The Importance of Bisexual Health Awareness Month

Every March, Bisexual Health Awareness Month provides an important opportunity to shine a light on the unique health challenges and disparities faced by the bisexual community. As the largest group within the LGBTQIA+ spectrum, bisexual individuals often experience higher rates of physical and mental health issues compared to their heterosexual and even other LGBTQIA+ counterparts. These challenges are compounded by stigma, erasure, and a lack of tailored healthcare resources that specifically address the needs of bisexual people.

Bisexual individuals frequently face a unique set of obstacles that affect their well-being, including mental health concerns stemming from societal invalidation and invisibility. From healthcare providers who may lack understanding of bisexual-specific needs, to the emotional toll of being misunderstood or dismissed, these challenges can deeply affect the quality of life for many in the bisexual community.

This blog delves into the significance of Bisexual Health Awareness Month, exploring the unique struggles faced by bisexual individuals and the importance of providing appropriate support. We'll also discuss actionable ways to advocate for and promote the health and well-being of bisexual people, both in the healthcare system and within our communities. It's time to prioritize bisexual health, ensure inclusive care, and foster understanding so that everyone, regardless of their sexual orientation, can thrive.

Understanding Bisexual Health Awareness Month

Bisexual Health Awareness Month, launched by the Bisexual Resource Center (BRC) in 2014, serves as a dedicated time to raise awareness about the unique health challenges faced by bisexual individuals. The month aims to highlight specific health disparities, promote solutions for a healthier future, and foster a more inclusive environment for the bisexual community.

Why March?

March was chosen for Bisexual Health Awareness Month to align with various annual health awareness campaigns, helping to elevate the visibility of bisexual-specific issues during a time when discussions about equity and inclusion are at their peak. The timing offers an opportunity to focus on these critical health concerns, ensuring that bisexual individuals are not left out of broader conversations about health and well-being.

Key Themes

Each year, the Bisexual Resource Center (BRC) and other advocacy groups focus on central themes to guide discussions and initiatives for bisexual health, including:

• Mental Health Support: Bisexual individuals often face unique mental health challenges, including stigma, discrimination, and the effects of erasure. Mental health awareness and tailored support are crucial for helping individuals cope and thrive.

• Combating Bisexual Erasure: Bisexual erasure - where bisexuality is invalidated or misunderstood - is a pervasive issue. This theme emphasizes the importance of recognizing and validating bisexual identities both within the LGBTQIA+ community and society at large.

• Access to Inclusive Healthcare: Bisexual people frequently encounter healthcare systems that overlook their specific needs, often receiving less effective or inclusive care. Advocacy for equitable access to comprehensive healthcare is a core focus of Bisexual Health Awareness Month.

• Promoting Community-Building and Allyship: Strengthening the bisexual community through allyship and support is essential for fostering safe spaces and encouraging connection. Allies play a vital role in ensuring that bisexual individuals are included and uplifted in both LGBTQIA+ and wider communities.

By focusing on these key themes, Bisexual Health Awareness Month seeks to address the challenges faced by bisexual individuals and advocate for a future where they have equal access to care, understanding, and community support.

Health Disparities in the Bisexual Community

Research consistently shows that bisexual individuals face unique health challenges that are often overlooked compared to their gay, lesbian, and heterosexual peers. These disparities can have lasting impacts on both physical and mental health, making it critical to recognize and address the specific needs of the bisexual community.

Mental Health Challenges

• Higher Rates of Anxiety and Depression: Studies have found that bisexual individuals are more likely to experience anxiety and depression than their gay, lesbian, or heterosexual counterparts. This may be due to the compounded stress of dealing with discrimination from both heterosexual and LGBTQIA+ communities.

• Increased Risk of Suicidal Ideation: According to research from The Trevor Project, bisexual youth report higher rates of suicidal thoughts and behaviors compared to other LGBTQIA+ groups. The feeling of being misunderstood or rejected by both straight and LGBTQIA+ communities can exacerbate mental health struggles, particularly in young people.

Physical Health Issues

• Lower Rates of Regular Medical Care: Mistrust of healthcare systems is a significant barrier for bisexual individuals, often rooted in past experiences of stigma, erasure, or lack of understanding from healthcare providers. This mistrust can lead to missed screenings, late diagnoses, and inadequate care.

