March is Bisexual Health Awareness Month! This month was created by the Bisexual Resource Center (BRC). This year’s theme focuses on connection. Connection between people who share a bisexual identity is important for both individual and community acceptance. Building community connections supports mental health, which in turn benefits bisexual people’s physical and overall health!
Raising awareness surrounding the unique health challenges faced by bisexual people is crucial. While bisexual people reportedly make up more than half of the LGBTQ+ community, they often are not addressed explicitly in many studies that focus on health and wellness for LGBTQ+ people.
For bisexual older adults, there’s an added layer of invisibility. Bisexual older adults face unique health disparities compared to their heterosexual and lesbian and gay counterparts, including overall poorer health, less income, and more social isolation.
While this may seem very doom and gloom, fear not! The study that identified the health disparities for bisexual older adults also found that bisexual elders who had a strong sense of community had fewer health risk factors and greater satisfaction with their health. The research community as a whole is paying more attention to the unique needs of bisexual people too.
For more information about Bisexual Health Awareness Month and to find some more resources, check out this article from the Movement Advancement Project!