Shifting the Poetics of Gender Ambiguity

Bisexual women drink more than lesbian and heterosexual women. However, few studies have examined factors that influence drinking among bisexual women. Although descriptive drinking norms are strong predictors of drinking, little research has examined how drinking norms influence alcohol use for bisexual women. The present study examined bisexual women's reports of descriptive drinking norms for bisexual, lesbian, and heterosexual women, and associations with their own frequency of alcohol consumption, quantity, binge drinking, and hazardous alcohol use. Participants were 179 self-identified bisexual women between 18 and 30 years old who reported past 30-day drinking. Participants perceived more frequent alcohol use for bisexual and heterosexual women as compared to lesbian women. Further, participants perceived higher alcohol quantity for heterosexual as compared to lesbian women, but norms for alcohol quantity did not differ between bisexual women and other groups. Descriptive drinking norms about bisexual women were positively related to participants' frequency of alcohol consumption, binge drinking, and hazardous alcohol use. In contrast, descriptive drinking norms about heterosexual women were negatively associated with participants' binge drinking and hazardous alcohol use. Findings document the importance of assessing drinking norms separately for bisexual, lesbian, and heterosexual women. Alcohol interventions that include information about drinking norms for bisexual women specifically may be more effective at reducing hazardous drinking.

Differences in weight stigma between gay, bisexual, and heterosexual men

SUMMARY This study examines mental health issues among women of different sexual orientations. An anonymous survey was administered at 33 health care sites across the United States; the sample (N = 1304) included lesbians (n = 524), bisexual (n = 143) and heterosexual women (n = 637). Not only did sexual orientation influence the probability of experiencing emotional stress, but also whether a bisexual woman or lesbian had disclosed her sexual orientation (was “out”) impacted the likelihood of having or having had mental health problems. Bisexual women and lesbians experienced more emotional stress as teenagers than did heterosexual women. Bisexual women were more than twice as likely to have had an eating disorder compared to lesbians. If a bisexual woman reported being out she was twice as likely to have had an eating disorder compared to a heterosexual woman. Lesbians who were not out and bisexual women who were out were 2-2.5 times more likely to experience suicidal ideation in the past 12 months. Lesbians and bisexual women who were not out were more likely to have had a suicide attempt compared to heterosexual women. Lesbians used psychotherapy for depression more commonly than did heterosexual or bisexual women. This is one of the few studies that compares lesbians, bisexual and heterosexual women. The implications of these findings are discussed.

Depressive symptoms are a significant health concern among sexual minority women, with bisexual women at a higher risk than lesbian women. Internalized heterosexism is a key risk factor for depression among sexual minority women. Sense of belonging to the LGBTIQ + community is protective for lesbian women, but the limited research among bisexual women has shown inconsistent results. The current study investigated whether a sense of belonging to the LGBTIQ + community was directly related to fewer depressive symptoms and indirectly related via lower levels of internalized heterosexism, and whether the indirect effect was similar for bisexual and lesbian women. A sample of 175 self-identified bisexual women and 311 self-identified lesbian women aged 18 to 61 years (M = 31.91, SD = 11.38) completed the Psychological subscale of the Sense of Belonging Instrument, the Internalized Homophobia Scale, and the Center for Epidemiologic Studies Depression Scale. Bisexual women reported higher levels of depressive symptoms and internalized heterosexism, and lower levels of a sense of belonging to the LGBTIQ + community, than lesbian women. A sense of belonging to the LGBTIQ + community was directly associated with lower depressive symptoms and indirectly related via lower internalized heterosexism. However, sexual orientation moderated the indirect relationship. The indirect effect of a sense of belonging to the LGBTIQ + community on depressive symptoms was significant for lesbian women but not bisexual women. Results imply that increasing a sense of belonging to the LGBTIQ + community may be beneficial for bisexual and lesbian women, but the pathways by which protection is afforded will differ.

Previous body image research often grouped both gay and bisexual men into a single category: sexual minoritised men, limiting our understanding of how sexual identity influences body image. However, there is strong reason to believe that bisexual and gay men experience distinct body image concerns. Here, we explored motivations to alter one’s leanness and muscularity, as well as (dis)satisfaction with body fat, muscularity, height and penis size, and functionality appreciation across gay, bisexual, and straight cisgender men. We sampled 378 white participants aged 18 to 85 (nbisexual = 125, ngay = 128, nstraight = 125). We found that bisexual men were significantly less motivated to be lean and showed lower muscularity dissatisfaction relative to gay men but showed comparable levels to straight men. Our findings demonstrate that despite research perceiving the body image of bisexual and gay men as homogenous, they experience differences in their body image concerning leanness and muscularity dissatisfaction. Future body image research should incorporate this understanding by not artificially grouping bisexual and gay cisgender men and instead acknowledging the potential uniqueness in their experiences.