• Higher Risk of Chronic Conditions: Bisexual individuals, especially those who face heightened levels of discrimination and stress, may be at greater risk for chronic conditions like heart disease, obesity, and high blood pressure. Stress and discrimination can contribute to unhealthy coping mechanisms, further complicating their health outcomes.

The Impact of Stigma and Erasure

• Monosexism: Societal preferences for monogender attraction (i.e., attraction to only one gender) contribute to the stigmatization of bisexuality. These biases can manifest in the form of harmful stereotypes, such as the assumption that bisexual people are just confused or going through a phase. This erasure often devalues bisexual identities and experiences, leading to negative self-perception and social exclusion.

• Erasure Within Both LGBTQIA+ and Straight Communities: Bisexual individuals often experience erasure both within the LGBTQIA+ community and from heterosexual spaces. In LGBTQIA+ circles, they may be perceived as "not gay enough" or dismissed as "heterosexual-leaning." Meanwhile, in straight communities, their attraction to multiple genders may be invalidated or misunderstood. This exclusion from both sides can lead to feelings of isolation, invalidation, and loneliness.

Addressing these health disparities is essential for improving the overall well-being of bisexual individuals. Acknowledging and understanding the unique challenges they face, including stigma, erasure, and lack of access to healthcare, is a crucial step toward creating a more inclusive and supportive environment for the bisexual community.

The Importance of Representation in Healthcare

Ensuring bisexual individuals receive adequate, affirming healthcare is essential to addressing the health disparities they face. However, a lack of representation in medical research and ongoing stigma in healthcare settings continue to create barriers to proper care.

Lack of Bisexual-Specific Research

Despite bisexual individuals making up the largest segment of the LGBTQIA+ population, they are often overlooked in health studies and research. Many surveys and medical studies group bisexual people with gay and lesbian individuals or fail to account for their distinct experiences, leading to:

• Gaps in medical knowledge: Without comprehensive data, healthcare providers may be unaware of the unique mental and physical health challenges bisexual people face.

• Limited funding for bisexual-focused health programs: Many LGBTQIA+ health initiatives are designed with a focus on monosexual identities (those exclusively attracted to one gender), meaning bisexual-specific health concerns often go unaddressed.

Addressing these gaps requires intentional efforts to include bisexual participants in research and ensure their needs are recognized in public health initiatives.

Stigma in Medical Settings

Many bisexual individuals report experiencing stigma or bias in healthcare environments, which can lead to avoidance of medical care and worsened health outcomes. Common challenges include:

• Assumptions about promiscuity: Bisexual individuals are often unfairly stereotyped as hypersexual or unable to maintain monogamous relationships, which can lead to inappropriate or judgmental questioning by healthcare providers.

• Invalidation of sexual identity: Some bisexual patients have reported that doctors dismiss their identity, suggesting they are "really straight" or "really gay" depending on their current partner. This erasure can create discomfort and discourage open conversations about health concerns.

• Failure to address unique risks: Bisexual individuals, particularly bisexual women, face disproportionately high rates of intimate partner violence (IPV). However, many healthcare providers fail to screen for IPV in same-gender relationships or do not recognize the heightened risk bisexual individuals face.

To improve healthcare for bisexual individuals, medical professionals must receive training on LGBTQIA+ inclusivity, actively challenge their biases, and create environments where all patients feel safe, seen, and respected. Representation in medical research and education is critical to ensuring bisexual individuals receive the affirming, competent care they deserve.

How Bisexual Health Awareness Month Drives Change

Bisexual Health Awareness Month is more than just a time for education - it’s a movement aimed at addressing disparities, challenging stigma, and advocating for meaningful change. By amplifying bisexual voices and experiences, this campaign fosters a more inclusive and supportive environment for bisexual individuals in healthcare and beyond.

Raising Awareness

One of the most powerful aspects of Bisexual Health Awareness Month is its ability to spark conversations and shed light on the unique health challenges bisexual individuals face. Through social media campaigns, community events, and educational resources, the month helps:

• Combat myths and misconceptions about bisexuality, including harmful stereotypes that contribute to discrimination.

• Encourage open discussions about mental health, physical well-being, and healthcare disparities within the bisexual community.

