Research Letter: Health Status and Health Care Access Among Lesbian, Gay, and Bisexual Adults in the US, 2013 to 2018 

A previous analysis identified health disparities among US adults who are lesbian, gay, or bisexual (LGB) using data from the 2013 to 2014 National Health Interview Survey (NHIS). Since then, there have been substantial policy, legislative (eg, Obergefell vs Hodges), and sociocultural shifts that may have differentially affected sexual minority subgroups by recognizing the constitutional right to marriage equality, expanding state-level protections for LGB populations, and increasing public support for LGB-related issues.  

This study sought to evaluate whether and how health status and health care access have changed from 2013 through 2018 among US adults who identify as LGB, and how these changes compare with those experienced by their heterosexual counterparts during the same time period.  

The findings of this nationally representative study indicate that differences in health status and health care access between sexual minorities and their heterosexual counterparts did not change from 2013 through 2018. The persistence of these inequities highlights the need for renewed action at the policy, legislative, sociocultural, and health system levels. 

Link to Research Letter: Health Status and Health Care Access Among Lesbian, Gay, and Bisexual Adults in the US, 2013 to 2018