One of the most widely used assessment tools for disordered eating attitudes and behaviors, the Eating Disorder Examination Questionnaire (EDE-Q), has not yet been evaluated in Brazilian cisgender gay and bisexual men-an at-risk population given the extent of minority stressors in Brazilian culture. The present study aimed to assess the psychometric properties of the EDE-Q among Brazilian cisgender gay and bisexual adult men. The Brazilian EDE-Q was administered to a sample of 1409 gay and bisexual adult men, along with measures of self-objectification, body-ideal internalization, drive for muscularity, muscle dysmorphia symptoms, and body appreciation. The factor structure of the Brazilian EDE-Q was assessed using a two-step, split-sample exploratory (EFA; n=704) and confirmatory factor analytic approach (CFA; n=705). Additionally, convergent validity, internal consistency, and 2-week test-retest reliability were assessed. Findings from an EFA and CFA revealed a one-factor structure with 22 items and adequate internal consistency (ω=.92, 95% CI=[.91, .93]). Moreover, the scale demonstrated good 2-week test-retest reliability (ICC=.86, 95% CI=[.82, .88], p < .001). The EDE-Q scores showed positive associations with self-objectification, body-ideal internalization, muscle dysmorphia symptoms, and drive for muscularity, as well as a negative association with body appreciation. Results provide support for the use of the EDE-Q using a one-factor structure in Brazilian cisgender gay and bisexual adult men and give insights for future studies on eating disorders in sexual minorities in Latin America. The Eating Disorder Examination Questionnaire (EDE-Q) is one of the most widely used self-report measures of eating disorder symptoms. However, there is a lack of research on the validity and reliability of the EDE-Q in Latin American countries. This study evaluated the validity and reliability of the EDE-Q in Brazilian cisgender gay and bisexual adult men. Our findings give insights for future studies on eating disorders in sexual minorities in Latin America.

Young men who have sex with men (MSM) are disproportionately affected by HIV, but it remains unclear whether there are differences in HIV risk behaviors between self-identified gay and bisexual young men. To address this, the current study examined differences in condomless sex and substance use before sex with male partners between self-identified gay and bisexual young men who are HIV-negative. Additionally, we examined differences in HIV risk behaviors with male versus female partners among the bisexual men. We used four waves of data spanning 24months from a cohort of young MSM ages 16-29. At each wave, participants reported on up to four partners, allowing us to examine within-person associations. Compared to gay men, bisexual men reported more insertive condomless anal sex (CAS) with casual partners, they were more likely to report marijuana use before sex, and they were less likely to report lifetime HIV testing and PrEP use. Alcohol and marijuana use before sex were associated with CAS for both gay and bisexual men, but the association between marijuana use and insertive CAS was stronger for bisexual men. Bisexual men reported more condomless sex with female partners compared to male partners, but this was not significant after accounting for alcohol and marijuana use. Bisexual men were more likely to report alcohol and marijuana use with female partners compared to male partners, but both alcohol and marijuana use were associated with condomless sex regardless of partner gender. Findings support the need for tailored HIV prevention for self-identified bisexual men to address their lack of preventive behaviors, their increased engagement in certain risk behaviors with male partners, and their engagement in risk behaviors with female partners.

Understand the unique emotional dynamics of bisexual women&rsquo;s friendship relationships Prevailing attitudes toward bisexuality affect every aspect of a bisexual woman&rsquo;s emotional and sexual life. Bisexual Women: Friendship and Social Organization comprehensively explores the friendship relationships of bisexual women, and the ways that bisexuality shapes the friendship experience. This book fills a gap in the literature and research on bisexuality and friendship, presenting leading experts discussing the latest qualitative and quantitative studies on this rarely visited topic. This examination explains how the friendships of bisexual and bi-curious women can be affected by sexism, heterosexism, biphobia, and racism, as well as providing an insightful review of how bisexual women are portrayed in film and literature. Bisexual and bi-curious women often have a more diverse range of friendship experiences than heterosexual women. Bisexual Women: Friendship and Social Organization presents studies and personal essays to provide a comprehensive understanding of the patterns of various friendship relationships that exist because of&#0151;and in spite of&#0151;prevalent social attitudes about bisexuality. This extensive look details various aspects of bisexual women&rsquo;s relationships as well as society&rsquo;s biases and preconceived notions. Analysis of research explores the various effects that being bisexual has on the way women approach friendship, as well as how society views both bisexuality and relationships.Topics in Bisexual Women: Friendship and Social Organization include: research into young women&rsquo;s emerging sexual orientation identity types of friendships formed by bisexual women how friendship experiences are shaped by sociopolitical attitudes bisexual images in popular media critique of the bisexual women&rsquo;s friendship literature how heterosexism shapes platonic and erotic relationships how bisexuality constricts social relationships analysis of how sexual experiences influenced friendships much more Bisexual Women: Friendship and Social Organization is insightful, important reading for psychologists, counselors, LGBT studies professionals, educators, and students.