• Provide visibility for bisexual individuals who often feel overlooked or erased in both LGBTQIA+ and mainstream spaces.

Advocating for Inclusive Policies

Bisexual health disparities cannot be addressed without systemic change.

Advocacy efforts during this month push for:

• Better representation in medical research to ensure bisexual-specific health concerns are studied and addressed.

• LGBTQIA+-inclusive healthcare training so medical professionals understand the unique needs of bisexual patients.

• Stronger public health policies that recognize the bisexual community’s increased risk for mental health struggles, intimate partner violence, and barriers to care.

Building Community

For many bisexual individuals, feelings of isolation and invalidation can take a toll on their well-being.

Bisexual Health Awareness Month fosters connection by:

• Creating supportive spaces where bisexual people can share their experiences and seek community support.

• Hosting events, workshops, and online forums that center bisexual voices and experiences.

• Encouraging allyship and intersectionality, ensuring that bisexual individuals across different backgrounds, identities, and experiences feel seen and supported.

By uniting individuals, organizations, and advocates, Bisexual Health Awareness Month not only raises awareness but also empowers bisexual people to prioritize their health, demand better representation, and celebrate their identities unapologetically.

How You Can Support Bisexual Health Awareness Month

Bisexual Health Awareness Month is an opportunity for individuals, allies, and organizations to take action in addressing the disparities bisexual individuals face. Whether through education, advocacy, or direct support, there are many ways to make a meaningful impact.

Educate Yourself and Others

Understanding the unique challenges bisexual individuals face is the first step toward meaningful support. Take time to:

• Learn about bisexual health disparities, including mental health struggles, barriers to medical care, and the effects of stigma.

• Share resources on bisexual health through social media, community discussions, or workplace diversity initiatives to help spread awareness.

• Challenge common misconceptions - such as the myth that bisexuality is a "phase" - to help dismantle harmful stereotypes.

Advocate for Change

Systemic change is necessary to improve bisexual health outcomes.

You can contribute by:

• Supporting organizations like the Bisexual Resource Center, GLAAD, or The Trevor Project that work to improve bisexual visibility and health.

• Pushing for inclusive healthcare policies that recognize bisexual-specific needs in medical research, mental health services, and public health initiatives.

• Encouraging LGBTQIA+ organizations to center bisexual voices, ensuring that bisexual experiences are not erased within broader LGBTQIA+ advocacy efforts.

Be an Ally

Being a good ally to the bisexual community means actively supporting and validating bisexual identities. This includes:

• Challenging biphobia and erasure when you see it, whether in conversations, media representations, or LGBTQIA+ spaces.

• Creating inclusive spaces where bisexual individuals feel seen, heard, and respected - both online and in real life.

• Using inclusive language that acknowledges bisexuality rather than assuming attraction is exclusively to one gender.

Promote Mental Health Resources

Mental health is a crucial aspect of overall well-being, and bisexual individuals face higher risks of anxiety, depression, and suicidal ideation. Help make mental health support more accessible by:

• Sharing information about bisexual-friendly mental health services, such as those provided by The Trevor Project, LGBTQIA+ community centers, and local affirming therapists.

• Encouraging open conversations about mental health to help reduce stigma and normalize seeking support.

• Supporting mental health initiatives that address the specific needs of bisexual individuals, ensuring they receive inclusive and affirming care.

By taking these steps, you can contribute to a future where bisexual individuals receive the healthcare, representation, and validation they deserve. Every action - big or small - helps create a more inclusive and affirming world for the bisexual community.

The Path Toward Equity

Bisexual Health Awareness Month serves as a powerful reminder of the ongoing work needed to bridge the health disparities faced by bisexual individuals. Despite being the largest group within the LGBTQIA+ community, bisexual people often remain overlooked in healthcare, research, and policy discussions. Addressing these gaps requires a collective effort to raise awareness, amplify bisexual voices, and push for systemic change.

By fostering representation, advocating for inclusive healthcare policies, and creating affirming spaces, we can ensure that bisexual individuals receive the care, support, and validation they deserve.

This March, let’s move beyond awareness and commit to action. Whether through education, advocacy, or simply validating bisexual identities in everyday conversations, every step brings us closer to a healthier, more inclusive future for all.