The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention found that the coronavirus pandemic disproportionately affects LGBTQ Americans compared to their heterosexual peers, according to an analysis released on Thursday.
Why it matters: The report is one of the agency’s first public exams on how the coronavirus is affecting LGBTQ people, and it comes amid an information drought when advocates take the reins in data collection.
What they found: Self-reported underlying health conditions linked to severe coronavirus symptoms are more prevalent in LGBTQ people, as discrimination can increase vulnerability to the disease and limit access to health services, the agency says.
- LGBTQ people in the study reported a higher rate of asthma, cancer, heart disease, kidney disease, stroke and other conditions than heterosexual people.
- Black and Hispanic LGBTQ people are even more at risk, as people of color are more likely to be hospitalized because of the virus and die of it.
A deeper level: Supporters say LGBTQ Americans, especially young adults, face increased risks of mental health problems, homelessness and loss of income due to the pandemic.
Conclusion: “Collecting data on sexual orientation in COVID-19 surveillance and other studies would improve knowledge about disparities in infection and adverse outcomes due to sexual orientation, thereby informing more equitable responses to the pandemic, “said the agency.
Methodology: The CDC used the Behavioral Risk Factor Surveillance System (BRFSS) 2017–2019 to examine disparities in the underlying conditions between sexual minorities and heterosexual adults. BRFSS is a collection of population health surveys that gather demographic and health information from non-institutionalized United States residents aged ≥18 years.
All conditions are self-reported. The number of respondents who identified themselves as transgender or non-binary was too small for reliable estimates compared to the majority of the cisgender population.