Study: Same-sex
marriage benefits health of gay couples

According to a recent study in Europe, same-sex marriage could boost the mental and physical health of gay couples, reports the BBC. An article published in the latest issue of the Journal of Epidemiology and Community Health was based on previous studies in other countries.

The report said that civil partnerships, which were legalized in the United Kingdom in December, are likely to reduce prejudice and social exclusion. "Civil partnerships are likely to break down some of the prejudice and promote greater understanding, including among staff working in the health service," University College London professor Michael King, who cowrote the article, told the BBC. "Legal civil partnerships could increase the stability of same-sex relationships and minimize the social exclusion to which gay and lesbian people are often subjected."

Research has shown that lesbians have a higher risk of breast cancer, heart disease, and obesity, while gay men have a higher risk of HIV, the article said. Gay people are also more likely to suffer from depression, drug abuse, and suicidal urges than heterosexual people.

But studies have shown that individuals who are in a stable relationship, whether same-sex or opposite-sex, enjoyed some health benefits. The report cited Swiss research, which showed that HIV-positive individuals in stable partnerships were more likely to progress more slowly to AIDS. Other studies have revealed that married same-sex couples have greater openness about their sexual orientation and closer relationships with their relatives than same-sex couples not in civil partnerships.

Doctors in the latest study, however, added that further research was needed to prove their findings. (Advocate.com)