In spite of the overwhelmingly negative information reported regarding health disparities for bisexual men and women, the 2009 Bi Health Summit was groundbreaking, insightful, and well-facilitated.  Researchers, sexual health educators, and policy makers provided important information for activists and health advocates to engage both local LGBTQI institutions and larger mainstream healthcare organizations.  Even with the information disclosed, however, researchers at the Bi Summit stressed the need for more bi-specific research to be done, both in general health and related to STD and HIV prevention, to advocate for funding and policy changes.

 Over and over, bi researchers, sex educators, and policy makers stressed the necessity for bi-specific research, programming, education materials, and outreach, as well as integrated information targeting people who engage in multi-gender sexual activity without identifying as bisexual, pansexual, queer, lesbian, or gay.   

At one point, during the discussion of the stigma associated with bisexuality and its specific impact on bi women, a gay organizer with Chicago's Howard Brown Health Center said that "it felt like deja vu all over again."  The problems brought up by bi women in Wendy Bostwick's pilot study sounded exactly like the health concerns brought up by gay men 30 years ago, which led to the creation of Howard Brown.  

The information was a lot and overwhelmingly negative to anyone not familiar with similar LGBTQI health concerns.  Presenters were also under pressure to speed through their findings to make time for other presenters.  As a result, I can only report what I could keep up with in my notes.  Not being a journalist, I can only say I will be pursuing individual presenters for complete information that I can publish here in future posts.

Research presented by Cheryl Dobinson, MA, and Stewart Landers, JD, MCP, from their two separate studies was remarkably similar.  Bisexuals reported suffering from depression and anxiety in higher rates than heterosexuals or lesbians and gay men.  In terms of attempting or thinking of attempting suicide, bisexual men were 7 times higher, while gay men were 4 times higher, than straight men; bisexual women were 6 times higher, while lesbian women were 4 times higher, than straight women.  An Australian study revealed that middle-aged bi women were 24 times more likely to engage in self harm, like cutting, than straight women, as a coping mechanism.   

Dobinson's research revealed that only 26% of bisexuals did not experience child sexual abuse.  I'll be getting more information on violence, domestic violence, and physical or sexual abuse, since she whizzed through a lot of that information and I don't wish to misquote her findings.

I would also like to speak more with Cheryl Dobinson regarding her findings in anal sex for bi women and men.  Her research shows that bi men have fewer male partners than gay men and engage in anal sex less with men, but are more likely to have unprotected anal sex with men; while bi women have higher rates of anal sex with men than straight women and are more likely to report being HIV+.  It totally blanked my mind during the session, but I would really like to discuss the 2005 CDC study with her that showed 44% of straight men and 35% of straight women engaged in anal sex. 

Stewart Landers' information from the 2001-2006 Massachusetts' Behavioral Risk Factor Surveillance System Survey--which is just the kind of huge population study bi researchers are looking for--revealed similar levels of depression, anxiety, suicidality, self-harm, and suffering from violence.  Bisexual adults report poorer health and greater risks across a whole spectrum of health factors, including alcohol, substance abuse, and tobacco use.  Heart disease seems to be up 3 times higher than straight people, asthma rates reported higher than straight people but fairly equal to lesbians and gay men.

Landers' study showed a surprising finding that people 18-24 were the largest group identifying as bisexual.

Neither study showed any statistics on life expectancy.  Both Cheryl Dobinson and Lorelei Gillis are pursuing funding for a future bisexual study in Toronto that will include a longitudinal component and Tandy Hughes of UIC is in the midst of conducting a longitudinal study of 3rd Wave cohort of lesbian women, which still reveals significant fluid sexuality.  With a little more research, I hope to cover more about these and other longitudinal studies on fluid sexuality.  

Julie Ebin of the Fenway Institute in Boston emphasized at the end of the session that there are plenty of studies already done that just need to be mined for information regarding health impacts on bisexual men and women.  But we do need to get funding for qualified people to engage in that search.  

WHEW!  That's just the first morning session and not even half the statistics presented.  This will definitely need an update once I get more material in print to confirm my notes.  More is coming on the other sessions through the day, but I am also leaving now to see the rest of the LGBTI Health Summit.  

Stay tuned!