To assess differences in psychosocial and mental health outcomes between older lesbian and bisexual women compared to heterosexual women. Cross sectional study. The study was carried out in the California Teachers Study, a prospective cohort study. Self-identified heterosexual (n = 35,846), lesbian (n = 710), and bisexual (n = 253) women 50 years of age and older were enrolled. Validated questionnaires were used to measure social connection, overall happiness, and depression. Logistic regression modeling was used to estimate odds ratios (OR) and 95% confidence intervals (CI) comparing lesbian and bisexual women separately to heterosexual women in relation to psychosocial and mental health outcomes. After controlling for age and marital status, older bisexual women were significantly more likely to report lack of companionship (OR = 2.00; 95% CI, 1.30-3.12) and feeling left out (OR = 2.33; 95% CI, 1.36-3.97) compared to older heterosexual women. The odds of reporting feeling isolated from others was significantly higher in lesbian (OR = 1.56; 95% CI, 1.06-2.30) and bisexual women (OR = 2.30; 95% CI, 1.37-3.87) than in heterosexual women. The OR (95% CI) for reporting not being very happy overall was 1.96 (CI, 1.09-3.52) in bisexual women and 1.40 (0.92-2.14) in lesbian women compared to heterosexual women. The likelihood of reporting diagnosed depression was significantly higher in lesbian women (OR = 1.65; 95% CI, 1.38-1.97) and bisexual women (OR = 2.21; 95% CI, 1.67-2.93) compared to heterosexual women. Inclusion of lesbian and bisexual women in aging research is essential to understand their unique mental and other health needs, including those specific to bisexual women.

ObjectivesDespite rises in sexually transmitted infection (STI) notifications among Australian women in the previous decade, limited STI surveillance data exists for women by sexual orientation. This study aimed to compare...

A growing body of research documents multiple health disparities by sexual orientation among women, yet little is known about the possible causes of these disparities. One underlying factor may be heightened risk for abuse victimization in childhood in lesbian and bisexual women. Using survey data from 63,028 women participating in the Nurses' Health Study II, we investigated sexual orientation group differences in emotional, physical, and sexual abuse in childhood and adolescence. Multivariable log-binomial and linear regression models were used to examine orientation group differences in prevalence and severity of abuse, with heterosexual as the referent and controlling for sociodemographics. Results showed strong evidence of elevated frequency, severity, and persistence of abuse experienced by lesbian and bisexual women. Comparing physical abuse victimization occurring in both childhood and adolescence, lesbian (30%, prevalence ratio [PR] 1.61, 95% confidence interval [CI] 1.40, 1.84) and bisexual (24%, PR 1.26, 95% CI 1.00, 1.60) women were more likely to report victimization than were heterosexual women (19%). Similarly, comparing sexual abuse victimization occurring in both age periods, lesbian (19%, PR 2.16, 95% CI 1.80, 2.60) and bisexual (20%, PR 2.29, 95% CI 1.76, 2.98) women were more likely to report victimization than were heterosexual women (9%). This study documents prevalent and persistent abuse disproportionately experienced by lesbian and bisexual women.

Recent legal and social changes in marriage equality, parenting among same-sex couples, and fatherhood discourses may prompt more US gay and bisexual men to desire fatherhood. However, scholars know little about fatherhood desires among these men. Therefore, we investigated temporal changes in fatherhood desires and perceptions of being bothered by future childlessness among US gay, bisexual, and heterosexual men. The sample included childless men participating in 5 cycles of the National Survey of Family Growth. Adjusted Wald tests and Pearson’s chi-square tests examined temporal changes in future fatherhood desires and being bothered by future childlessness, and they compared the men along these outcomes. We used logistic regression for multivariable analyses. The proportion of gay, bisexual, and heterosexual men who desired fatherhood remained stable from 2002 to 2013–2015. Most gay, bisexual, and heterosexual men desired fatherhood, but gay men had the lowest likelihood of doing so. Gay and bisexual men were less likely than heterosexual men to be bothered by future childlessness. Although the prevalence of fatherhood desires among these men did not increase during 2002–2015, the relatively high prevalence of fatherhood desires warrants research and data collection to understand factors influencing these desires, especially among gay and bisexual men.

