual, and transgender (LGBT) movements are social movements that advocate for LGBT people in society. Although there is not a primary or an overarching central organization that represents all LGBT people and their interests, numerous LGBT rights organizations are active worldwide. The first organization to promote LGBT rights was the Scientific-Humanitarian Committee, founded in 1897 in Berlin.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Biphobia</span> Aversion to bisexual people

Biphobia is aversion toward bisexuality or people who are identified or perceived as being bisexual. Similarly to homophobia, it refers to hatred and prejudice specifically against those identified or perceived as being in the bisexual community. It can take the form of denial that bisexuality is a genuine sexual orientation, or of negative stereotypes about people who are bisexual. Other forms of biphobia include bisexual erasure.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Homosexuality and psychology</span> Homosexuality as studied by the field of psychology

The field of psychology has extensively studied homosexuality as a human sexual orientation. The American Psychiatric Association listed homosexuality in the DSM-I in 1952, but that classification came under scrutiny in research funded by the National Institute of Mental Health. That research and subsequent studies consistently failed to produce any empirical or scientific basis for regarding homosexuality as anything other than a natural and normal sexual orientation that is a healthy and positive expression of human sexuality. As a result of this scientific research, the American Psychiatric Association removed homosexuality from the DSM-II in 1973. Upon a thorough review of the scientific data, the American Psychological Association followed in 1975 and also called on all mental health professionals to take the lead in "removing the stigma of mental illness that has long been associated" with homosexuality. In 1993, the National Association of Social Workers adopted the same position as the American Psychiatric Association and the American Psychological Association, in recognition of scientific evidence. The World Health Organization, which listed homosexuality in the ICD-9 in 1977, removed homosexuality from the ICD-10 which was endorsed by the 43rd World Health Assembly on 17 May 1990.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Demographics of sexual orientation</span> Prevalence of different types of sexual orientation

Obtaining precise numbers on the demographics of sexual orientation is difficult for a variety of reasons, including the nature of the research questions. Most of the studies on sexual orientation rely on self-reported data, which may pose challenges to researchers because of the subject matter's sensitivity. The studies tend to pose two sets of questions. One set examines self-report data of same-sex sexual experiences and attractions, while the other set examines self-report data of personal identification as homosexual or bisexual. Overall, fewer research subjects identify as homosexual or bisexual than report having had sexual experiences or attraction to a person of the same sex. Survey type, questions and survey setting may affect the respondents' answers.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Paul Cameron</span> American psychologist and extremist (born 1939)

Paul Drummond Cameron is an American psychologist. While employed at various institutions, including the University of Nebraska, he conducted research on passive smoking, but he is best known today for his claims about homosexuality. After a successful 1982 campaign against a gay rights proposal in Lincoln, Nebraska, he established the Institute for the Scientific Investigation of Sexuality (ISIS), now known as the Family Research Institute (FRI). As FRI's chairman, Cameron has written contentious papers asserting unproven associations between homosexuality and the perpetration of child sexual abuse and reduced life expectancy. These have been heavily criticized and frequently discredited by others in the field.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Attraction to transgender people</span> Romantic or sexual attraction to transgender people

Sexual attraction to transgender people has been the subject of scientific study and social commentary. Psychologists have researched sexual attraction toward trans women, trans men, cross dressers, non-binary people, and a combination of these. Publications in the field of transgender studies have investigated the attraction transgender individuals can feel for each other. The people who feel this attraction to transgender people name their attraction in different ways.

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<span class="mw-page-title-main">LGBT stereotypes</span> Stereotypes around LGBTQ people and communities

LGBT stereotypes are stereotypes about lesbian, gay, bisexual and transgender (LGBT) people are based on their sexual orientations, gender identities, or gender expressions. Stereotypical perceptions may be acquired through interactions with parents, teachers, peers and mass media, or, more generally, through a lack of firsthand familiarity, resulting in an increased reliance on generalizations.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Homophobia</span> Negative attitudes and discrimination toward homosexuality and LGBT people

Homophobia encompasses a range of negative attitudes and feelings toward homosexuality or people who identify or are perceived as being lesbian, gay or bisexual. It has been defined as contempt, prejudice, aversion, hatred or antipathy, may be based on irrational fear and may sometimes be attributed to religious beliefs.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Homosexuality</span> Sexual attraction or behavior between members of the same sex or gender

Homosexuality is a sexual attraction, romantic attraction, or sexual behavior between members of the same sex or gender. As a sexual orientation, homosexuality is "an enduring pattern of emotional, romantic, and/or sexual attractions" exclusively to people of the same sex or gender. It "also refers to a person's sense of identity based on those attractions, related behaviors, and membership in a community of others who share those attractions."

