PRESS-NEWS.org - Press Release Distribution
PRESS RELEASES DISTRIBUTION

Considerable gender, racial and sexuality differences in attitudes toward bisexuality

2013-11-05
(Press-News.org) Contact information: Allison Hydzik
hydzikam@upmc.edu
412-647-9975
University of Pittsburgh Schools of the Health Sciences
Considerable gender, racial and sexuality differences in attitudes toward bisexuality

BOSTON, Nov. 5, 2013 – Men who identify themselves as heterosexual are three times more likely to categorize bisexuality as "not a legitimate sexual orientation," an attitude that can encourage negative health outcomes in people who identify as bisexual, according to an analysis led by University of Pittsburgh Graduate School of Public Health researcher Mackey Friedman, Ph.D., M.P.H.

The results of the survey, sponsored by the Indiana University Bloomington, will be presented today at the American Public Health Association's 141st Annual Meeting & Exposition in Boston.

"Bisexual men and women face prejudice, stigma and discrimination from both heterosexual and homosexual people," said Dr. Friedman, director of Project Silk, an HIV prevention initiative. "This can cause feelings of isolation and marginalization, which prior research has shown leads to higher substance use, depression and risky sexual behavior. It also can result in lower rates of HIV testing and treatment."

Building on previous work assessing attitudes toward bisexual men and women, Dr. Friedman and his colleagues surveyed hundreds of adult college students for words that come to mind in relation to bisexual people, such as "confused," "different" and "experimental." The researchers then developed a 33-question survey and administered it to an online sample of 1,500 adults.

Overall, respondents were generally negative in terms of their attitudes toward bisexual men and women, with almost 15 percent of the sample in disagreement that bisexuality is a legitimate sexual orientation. However, women, white people and people who identified themselves as lesbian, gay or bisexual had less bias and prejudice against bisexual people. Of note, respondents who identified as gay or lesbian responded significantly less positively toward bisexuality than those identifying as bisexual, indicating that even within the sexual minority community, bisexuals face profound stigma. In addition, these findings indicate that male bisexuals likely suffer more stigma than female bisexuals.

Dr. Friedman explains that when a bisexual person perceives that his or her sexual orientation is not recognized by peers, it can cause the person to feel socially isolated and unable to talk openly with friends, family and school mates.

"Having hard data to back up why a bisexual person might feel the need to be secretive about sexual orientation, something that can lead to higher depression and many other negative health outcomes, is very useful to people trying to fight stigma and marginalization," said Dr. Friedman. "For example, this information can guide social marketing interventions and outreach to reduce that stigma, and improve rates of HIV prevention, testing and treatment within the bisexual community."

INFORMATION:

Additional collaborators on this research are Brian Dodge, Ph.D., Vanessa Schick, Ph.D., Gabriel Goncalves, B.S., Debby Herbenick, Ph.D., M.P.H., Randolph D. Hubach, M.P.H., and Michael Reece, Ph.D., all of the Center for Sexual Health Promotion at Indiana University Bloomington.

About the University of Pittsburgh Graduate School of Public Health

The University of Pittsburgh Graduate School of Public Health, founded in 1948 and now one of the top-ranked schools of public health in the United States, conducts research on public health and medical care that improves the lives of millions of people around the world. Pitt Public Health is a leader in devising new methods to prevent and treat cardiovascular diseases, HIV/AIDS, cancer and other important public health problems. For more information about Pitt Public Health, visit the school's Web site at http://www.publichealth.pitt.edu. http://www.upmc.com/media



ELSE PRESS RELEASES FROM THIS DATE:

Microbes in the gut help determine risk of tumors

2013-11-05
Microbes in the gut help determine risk of tumors Transferring the gut microbes from a mouse with colon tumors to germ-free mice makes those mice prone to getting tumors as well, according to the results of a study published in mBio®, the online open-access ...

Study: Access to health care increases prescription opioid availability and associated abuse

2013-11-05
Study: Access to health care increases prescription opioid availability and associated abuse BOSTON -- Researchers at Indiana University-Purdue University Indianapolis say one way to gauge the extent of prescription opioid pain reliever abuse in any Indiana county ...

Study: Higher rates of diabetes, hypertension, heart disease and stroke found in food desert

2013-11-05
Study: Higher rates of diabetes, hypertension, heart disease and stroke found in food desert BOSTON -- There is more to the cost of living in a food desert than higher prices for the few fruits and vegetables sold nearby, according to a study by an Indiana University-Purdue ...

