Advocating for Bisexual Health: How You Can Get Involved

Bisexual health advocacy plays a crucial role in ensuring that bisexual individuals have access to the care, resources, and support they need to live healthy, fulfilling lives. Bisexual people often face unique health challenges due to stigma, discrimination, and erasure - both within the LGBTQIA+ community and society at large. These challenges can lead to disparities in mental health, sexual health, and overall well-being.

In this blog, we’ll explore why advocating for bisexual health is essential, the specific barriers that bisexual individuals face, and how you can get involved in making a positive impact. Whether you're a bisexual person seeking support or an ally looking to stand up for bisexual rights, we all have a role to play in creating a more inclusive and health-conscious world.

Why Bisexual Health Advocacy Matters

Addressing Health Disparities

Studies have shown that bisexual individuals often experience poorer health outcomes than their heterosexual and gay counterparts. These disparities include:

• Mental Health Challenges: Bisexual people are at higher risk for anxiety, depression, and suicide compared to their heterosexual and gay peers. The stress of navigating biphobia, erasure, and discrimination contributes to these elevated mental health concerns.

• Higher Rates of STIs: Bisexual individuals, especially those in heterosexual relationships, often face a higher risk of sexually transmitted infections due to limited access to inclusive sexual health services or misconceptions about their sexual behavior.

• Discrimination in Healthcare: Bisexual individuals may face biphobia or a lack of understanding from healthcare providers, making it harder to access proper care and receive the appropriate resources for their health needs.

Advocacy is key to reducing these disparities by raising awareness and fighting for systemic changes in healthcare practices, policy, and research. This includes pushing for more inclusive healthcare systems and ensuring that bisexual individuals receive the proper care they need without facing discrimination.

Combating Biphobia and Stigma

Biphobia - both within the LGBTQIA+ community and mainstream society - often leads to the erasure of bisexual identities. This can have a detrimental effect on mental and emotional health.

Bisexual individuals may experience:

• Invalidation of Their Identity: Being told they are “just going through a phase” or “really gay/straight” rather than being recognized for their unique bisexual identity. This invalidation can be damaging to a person's sense of self-worth and identity.

• Double Discrimination: Facing stigma from both straight and LGBTQIA+ spaces, leading to a sense of isolation, lack of community support, and emotional strain. This double rejection makes it harder for bisexual individuals to find solidarity and acceptance.

Advocacy for bisexual health means not only fighting for access to medical care but also working to combat these harmful stereotypes and foster an inclusive, affirming environment. This involves both promoting positive bisexual representation and standing up against biphobic comments or behaviors in both LGBTQIA+ and mainstream communities.

By engaging in advocacy, we can help create an environment where bisexual individuals feel valued, understood, and supported, both in their healthcare needs and within society at large.

The Barriers Bisexual People Face in Health Care

Lack of Research and Representation

Historically, bisexual individuals have been underrepresented in medical research, which often focuses on either heterosexual or gay/lesbian populations. This lack of representation means that bisexual-specific health needs and concerns may go unaddressed.

• Limited Research: There is a significant lack of studies focused on bisexuality and its impact on health, making it difficult to develop evidence-based interventions. As a result, many bisexual people are left without medical advice tailored to their specific needs.

• Mental Health Resources: Bisexual individuals often struggle to find mental health support tailored to their experiences, such as navigating internalized biphobia, facing rejection from both LGBTQIA+ and heterosexual communities, or dealing with biphobic discrimination. Without resources that address these issues, many bisexual people feel isolated in their mental health journeys.

Advocating for bisexual health means calling for more research and representation to ensure that bisexual people’s health needs are acknowledged and addressed. We need more studies focused on the intersectionality of bisexuality and health so that interventions can be tailored to this often overlooked community.

Invisibility in Health Policies

Healthcare policies often overlook the bisexual community. Many policies are designed with a binary view of sexual orientation, leaving bisexual individuals without the protections and support they need.

For example:

• Sexual Health Services: Bisexual people may not have access to specialized sexual health services, or they may be assumed to be exclusively in heterosexual or same-sex (monosexual) relationships. This lack of inclusive care can result in missed opportunities for proper sexual health screenings, preventative measures, and education tailored to bisexual needs.

• Mental Health Support: Mental health resources often do not address the unique challenges faced by bisexual individuals, such as managing relationships with both heterosexual and LGBTQIA+ partners, or coping with the unique stressors of biphobia and erasure. Many existing resources are designed with a limited understanding of bisexuality, making it difficult for bisexual individuals to find support that validates their experience.

Advocacy is essential to ensure that health policies are inclusive of bisexual people and address their unique needs. By pushing for more inclusive frameworks and promoting policies that recognize bisexuality as a valid identity, we can help ensure that bisexual people receive the care, support, and resources they need for better health outcomes.

