Prioritizing Bisexual Health: Awareness, Challenges & Resources
💜 March is Bisexual Health Awareness Month 💜—a time to shed light on the unique health disparities faced by bi+ individuals and advocate for inclusive, affirming, and equitable healthcare.
Bisexual people make up over 50% of the LGBTQ+ community, yet they experience some of the worst health outcomes due to stigma, discrimination, and lack of proper medical care. From mental health struggles to higher rates of chronic illness, bisexual individuals often fall through the cracks of a healthcare system that doesn’t always acknowledge their specific needs.
So, let’s talk about what bisexual health challenges exist, why they happen, and how we can push for change.
Healthcare should be inclusive, affirming, and free from stigma. If you’re bi+, you deserve care that respects your full identity.
Understanding Bisexual Health Disparities
While healthcare discrimination affects many LGBTQ+ people, bisexual individuals face unique barriers to care. This is largely due to bisexual erasure, meaning bi+ identities are often ignored, dismissed, or misunderstood—even by healthcare providers.
📌 Higher Rates of Mental Health Struggles
Bi+ people experience higher rates of depression and anxiety than both straight and gay individuals.
This is due to biphobia, isolation, and lack of community acceptance.
Many bisexual people feel invisible or invalidated—even within LGBTQ+ spaces.
📌 Barriers to Sexual & Reproductive Health
Bisexual women are less likely to receive regular sexual health screenings.
Many providers assume their patients are exclusively straight or gay, leading to misinformation and missed screenings.
Bi+ individuals have higher rates of STIs, unintended pregnancies, and inadequate access to PrEP.
📌 Increased Risk of Chronic Illness
Studies show bisexual adults have higher rates of obesity, heart disease, and chronic pain.
Bi+ individuals are also less likely to seek preventative care, often due to fear of discrimination or past negative experiences with providers.
📌 Higher Rates of Intimate Partner Violence (IPV)
Bisexual people, especially bi+ women and nonbinary folx, experience higher rates of domestic violence than both straight and gay individuals.
Many IPV resources don’t include bisexual experiences, making it harder to seek support.
Why Do These Health Disparities Exist?
🚫 Bisexual Erasure in Medicine – Many healthcare providers assume patients are either straight or gay, leading to inaccurate screenings, assumptions, and lack of proper care.
🚫 Fear of Discrimination – Bi+ patients often avoid medical care due to past negative experiences, including judgment from providers.
🚫 Lack of Research – Most LGBTQ+ health studies focus on gay and lesbian populations, meaning bisexual-specific data is lacking—which impacts funding and care options.
🚫 Mental Health Stigma – The combination of biphobia, invisibility, and rejection from both straight and queer communities leads to higher rates of mental health struggles.
How Can We Improve Bisexual Health?
✅ 1. Advocate for Bi-Inclusive Healthcare
Ask medical professionals about their LGBTQ+ competency before making an appointment.
Support clinics that prioritize LGBTQ+ health (like community health centers).
Push for more research on bisexual health disparities.
✅ 2. Normalize Conversations About Bi+ Identities in Healthcare
Bi+ patients should feel safe disclosing their sexual orientation without fear of judgment.
Healthcare providers should be trained to ask inclusive questions and recognize bisexual health risks.
✅ 3. Increase Access to Mental Health Services
More bi+ affirming therapy and crisis support is needed.
Suicide prevention resources must specifically address bi+ individuals, who are at greater risk.
✅ 4. Prioritize Bi+ Sexual & Reproductive Health
Healthcare providers should offer comprehensive STI screenings to all bi+ patients—regardless of gender or partner history.
PrEP and safer sex resources should be made more accessible and inclusive.
✅ 5. Challenge Biphobia & Erasure
Call out bisexual erasure in medical spaces, workplaces, and social settings.
Support organizations working on bisexual health equity.
Believe and validate bisexual identities—bisexuality is real, and bi+ people deserve care and respect.
Resources for Bisexual Health Support
💜 LGBTQ+ Health & Advocacy Organizations
Bi Resource Center: www.biresource.org
GLMA: Health Professionals Advancing LGBTQ+ Equality: www.glma.org
Fenway Health: www.fenwayhealth.org
💙 Mental Health & Support
Trans Lifeline: www.translifeline.org
The Trevor Project: www.thetrevorproject.org
💖 Sexual & Reproductive Health
Planned Parenthood: www.plannedparenthood.org
Guttmacher Institute:www.guttmacher.org
Final Thoughts: Bisexual People Deserve Healthcare That Sees Them
Bisexual Health Awareness Month reminds us that healthcare should be inclusive, affirming, and free from stigma. If you’re bi+, you deserve care that respects your full identity. If you’re a provider, friend, or ally—be part of the change.
💜 To all our bi+ community members: You are real. You are valid. You are worthy of care. 💜
True U Clinic is an online hormone therapy clinic that provides safe and medically supervised hormone therapy to the trans and non-binary community. We utilize modern day technology and the most up-to-date clinical practices. Our goal is to provide this service at an accessible price, all while treating our clients with compassion and respect.
We are dedicated to providing a personalized experience and high-quality care through the convenience of virtual care. Get started with care for exactly who you are, wherever you are, today!