Purpose: Recent research suggests that the benefits of minimized structural stigma experienced by gay men are not matched in bisexual men. The purpose of this study was to explore how bisexual men perceive structural stigma compared with gay men in hopes of understanding why improvements in structural stigma among sexual minority individuals may not equally benefit bisexual people. Methods: In 2020-2021, we conducted in-depth interviews with 19 bisexual men and 40 gay men recruited from a larger longitudinal cohort study of 502 men. Interviews were conducted by phone or Zoom (camera off). The interview guides for gay and bisexual men were nearly identical, except that bisexual men were asked specifically about structural stigma related to bisexuality. All interviews were recorded digitally, transcribed verbatim, and analyzed using grounded theory as an analytic strategy. Results: Emergent findings show that three interrelated forces complicate the relationship between structural stigma and outcomes for bisexual men: assumed heterosexuality, invisibility and erasure of bisexuality, and the blurring of interpersonal and structural stigma. In particular, bisexual men had trouble identifying structural stigma, reflecting the difficulty of fully pinning down this type of stigma. Conclusion: To understand the disparate effects of structural stigma for bisexual and gay men, we encourage scholars to take these dynamics into account. We suggest new concrete ways to measure structural stigma against bisexual people and better incorporate perspectives from bisexual men into future structural stigma research and interventions.

Bisexual men are one of the least studied populations within the sexual intimate partner violence (SIPV) literature, despite the prevalence of SIPV being equivalent between bisexual and gay men, and greater in bisexual than heterosexual men. Consequently, it remains unclear as to what factors contribute to SIPV–related victim blame toward bisexual men. The current study utilized a mixed–methods design to investigate prejudiced attitudes toward bisexual and gay men as predictors of victim blame in the context of SIPV. Participants (N = 124) were randomly assigned to read a vignette wherein a bisexual or gay man disclosed an experience of SIPV. Participants then completed measures of victim blame and prejudiced attitudes toward bisexual or gay men. As a means of contextualizing the quantitative analyses, participants also completed a qualitative stereotype task. Results indicated that prejudiced attitudes toward both bisexual and gay men predicted victim blame, and that victim blame attributions toward bisexual and gay men did not differ. Qualitative findings indicated that there was overlap between the stereotypes attributed to bisexual and gay men, which may explain the lack of difference in victim blame toward the two groups. These results implicate prejudice reduction and controlled stereotype processing strategies as a means of reducing victim blame attributions toward sexual minority men.

The purposes of this study were to measure the prevalence of, and identify factors associated with, cervical cancer screening among a sample of lesbian, bisexual and queer women, and transgender men. Past research has found that lesbian, bisexual and queer women underuse cervical screening service. Because deficient screening remains the most significant risk factor for cervical cancer, it is essential to understand the differences between routine and nonroutine screeners. A convergent-parallel mixed methods design. A convenience sample of 21- to 65-year-old lesbian and bisexual women and transgender men were recruited in the USA from August-December 2014. Quantitative data were collected via a 48-item Internet questionnaire (N=226), and qualitative data were collected through in-depth telephone interviews (N=20) and open-ended questions on the Internet questionnaire. Seventy-three per cent of the sample was routine cervical screeners. The results showed that a constellation of factors influence the use of cervical cancer screening among lesbian, bisexual and queer women. Some of those factors overlap with the general female population, whereas others are specific to the lesbian, bisexual or queer identity. Routine screeners reported feeling more welcome in the health care setting, while nonroutine screeners reported more discrimination related to their sexual orientation and gender expression. Routine screeners were also more likely to 'out' to their provider. The quantitative and qualitative factors were also compared and contrasted. Many of the factors identified in this study to influence cervical cancer screening relate to the health care environment and to interactions between the patient and provider. Nurses should be involved with creating welcoming environments for lesbian, bisexual and queer women and their partners. Moreover, nurses play a large role in patient education and should promote self-care behaviours among lesbian women and transgender men.