Health Policy Research Brief March 2011
The Health of Aging Lesbian, Gay and Bisexual Adults in California Steven P. Wallace, Susan D. Cochran, Eva M. Durazo, Chandra L. Ford
S U M M A R Y : Research on the health of lesbian, gay and bisexual (LGB) adults generally overlooks the chronic conditions that are the most common health concerns of older adults. This brief presents unique population-level data on aging LGB adults (ages 50-70) documenting that they have higher rates of several serious chronic physical and mental health conditions compared to similar heterosexual adults. Although access to care appears similar for
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The number of LGB older adults will double in the next 20 years.
he number of adults age 65 and over in both California and the nation will double over the next 30 years as the baby boom generation ages. The nation’s older LGB population will increase even more, with estimates of 1.5 million LGB adults age 65 and older increasing to three million by 2030.1 Chronic health problems that are common among the elderly often start before age 65, with the prevalence of chronic and life-threatening health conditions increasing significantly starting in their fifties. The health of adults ages 50-70, therefore, foreshadows the health profile of the upcoming generation of older adults.
In California, an estimated 170,000 adults ages 50-70 (2.3%) identified as lesbian, gay or bisexual in 2007.2 Data from the 2003, 2005 and 2007 California Health Interview
aging LGB and heterosexual adults, aging LGB adults generally have higher levels of mental health services use and lesbian/bisexual women report greater delays in getting needed care. These data indicate a need for general health care and aging services to develop programs targeted to the specific needs of aging LGB adults, and for LGB-specific programs to increase attention to the chronic conditions that are common among all older adults.
Surveys show that aging LGB adults exhibit higher rates of diabetes, hypertension, poor mental health, physical disability and fair/poor self-assessed health compared to demographically similar aging heterosexual adults. Health differences are most common for men. Overall, aging LGB and heterosexual adults access health care services at similar rates; similar proportions have a usual source of care and actually obtain health care when it is needed. This policy brief provides the first data published on aging LGB adults that are based on a large statewide population. Knowing the patterns of health and health care of the aging LGB population in California is critical for improving state policy and practice to better address the needs of this group, and offers insights regarding trends that may be impacting the aging LGB population nationally.
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