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Bisexual erasure</span> Dismissing or misrepresenting bisexuals in the public perception

Bisexual erasure, also called bisexual invisibility, is the tendency to ignore, remove, falsify, or re-explain evidence of bisexuality in history, academia, the news media, and other primary sources.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Same-sex parenting</span> Parenting of children by same-sex couples

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<span class="mw-page-title-main">Same-sex relationship</span> Romantic or sexual relationship between people of the same sex

A same-sex relationship is a romantic or sexual relationship between people of the same sex. Same-sex marriage refers to the institutionalized recognition of such relationships in the form of a marriage; civil unions may exist in countries where same-sex marriage does not.

Various topics in medicine relate particularly to the health of lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgender, queer, intersex and asexual (LGBTQIA) individuals as well as other sexual and gender minorities. According to the US National LGBTQIA+ Health Education Center, these areas include sexual and reproductive health, mental health, substance use disorders, HIV/AIDS, HIV-related cancers, intimate partner violence, issues surrounding marriage and family recognition, breast and cervical cancer, inequities in healthcare and access to care. In medicine, various nomenclature, including variants of the acronym LGBTQIA+, are used as an umbrella term to refer to individuals who are non-heterosexual, non-heteroromantic, or non-cis gendered. Specific groups within this community have their own distinct health concerns, however are often grouped together in research and discussions. This is primarily because these sexual and gender minorities groups share the effects of stigmatization based on their gender identity or expression, and/or sexual orientation or affection orientation. Furthermore, there are subpopulations among LGBTQIA+ groups based on factors such as race, ethnicity, socioeconomic status, geographic location, and age, all of which can impact healthcare outcomes.

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<span class="mw-page-title-main">LGBT demographics of the United States</span>

