Health disparities among lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgender, and other sexual and gender minority (SGM) people exist across the lifespan, and are increasingly well-documented, but gaps remain in our basic understanding of how health status, behaviors and outcomes vary within these groups, especially bisexual individuals. A growing body of evidence suggests that bisexual-identified individuals experience significant health disparities in comparison to heterosexual and gay/lesbian-identified individuals. These include higher rates of mood and anxiety disorders, substance use, suicidality, as well as disparities related to healthcare access and utilization. However, until recently, bisexual individuals have remained relatively invisible in public health research.
To advance understanding of bisexual health disparities, and how to address them, the National Institutes of Health Sexual & Gender Minority Research Office (NIH SGMRO) hosted the first ever Workshop on Bisexual Health Research and brought together over 20 of the top scientists in North America with expertise in bisexual health, measurement, and other disciplines, to share what is known about this population, including the most recent scientific findings, and to identify crucial knowledge gaps and research opportunities for studies on bisexual health across the life course. CSHP core faculty Dr. Brian Dodge and CSHP core faculty partner Dr. Wendy Bostwick of the University of Illinois at Chicago Co-Chaired this historic event.
The workshop, held at the National Institutes of Health (NIH) in Bethesda, Maryland, on September 23, 2019 at 9:00 am, was available to the general public for viewing via videocast and archived as a podcast in honor of Bi Visibility Day. A link to the videocast can be found by clicking here.
