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This Article Full Text Full Text (PDF) All Versions of this Article: AJPH.2006.087254v1 AJPH.2006.087254v2 97/11/2048    most recent Submit a response Purchase Article View Shopping Cart Alert me when this article is cited Alert me when eLetters are posted Alert me if a correction is posted Services Similar articles in this journal Similar articles in ISI Web of Science Similar articles in PubMed Alert me to new issues of the journal Download to citation manager Citing Articles Citing Articles via Google Scholar Google Scholar Articles by Cochran, S. D. Articles by Mays, V. M. Search for Related Content PubMed PubMed Citation Articles by Cochran, S. D. Articles by Mays, V. M. Related Collections Cardiovascular Disease Other Chronic Disease Disability HIV/AIDS Mental Health Lesbian/Gay/Bisexual/Transgender Persons

Susan D. Cochran, PhD, MS and Vickie M. Mays, PhD, MSPH

Both authors are with the Center for Research, Education, Training and Strategic Communications on Minority Health Disparities, University of California, Los Angeles. Susan D. Cochran is also with the Department of Epidemiology, School of Public Health, and the Department of Statistics, University of California, Los Angeles. Vickie M. Mays is with the Department of Psychology and the Department of Health Services, School of Public Health, University of California, Los Angeles.

Correspondence: Requests for reprints should be sent to Susan D. Cochran, PhD, MS, Dept of Epidemiology, UCLA School of Public Health, Box 951772, Los Angeles, CA 90095–1772 (e-mail: cochran{at}ucla.edu).

Objectives. We examined evidence that minority sexual orientation is associated with more-frequent reports of physical health complaints. We also investigated the possible role of HIV infection among gay men and higher rates of psychological distress among lesbians, gay men, and bisexually and homosexually experienced heterosexual individuals in generating these health disparities.

Methods. We used data from the California Quality of Life Survey (N=2272 adults) to examine associations between sexual orientation and self-reports about physical health status, common health conditions, disabilities, and psychological distress.

Results. Prevalent HIV infection was reported by nearly 18% of gay, bisexual, and homosexually experienced heterosexual men. Gay men and bisexual and homosexually experienced heterosexual individuals had higher levels of psychological distress compared with exclusively heterosexual individuals. Self-reported physical health status varied by gender and by sexual orientation.

Conclusions. Lesbians and bisexual and homosexually experienced heterosexual women reported a greater variety of health conditions and limitations compared with exclusively heterosexual women; however, these differences mostly disappeared when distress levels were taken into account. Among men, differences in health complaints appeared to reflect the ongoing burden of HIV and other sexually transmitted diseases in the gay male community.