Julia E. Heck ^1*, Randall L. Sell ¹, Sherri Sheinfeld Gorin ²

¹ Columbia University
² Teachers College of Columbia University

^* To whom correspondence should be addressed. E-mail: jeh61{at}columbia.edu.

	Abstract

Objectives. We used data from the National Health Interview Survey to compare health care access among individuals involved in same-sex versus oppositesex relationships.

Methods. We conducted descriptive and logistic regression analyses from pooled data on 614 individuals in same-sex relationships and 93 418 individuals in opposite-sex relationships.

Results.Women in same-sex relationships (adjusted odds ratio [OR]=0.60; 95% confidence interval [CI]=0.39, 0.92) were significantly less likely than women in opposite- sex relationships to have health insurance coverage, to have seen a medical provider in the previous 12 months (OR=0.66; 95% CI=0.46, 0.95), and to have a usual source of health care (OR=0.50; 95% CI=0.35, 0.71); they were more likely to have unmet medical needs as a result of cost issues (OR=1.85; 95% CI=1.16, 2.96). In contrast, health care access among men in same-sex relationships was equivalent to or greater than that among men in opposite-sex relationships.

Conclusions. In this study involving a nationwide probability sample, we found some important differences in access to health care between individuals in same-sex and opposite-sex relationships, particularly women.

Key Words: Insurance, Access to Care, Lesbian/Gay/Bisexual/Transgender Persons