The Washington Blade - February 9, 2001
Kara Fox
The study, Sexual Risk in Lesbians and Bisexual Women, published in the December 2000 Journal of the Gay and Lesbian Medical Association, showed that Lesbians were more likely to have a single sexual partner than bisexual women and bisexual women were more likely to report a history of STDs. Also, significantly more bisexual women in the study reported condom use, women with multiple partners were more likely to consider themselves at risk for HIV and STDs, and having unprotected sex or male partners was not associated with an increased risk perception.
Twenty-six percent of the respondents reported they had been diagnosed with at least one STD during their lifetime. The most commonly reported STDs were crabs, genital warts, chlamydia, and herpes.
Overall, 85 percent reported having unprotected sex with a female partner one to eight times a month, on average, and 8 percent reported having unprotected sex with a male partner one or more times a month. Only 21 percent of respondents reported ever having suggested the use of safer sex to their sexual partners. Lesbians were less likely than bisexual women to suggest safer sex.
Six percent reported having exchanged sex for drugs in their lifetime, and 5 percent reported having exchanged sex for money in their lifetime.
Eighty-four percent believed they were at a zero risk of HIV or STD infection through sexual activity, drug use, or other means in the previous year, and 61 percent believed they were at no risk over their lifetime. Of the 53 percent who reported having been tested for HIV antibodies at least once in their lifetime, only two reported that they were HIV-positive. Nine percent of women who reported not having been tested for HIV antibodies stated that they had not done so because they were "afraid [they] might be HIV-positive and [didn't] really want to know."
The authors of the study wrote: "Most importantly, this study not only confirms that Lesbian and bisexual women engaged in sexual behaviors traditionally accepted as risky by the prevention community, but also engaged in high frequencies of sexual risk behaviors that, although not proven vehicles of HIV transmission, could potentially bring the AIDS epidemic into a low prevalence community."
The study used 504 self-identified Lesbian and bisexual women who completed anonymous self-administered questionnaires at three music festivals in Michigan during the summer of 1993, in HIV/STD service organizations, and at women's collectives. Eighty-seven percent self-identified as Lesbian, whereas 13 percent self-identified as bisexual. The average age of respondents was 35, with a range of 19-84 years old. Most were high school graduates, with 83 percent having some college or technical training or a postgraduate degree. Eighty-five percent self-identified as Euro-American/white, 6 percent identified as bi/multiracial, 4 percent as Jewish, 2 percent as Latina/Hispanic, 1 percent as African American, and 1 percent as Native-American. Ninety-five percent of the respondents lived in the United States, with women from more than 33 states and Canada participating in the study.
010209
WB010204
Copyright © 2001 - The Washington Blade. All rights reserved. Republication or redistribution of The Washington Blade content is expressly prohibited without the prior written consent of the Blade. The Washington Blade shall not be liable for any errors or delays in the content, or for any actions taken in reliance thereon. The Washington Blade.
AEGiS is a 501(c)3, not-for-profit, tax-exempt, educational corporation. AEGiS is made possible through unrestricted funding from Boehringer Ingelheim, Bridgestone/Firestone Charitable Trust, Elton John AIDS Foundation UK, the National Library of Medicine, AIDS Walk of Orange County, and donations from users like you.
Always watch for outdated information. This article first appeared in 2001. This material is designed to support, not replace, the relationship that exists between you and your doctor.
AEGiS presents published material, reprinted with permission and neither endorses nor opposes any material. All information contained on this website, including information relating to health conditions, products, and treatments, is for informational purposes only. It is often presented in summary or aggregate form. It is not meant to be a substitute for the advice provided by your own physician or other medical professionals. Always discuss treatment options with a doctor who specializes in treating HIV.
Copyright ©1980, 2001. AEGiS. All materials appearing on AEGiS are protected by copyright as a collective work or compilation under U.S. copyright and other laws and are the property of AEGiS, or the party credited as the provider of the content. .