Government Equalities Office 15 March 2019
- Using data from the National LGBT Survey 2017, this report examines differences in disclosure of sexual orientation to healthcare providers and experience of healthcare among different groups of lesbian and bisexual women.
Executive summary
Unless otherwise stated, findings relate to cisgender lesbian and bisexual women who responded to the survey. The following findings are all based on statistical models which control for socio-demographics such as age, education level, income, and region.
Disclosing sexual orientation
- Women respondents who were least likely to disclose their sexual orientation to healthcare providers were bisexual, older (aged 55+), single, with low-incomes, lower levels of education, and were living outside London.
- Lesbian women were over three times more likely (312%) to disclose their sexual orientation to healthcare providers than bisexual women.
- Amongst lesbian and bisexual women, younger (aged 16-24) and older (aged 55+) respondents were less likely to disclose their sexual orientation to a healthcare provider than women between the ages of 25 and 54 (27% less likely and 43% less likely respectively).
- Lesbian and bisexual trans women aged 55+ were 39% less likely to disclose their sexual orientation to healthcare providers than those aged 25 to 54.
Accessing and using healthcare services
Mental health services
- Women who were bisexual, younger (aged 16-24), in Wales or Northern Ireland had a harder time accessing mental health services.
- Bisexual women had less positive experiences of mental health services than lesbian women.
- Age was an important factor; younger (aged 16-24) and older (aged 55+) lesbian and bisexual women who accessed or tried to access mental health services found these services more difficult to access than those aged 25-54.
- Amongst both cisgender and trans women who had accessed or tried to access mental health services, regardless of whether they were lesbian or bisexual, the most often cited barriers were that the wait was too long, or that they were worried, anxious, or embarrassed about seeking services.
Sexual health services
- Bisexual women who accessed or attempted to access sexual health services were twice as likely to report that they were unsuccessful compared to lesbian women.
- Amongst trans women, bisexual women reported that it was easier to access sexual health services than lesbian women.
- There were regional variations in using sexual health services: for example, women in Northern Ireland found it both more difficult to access sexual health services and were less positive about the services compared to those in London.
Gender identity services
- Bisexual trans women who were from ethnic minority backgrounds reported that it was easier to access services compared to those who were white.
- Amongst lesbian and bisexual trans women, regardless of whether they tried to access gender identity services, there was the perception that gender identity services were not very easy to access.
