A study found evidence on physical health disparities by sexual identity, suggesting more health issues in sexual minority men (SMM).
Appearing in LGBT Health, “Higher Risk of Many Physical Health Conditions in Sexual Minority Men: Comprehensive Systematic Review and Meta-Analysis in Gay- and Bisexual-Identified Compared with Heterosexual-Identified Men” was done by Lena Haarmann, Emma Lieker, Ann-Kristin Folkerts, Kai Eichert, Marlene Neidlinger, Ina Monsef, Nicole Skoetz, Birgit Träuble, and Elke Kalbe.
For this study, the researchers conducted a systematic literature search in the databases MEDLINE, Embase, CENTRAL, CINAHL, and Web of Science, particularly on epidemiological studies on physical health conditions, classified in the Global Burden of Disease project and published between 2000 and 2021. Meta-analyses comparing odds ratios were calculated.
In total, 23,649 abstracts were screened, and 32 studies were included in the systematic review.
The main findings included:
- Largest differences in prevalence by sexual identity were found for chronic respiratory diseases, particularly asthma: overall, SMM were significantly almost 50% more likely to suffer from asthma than heterosexual men.
- Evidence of higher prevalence was also found for chronic kidney diseases and headache disorders in gay men and for hepatitis B/C in both gay and bisexual men.
- Found was an overall trend that bisexual men were more affected by some of the physical health conditions compared with gay men (e.g. cardiovascular diseases, asthma). However, regarding cancer, headache disorders, and hepatitis, gay men were more affected.
Since evidence was found on the physical health disparities by sexual identity, suggesting more health issues in SMM, “this review is intended to be a vehement plea for routinely including sexual identity assessment in health research and clinical practice,” the researchers stressed.