US citizenship increases women's odds of receiving mammograms, cancer tests

2013-11-05
US citizenship increases women's odds of receiving mammograms, cancer tests Citizenship, particularly for non-U.S. natives, largely determines a woman's odds of having a mammogram and being screened for cervical and colorectal cancer, according to researchers at Penn State. The ...

Bad boys: Research predicts whether boys will grow out of it -- or not

2013-11-05
Bad boys: Research predicts whether boys will grow out of it -- or not ANN ARBOR --- Using the hi-tech tools of a new field called neurogenetics and a few simple questions for parents, a University of Michigan researcher is beginning to understand which boys are ...

Video: Knife-wielding robot trains for grocery checkout job using new coactive learning technique

2013-11-05
Video: Knife-wielding robot trains for grocery checkout job using new coactive learning technique ITHACA, N.Y. – Cornell University engineers have taught a robot to work in a mock-supermarket checkout line, modifying a Baxter robot from Rethink Robotics in Boston to "coactively ...

CTCA doctor presents studies at World Conference on Lung Cancer in Australia

2013-11-04
CTCA doctor presents studies at World Conference on Lung Cancer in Australia New clinical research on lung cancer being introduced to the medical community GOODYEAR, AZ – October 30th 2013 – Glen J. Weiss, MD, Director of Clinical Research, ...

ASU researchers discover new path to address genetic muscular diseases

2013-11-04
ASU researchers discover new path to address genetic muscular diseases Scientists find that key gene activates muscle growth TEMPE, Ariz. – For decades, scientists have searched for treatments for myopathies — genetic muscular diseases such as muscular dystrophy ...

California receives 'A' grade on Preterm Birth Report Card

2013-11-04
California receives 'A' grade on Preterm Birth Report Card Grades released in conjunction with World Prematurity Awareness Month

Studies show wide support for school-based health centers

2013-11-04
Studies show wide support for school-based health centers Parents and students surveyed responded positively AURORA, Colo. (Nov. 3, 2013) – Two new studies show that parents and students have highly positive views of school-based health centers (SBHCs) and ...

LAST 30 PRESS RELEASES:

Obesity treatment risks becoming a ‘two-tier system’, researchers warn

Researchers discuss gaps, obstacles and solutions for contraception

Disrupted connectivity of the brainstem ascending reticular activating system nuclei-left parahippocampal gyrus could reveal mechanisms of delirium following basal ganglia intracerebral hemorrhage

Federated metadata-constrained iRadonMAP framework with mutual learning for all-in-one computed tomography imaging

‘Frazzled’ fruit flies help unravel how neural circuits stay wired

Improving care for life-threatening blood clots

Yonsei University develops a new era of high-voltage solid-state batteries

Underweight and unbalanced: Gut microbial diversity in underweight Japanese women

Astringent, sharper mind: Flavanols trigger brain activity for memory and stress response

New editorial urges clinicians to address sex-based disparities in sepsis treatment

Researchers at MIT develop new nanoparticles that stimulate the immune system to attack ovarian tumors

Opening the door to a vaccine for multiple childhood infections

New clue to ALS and FTD: Faulty protein disrupts brain’s ‘brake’ system

Detailed map of US air-conditioning usage shows who can beat the heat — and who can’t

An electronic fiber for stretchable sensing

New image captures spooky bat signal in the sky

Cobalt single atom-phosphate functionalized reduced graphene oxide/perylenetetracarboxylic acid nanosheet heterojunctions for efficiently photocatalytic H2O2 production

World-first study shows Australian marsupials contaminated with harmful ‘forever chemicals’

Unlocking the brain’s hidden drainage system

Enhancing smoking cessation treatment for people living with HIV

Research spotlight: Mapping how gut neurons respond to bacteria, parasites and food allergy

Gordon and Betty Moore Foundation Experimental Physics Investigators awards to UCSB experimentalists opens the door to new insights and innovations

Meerkats get health benefit from mob membership

COVID-19 during pregnancy linked to higher risk of neurodevelopmental disorders in children

How a chorus of synchronized frequencies helps you digest your food

UAlbany researcher partners on $1.2 million NSF grant to explore tropical monsoon rainfall patterns

Checkup time for Fido? Wait might be longer in the country

Genetic variation impact scores: A new tool for earlier heart disease detection

The Lundquist Institute awarded $9 million to launch Community Center of Excellence for Regenerative Medicine

'Really bizarre and exciting': The quantum oscillations are coming from inside

[Press-News.org] Considerable gender, racial and sexuality differences in attitudes toward bisexuality