Sexual and gender minorities (SGM) — individuals who identify as gay, lesbian, bisexual, queer, transgender, non-binary, or gender-diverse — are twice as likely to report active epilepsy compared to non-SGM individuals.
This is according to a National Institutes of Health (NIH) analysis of data from the population-based National Health Information Survey. The study, “Prevalence of epilepsy in sexual and gender minorities”, by E.L. Johnson, et al, appeared in JAMA Neurology.
As used in the study, “active epilepsy” means a person has been diagnosed with epilepsy and has had more than one seizure in the past year or is currently taking anti-seizure medication.
This study suggested that epilepsy could be added to the growing number of neurological health disparities experienced by SGM individuals and other minoritized communities. The potential causes of this increase in prevalence are unknown.
The authors noted limitations of the study. The survey relied on self-reporting of SGM and epilepsy status, about which some may have been reluctant to report, even when responding anonymously. The survey data analyzed in this study were also from 2022, the first year in which questions about current gender identity, sexual orientation, and sex assigned at birth were included.
All the same, stressed the authors, these findings, along with the study limitations, highlighted the importance of collecting information on SGM status and the need for further research into the health disparities seen within that population.
