Health Information Access Behaviors by Sexual Orientation: A Secondary Data Analysis of the National Health Interview Survey. J Homosex 2026;73(6):1530-1546
Date
07/01/2025Pubmed ID
40590754Pubmed Central ID
PMC12240472DOI
10.1080/00918369.2025.2520497Scopus ID
2-s2.0-105009542814 (requires institutional sign-in at Scopus site)Abstract
Sexual minority (SM) adults are at increased risk for adverse health outcomes and face unique barriers to engagement and retention in healthcare, including stigma and discrimination. Given known barriers to care, SM adults may prefer online platforms due to limited access to in-person clinical care and fear of discrimination. To date, there is limited knowledge of these behaviors among subgroups of SM adults. This study was a cross-sectional, secondary data analysis of the United States National Health Interview Survey (NHIS) Adult Sample Data Set, 2018. Utilizing descriptive statistics and multivariable logistic regressions, we found that bisexual females had significantly greater odds (AOR = 1.58, CI: 1.04-2.39) of seeking health information online compared to straight females. Similarly, when compared to their straight male counterparts, gay males had significantly higher odds of seeking health information online in the past 12 months (AOR = 2.96, 95% CI: 2.00-4.37). These findings indicate the need for targeting messaging and interventions to address the health concerns of these populations. It also suggests that virtual platforms are viable and perhaps preferred for these subgroups of SM adults. Through continued efforts and research, the field can target relevant health information to populations who need it most by leveraging where they seek it.
Author List
Gagnon KW, Corey SL, Gordon J, Risisky D, Coulter RWSAuthor
Kelly W. Gagnon PhD Assistant Professor in the Psychiatry and Behavioral Medicine department at Medical College of WisconsinMESH terms used to index this publication - Major topics in bold
Access to InformationAdolescent
Adult
Aged
Cross-Sectional Studies
Female
Health Surveys
Humans
Information Seeking Behavior
Male
Middle Aged
Sexual Behavior
Sexual and Gender Minorities
United States
Young Adult
