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from Medical Issues
Australian Study Surveys Lives Of
Gay, Bisexual, Transgendered Individuals
April 5, 2006 -
The Australian Research Centre in Sex, Health & Society has just published
"Private Lives: A report on the health and wellbeing of GLBTI Australians."
The study is said to be the largest of its kind to date, which included
surveying 5,500 gay, lesbian, bisexual and transgender individuals on their
lifestyles and mental health.
Participants were recruited through a variety of online resources, including a
"Private Lives" forum. A request for candidates posted on January 1, 2005 stated
that the survey would "help guide the implementation of services that are more
relevant and appropriate to the individuals within it. Your input thereby has
the potential to influence the scope of what the public health sector has to
offer the queer community and to modify the way health professionals interact
with individuals within that community. The data will be analysed and results
published in a widely distributed report which will also be online at the survey
site."
Of those sampled, 63% were male; 35% were female; 100 were transgendered and 18
were intersexed individuals. Among males, 83% identified as gay; 9% identified
as bisexual; 3% did not use an identity label and 2% identified as queer. Of the
women surveyed, 49% identified as lesbians; 14% as gay women; 12% as bisexual;
7% did not use a label; 7% identified as dyke; and 6% as queer.
More than 70% of those surveyed had no religious preference; 8% were Catholic;
6% Protestant; and 3% were Buddhists.
More than half of the men surveyed were not in a relationship with anyone; 60%
of the women were in a relationship. The study noted that 5% of the men and 8%
of the women were involved with opposite sex partners. "Only a very small
percentage of men and women (between 5-10%) reported formalizing the
relationship with a marriage or commitment ceremony, while most others had no
wish to do so," according to the report.
Depression, Abusive Partnerships, Drug Use And STDs
The report found that 33% of the respondents reported having been in an abusive
relationship with a same-sex partner. This included verbal or physical abuse.
The abusive relationships were higher for women than for men, but was highest
for transgendered males.
Drug use was higher than among the general population. Marijuana, esctasy, speed
and crystal were the drugs most often used.
Forty percent of the males reported having pubic lice; one in five reported
gonorrhea and more than one in ten men reported other STDs. Eight percent of the
males were HIV positive. Females also contracted genital warts, chlamydia,
herpes, candidiasis, urinary tract infections, vaginitis, PID and triochomonas.
The report also found high rates of depression and suicidal ideation. Of those
surveyed, 15.7% "indicated suicidal ideation (thoughts) in the two weeks prior
to completing the survey. Depressive disorder was high: 48.6% for men and 44.4%
of women scored at least one of the two criteria for a major depressive episode
(MDE).
Sexual Behaviors
Two thirds of the men surveyed said they had engaged in casual sex in the past
six months. Of those, 39.9% did not use a condom.
Six percent of the men had paid for sex in the past 12 months and 5% had
received payment for sex.
Lesbians report a range of sexual practices: 57.6% reported receiving oral sex;
59.6% reported giving oral sex; and other explicit sex practices are listed.
The full text of this study is available here: Private Lives.
Additional Reading: Clinical/Therapeutic Issues.
Updated: 8 February 2008
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