Data Shows Health Disparities Experienced among LGBT Community and Straight Counterparts

The Office of Minority Health at the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services (CMS OMH) posted online national data – for the first time ever - exploring differences in 15 health characteristics between adults 65 years of age or older (older adults) who self-identify as lesbian, gay, or bisexual (sexual minority), and older adults who identify as heterosexual or straight (sexual majority).

This data present estimates using data from two years of the National Health Interview Survey (NHIS 2013-2014) conducted by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), National Center for Health Statistics (NCHS) showing statistically significant differences for several health characteristics between sexual minority and sexual majority respondents.