By Ariana Magafas
According to the 2011-2016 National Health and Nutrition Examination Survey, sexual minority women face worse mental and physical health outcomes than their counterparts. Sexual minority women, also known as SMW, describes women of any race who identify as lesbian, bisexual, queer, or any other identities that are non-heterosexual.
The study was conducted to examine the differences in health outcomes and behaviors that sexual minority women experience compared to white heterosexual women, white sexual minority women, and heterosexual women of color.
“Disparities in health behaviors and outcomes at the intersection of race and sexual identity among women,” a 2021 journal article by Julia López, Ph.D., analyzed the findings from the study. López is a public health researcher at Washington University in St. Louis and specializes in sexual and gender minority health, racial disparities, and women’s health.
“This topic inspires me because I self identify as a sexual minority woman of color as a queer Latina,” López said. “Not only have I had personal experiences with this issue, but the people I engage with do too, and I would see how it would impact them. It’s so important to build health equity for people who are already marginalized for the identity they hold.”
According to the 2011-2016 health disparities study results, sexual minority women of
color often face stigma because of their sexuality, which can result in “feelings of isolation, limit social networking, and lead to actively engaging in self-medicating behaviors.”
“One of the reasons why this analysis is so robust is that it shows the intersection of sexual minority women and women of color,” López said. “It allows people to see what is happening with both of these groups, which is something that few individuals know from a large database perspective.”
Research has shown how important it is to sexual minority women of color for nonminority groups to
understand how their health is impacted due to holding two minority identities. According to the health study, the minority stress and intersectionality theory states that the stress that sexual minority women of color experience, which comes with the stigma and discrimination they often face, results in poor health behaviors and outcomes.
“Those who do not belong in a minority group need to be aware of the struggles sexual minority women go through regarding their health,” 20-year-old St. Louis resident Shreyaa Mark said. “If more people know about sexual minority women’s health experiences, then solutions can hopefully be implemented.”
Along with their physical health being jeopardized, the outcomes of sexual minority women’s mental health differ from white heterosexuals. According to the health disparities study, sexual minority women “are at an increased risk for mental health problems such as post-traumatic stress disorder, depression, and generalized anxiety disorder compared to their non-SMW counterparts.”
Virginia McKay, Ph.D., a research assistant at the Washington University School of Medicine who
specializes in dissemination and implementation research regarding HIV prevention, worked with López.
“I can say that I agree with the findings from the study. The results accumulated are extremely useful to a wide array of people which is important,” McKay said. “There are still multiple steps that need to be taken in order to ensure equal health treatment for sexual minority women. We need to have the right kinds of conversations and start creating effective programs.”
“These results give a foundational process for advocacy levels and multilevel impact interventions,” López said. “However, there is not enough change happening at the policy level in order to secure various rights. Barriers to healthcare access need to be reduced and mitigated and the services provided to these women need to be less cost prohibitive.”
Comentarios