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] A 2022 study in the United States found no excess mortality among gay and bisexual males, but found excess mortality among bisexual and lesbian females. [7]

There is not yet reliable research on life expectancy of transgender people, [8] although false statistics have been widely circulated. [9]

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. [10] [11] 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. [10] 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 limited applicability of the Hogg study, many anti-gay groups and individuals have cited these studies to characterize homosexuality as inherently unhealthy or immoral. [12] [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] [13]

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". [14] In 2012, the Australian Anglican Archbishop Peter Jensen made similar claims on national television. [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. [15] [16] [17] It linked same-sex marriage with increases in life expectancy. [15]

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". [18] [19]

2020 Swedish 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]

2022 United States mortality study

A 2022 study in the United States found no excess mortality among gay or bisexual males, but there was excess mortality among sexual minority females. [7]

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". [8]

One unsubstantiated statistic widely circulated in the media claims that the life expectancy of transgender women of color (sometimes transgender women in general) is only 35 years old; however, this is not corroborated by any research. [9] 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. [20]

Several studies have been conducted that indicate that transgender individuals have an increased mortality rate, however these studies have not modelled life expectancy. [21] [22] [23] [24] [25]

See also

Related Research Articles

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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 Laughney, Caitlin Isabella; Eliason, Erica L. (2022-01-01). "Mortality Disparities Among Sexual Minority Adults in the United States" . LGBT Health. 9 (1): 27–33. doi:10.1089/lgbt.2020.0482. ISSN   2325-8292. PMID   34698549.
  8. 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
  9. 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.
  10. 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.
  11. ↑ Herek, Gregory M. "Critique of "Obituary Study" by the Paul Cameron Group". lgbpsychology.org. Retrieved 2023-11-07.
  12. ↑ Knauer, Nancy J. (2016). Gay and Lesbian Elders: History, Law, and Identity Politics in the United States. Routledge. ISBN   978-1-317-13089-5.
  13. ↑ Schlatter, Evelyn; Steinback, Robert (2011). "10 Anti-Gay Myths Debunked". Southern Poverty Law Center.
  14. ↑ Gettys, Travis. "Professor: Being gay is like smoking, so charge LGBT people more for life insurance - Raw Story". Raw Story. Retrieved 2023-09-12.
  15. 1 2 3 Pappas, Stephanie (2013-03-12). "Same-Sex Marriage Linked to Longer Lives". Live Science. Retrieved 2023-10-24.
  16. ↑ 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.
  17. ↑ 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 and Palliative Care. 10 (1): 95–101. doi:10.1097/SPC.0000000000000196. ISSN   1751-4258. PMID   26780525. S2CID   46571436.
  18. ↑ Oransky, Ivan (2019). "Study claiming hate cuts 12 years off gay lives retracted". Retraction Watch. Retrieved 2023-10-23.
  19. ↑ Hatzenbuehler, Mark L.; Bellatorre, Anna; Lee, Yeonjin; Finch, Brian K.; Muennig, Peter; Fiscella, Kevin (2014-02-01). "RETRACTED: Structural stigma and all-cause mortality in sexual minority populations". Social Science & Medicine. Structural Stigma and Population Health. 103: 33–41. doi: 10.1016/j.socscimed.2013.06.005 . ISSN   0277-9536. PMC   3818511 . PMID   23830012. (Erratum:  doi:10.1016/j.socscimed.2017.11.043, PMID   29241590,  Retraction Watch)
  20. ↑ Westbrook, Laurel (2020). Unlivable Lives: Violence and Identity in Transgender Activism. University of California Press. p. 107. ISBN   978-0-520-97415-9.
  21. ↑ 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.
  22. ↑ 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.
  23. ↑ 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.
  24. ↑ 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.
  25. ↑ 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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