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References

  1. 1 2 3 Phillips, Nicky; Zwartz, Barney (2012-09-11). "'Unhealthy' gay lifestyle claims tied to bad study". The Sydney Morning Herald. Retrieved 2023-10-23.
  2. 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 Corvino, John (2013). What's Wrong with Homosexuality? . Philosophy in action. Oxford University Press. pp. 52–56. ISBN   978-0-19-985631-2. OL   25372569M .
  3. 1 2 3 4 Hogg, Robert S; Strathdee, Steffanie A; Craib, Kevin JP; O'shaughnessy, Michael V; Montaner, Julio; Schechter, Martin T (2001). "Gay life expectancy revisited". International Journal of Epidemiology. 30 (6): 1499. doi: 10.1093/ije/30.6.1499 . ISSN   1464-3685. PMID   11821375. if we were to repeat this analysis today the life expectancy of gay and bisexual men would be greatly improved. Deaths from HIV infection have declined dramatically in this population since 1996
  4. 1 2 Olson, Walter (1997-12-19). "William Bennett, Gays, and the Truth". Slate. ISSN   1091-2339 . Retrieved 2023-10-24.
  5. 1 2 3 Frisch, Morten; Brønnum-Hansen, Henrik (2009). "Mortality Among Men and Women in Same-Sex Marriage: A National Cohort Study of 8333 Danes". American Journal of Public Health. 99 (1): 133–137. doi:10.2105/AJPH.2008.133801. ISSN   0090-0036. PMC   2636618 . PMID   19008504. the claims of drastically increased overall mortality in gay men and lesbians appear unjustified
  6. 1 2 Lindström, Martin; Rosvall, Maria (2020-11-01). "Sexual orientation and all-cause mortality: A population-based prospective cohort study in southern Sweden". Public Health in Practice. 1: 1–3. doi: 10.1016/j.puhip.2020.100032 . ISSN   2666-5352. PMC   9461313 . PMID   36101682.
  7. 1 2 Bosson, Jennifer K.; Buckner, Camille E.; Vandello, Joseph A. (2021-01-09). The Psychology of Sex and Gender. SAGE Publications. p. not available. ISBN   978-1-5443-9403-9. the systematic research needed to determine the average life expectancy of transgender people has not yet been conducted
  8. 1 2 Herzog, Katie (23 September 2019). "Is the Life Expectancy of Trans Women in the U.S. Just 35? No". The Stranger. Retrieved 2023-10-22.
  9. 1 2 Herek, Gregory M. (1998). "Bad Science in the Service of Stigma: A Critique of the Cameron Group's Survey Studies". Stigma and Sexual Orientation. SAGE. pp. 223–249. ISBN   978-0-8039-5385-7.
  10. ↑ Herek, Gregory M. "Critique of "Obituary Study" by the Paul Cameron Group". lgbpsychology.org. Retrieved 2023-11-07.
  11. ↑ Knauer, Nancy J. (2016). Gay and Lesbian Elders: History, Law, and Identity Politics in the United States. Routledge. ISBN   978-1-317-13089-5.
  12. ↑ Schlatter, Evelyn; Steinback, Robert (2011). "10 Anti-Gay Myths Debunked". Southern Poverty Law Center.
  13. ↑ Gettys, Travis. "Professor: Being gay is like smoking, so charge LGBT people more for life insurance - Raw Story". Raw Story. Retrieved 2023-09-12.
  14. 1 2 3 Pappas, Stephanie (2013-03-12). "Same-Sex Marriage Linked to Longer Lives". Live Science. Retrieved 2023-10-24.
  15. ↑ Frisch, Morten; Simonsen, Jacob (2013-03-08). "Marriage, cohabitation and mortality in Denmark: national cohort study of 6.5 million persons followed for up to three decades (1982–2011)". International Journal of Epidemiology. 42 (2): 559–578. doi: 10.1093/ije/dyt024 . ISSN   1464-3685. PMID   23482379.
  16. ↑ Griebling, Tomas L. (2016). "Sexuality and aging: a focus on lesbian, gay, bisexual, and transgender (LGBT) needs in palliative and end of life care" . Current Opinion in Supportive & Palliative Care. 10 (1): 95–101. doi:10.1097/SPC.0000000000000196. ISSN   1751-4258. PMID   26780525. S2CID   46571436.
  17. ↑ Oransky, Ivan (2019). "Study claiming hate cuts 12 years off gay lives retracted". Retraction Watch. Retrieved 2023-10-23.
  18. ↑ Westbrook, Laurel (2020). Unlivable Lives: Violence and Identity in Transgender Activism. University of California Press. p. 107. ISBN   978-0-520-97415-9.
  19. ↑ Asscheman, Henk; Giltay, Erik J; Megens, Jos A J; de Ronde, W (Pim); van Trotsenburg, Michael A A; Gooren, Louis J G (2011). "A long-term follow-up study of mortality in transsexuals receiving treatment with cross-sex hormones". European Journal of Endocrinology. 164 (4): 635–642. doi:10.1530/eje-10-1038. ISSN   0804-4643. PMID   21266549.
  20. ↑ de Blok, Christel JM; Wiepjes, Chantal M; van Velzen, Daan M; Staphorsius, Annemieke S; Nota, Nienke M; Gooren, Louis JG; Kreukels, Baudewijntje PC; den Heijer, Martin (2021). "Mortality trends over five decades in adult transgender people receiving hormone treatment: a report from the Amsterdam cohort of gender dysphoria". The Lancet Diabetes & Endocrinology. 9 (10): 663–670. doi:10.1016/s2213-8587(21)00185-6. ISSN   2213-8587. PMID   34481559. S2CID   237423345.
  21. ↑ Dhejne, Cecilia; Lichtenstein, Paul; Boman, Marcus; Johansson, Anna L. V.; Långström, Niklas; Landén, Mikael (2011-02-22). "Long-Term Follow-Up of Transsexual Persons Undergoing Sex Reassignment Surgery: Cohort Study in Sweden". PLOS ONE. 6 (2): e16885. Bibcode:2011PLoSO...616885D. doi: 10.1371/journal.pone.0016885 . ISSN   1932-6203. PMC   3043071 . PMID   21364939.
  22. ↑ Erlangsen, Annette; Jacobsen, Anna Lund; Ranning, Anne; Delamare, Alex Lauridsen; Nordentoft, Merete; Frisch, Morten (2023-06-27). "Transgender Identity and Suicide Attempts and Mortality in Denmark". JAMA. 329 (24): 2145–2153. doi:10.1001/jama.2023.8627. ISSN   0098-7484. PMC   10300682 . PMID   37367977.
  23. ↑ Jackson, Sarah S.; Brown, Jalen; Pfeiffer, Ruth M.; Shrewsbury, Duncan; O’Callaghan, Stewart; Berner, Alison M.; Gadalla, Shahinaz M.; Shiels, Meredith S. (2023-01-30). "Analysis of Mortality Among Transgender and Gender Diverse Adults in England". JAMA Network Open. 6 (1): e2253687. doi:10.1001/jamanetworkopen.2022.53687. ISSN   2574-3805. PMC   9887492 . PMID   36716027.
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