How You Can Get Involved in Bisexual Health Advocacy

Educate Yourself and Others

The first step in advocating for bisexual health is understanding the issues and challenges faced by the bisexual community.

• Learn About Biphobia: Familiarize yourself with the ways biphobia manifests in healthcare and society. This includes recognizing subtle forms of discrimination that bisexual individuals face, such as being dismissed by healthcare providers or facing invalidation of their identity.

• Stay Informed on Bisexual Health Needs: Read articles, research papers, and books that discuss bisexual health issues, including mental health, sexual health, and overall well-being. Understanding the unique needs of bisexual individuals, such as the higher rates of mental health challenges and the lack of tailored sexual health resources, is crucial for effective advocacy.

• Share Your Knowledge: Use your platform, whether it’s social media, in-person conversations, or community events, to educate others about bisexual health and why it matters. The more people know about the unique challenges bisexual individuals face, the greater the chance for collective action and change.

  
  

Support Bisexual Health Organizations

Several organizations focus on promoting bisexual health and fighting biphobia in healthcare systems. Support these organizations through:

• Donations: Consider donating to nonprofits that advocate for bisexual health and rights. Your contribution helps fund crucial research, support services, and advocacy efforts for bisexual individuals.

• Volunteering: Many organizations need volunteers to help with outreach, events, and educational campaigns. Your time and effort can make a tangible difference in raising awareness about bisexual health issues.

• Partnerships: Businesses and groups can partner with these organizations to provide resources, training, and support for bisexual individuals. Forming partnerships helps amplify the impact of advocacy work by reaching wider audiences and influencing policy.

Some key organizations to support include:

• The Bisexual Resource Center

• Bi Pride UK

• The Trevor Project (provides mental health resources for LGBTQIA+ youth)

Advocate for Policy Change

You can help create change by advocating for bisexual health at the policy level. This might include:

• Lobbying for Inclusive Policies: Advocate for healthcare policies that specifically address the needs of bisexual individuals, including access to mental health care, sexual health services, and gender-affirming care. Advocate for laws that eliminate biphobia from healthcare settings, ensuring that bisexual individuals receive the support and care they deserve.

• Engage in Legislation: Support lawmakers who prioritize LGBTQIA+ issues and work to eliminate discrimination against bisexual people in health care. Hold your representatives accountable for advancing policies that support the health and well-being of bisexual individuals.

• Write Letters or Petitions: Write to local representatives to voice concerns about the lack of bisexual representation in healthcare policies or research funding. Encouraging others to join these efforts can make a significant impact in raising awareness of bisexual health needs.

Create Safe Spaces for Bisexual People

Creating and supporting safe spaces where bisexual individuals can discuss their health needs and experiences is an essential part of advocacy.

• Host Support Groups: If you work in healthcare or community outreach, consider organizing bisexual-focused support groups or workshops. Providing spaces where bisexual individuals can share their experiences with health challenges creates a sense of solidarity and validation.

• Provide LGBTQIA+-Inclusive Services: If you work in healthcare, ensure your services are LGBTQIA+-affirming and consider adding training for your staff on how to better serve bisexual clients. This helps eliminate the stigma and discrimination bisexual people often face when accessing healthcare services.

Share Personal Stories

If you’re comfortable, sharing personal stories of your experiences with bisexual health can raise awareness and create more understanding. These stories can:

• Help Others Feel Seen: Personal stories validate others who may feel isolated or invisible in their health struggles. When individuals see themselves reflected in others' experiences, they feel empowered to seek support and advocate for their own well-being.

• Start Conversations: Talking openly about bisexual health challenges helps break the silence around issues like biphobia, mental health, and the need for better healthcare resources. Sharing stories is a powerful way to challenge stereotypes and encourage empathy and understanding.

Final Thoughts: Why Your Advocacy Matters

Advocating for bisexual health is not just about raising awareness; it’s about creating tangible, meaningful change in the lives of bisexual individuals. Every step we take towards ensuring that bisexual people have access to equitable healthcare, the support they need, and a culture of respect and affirmation, helps break down the barriers they face. By championing bisexual health initiatives, advocating for inclusive policies, and challenging harmful stereotypes, we can reduce health disparities and enhance the quality of care for bisexual individuals.

Whether you’re an ally, a healthcare professional, or a bisexual individual, your voice, actions, and commitment to advocacy are vital in fostering a world that is more inclusive, compassionate, and supportive of all sexual identities. The road ahead may be long, but with collective effort, we can ensure that bisexual people’s health and well-being are prioritized, celebrated, and protected.