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This Article Full Text Full Text (PDF) All Versions of this Article: AJPH.2008.133801v1 99/1/133    most recent Submit a response View Shopping Cart Alert me when this article is cited Alert me when eLetters are posted Alert me if a correction is posted Services Similar articles in this journal Similar articles in PubMed Alert me to new issues of the journal Download to citation manager Citing Articles Citing Articles via Google Scholar Google Scholar Articles by Frisch, M. Articles by Brønnum-Hansen, H. Search for Related Content PubMed PubMed Citation Articles by Frisch, M. Articles by Brønnum-Hansen, H. Related Collections Epidemiology Lesbian/Gay/Bisexual/Transgender Persons Mortality

Morten Frisch, MD, PhD, DSc(Med) and Henrik Brønnum-Hansen, MSc

Morten Frisch is with the Department of Epidemiology Research, Statens Serum Institut, Copenhagen, Denmark. Henrik Brønnum-Hansen is with the National Institute of Public Health, University of Southern Denmark, Copenhagen.

Correspondence: Reprint requests should be sent to Morten Frisch, MD, PhD, DSc(Med), Department of Epidemiology Research, Statens Serum Institut, 5 Artillerivej, DK-2300 Copenhagen S, Denmark (e-mail: mfr{at}ssi.dk).

Objectives. We studied overall mortality in a demographically defined, complete cohort of gay men and lesbians to address recent claims of markedly shorter life spans among homosexual persons.

Methods. We calculated standardized mortality ratios (SMRs) starting 1 year after the date of same-sex marriage for 4914 men and 3419 women in Denmark who married a same-sex partner between 1989 and 2004.

Results. Mortality was markedly increased in the first decade after same-sex marriage for men who married between 1989 and 1995 (SMR = 2.25; 95% confidence interval [CI] = 2.01, 2.50), but much less so for men who married after 1995, when efficient HIV/AIDS therapies were available (SMR = 1.33; 95% CI = 1.04, 1.68). For women who married their same-sex partner between 1989 and 2004, mortality was 34% higher than was mortality in the general female population (SMR = 1.34; 95% CI = 1.09, 1.63). For women, and for men marrying after 1995, the significant excess mortality was limited to the period 1 to 3 years after the marriage.

Conclusions. Despite recent marked reduction in mortality among gay men, Danish men and women in same-sex marriages still have mortality rates that exceed those of the general population. The excess mortality is restricted to the first few years after a marriage, presumably reflecting preexisting illness at the time of marriage. Although further study is needed, the claims of drastically increased overall mortality in gay men and lesbians appear unjustified.