Unequal Opportunity : Health Disparities Affecting Gay and Bisexual Men in the United States

This book reviews evidence of health disparities among gay and bisexual men, identifying individual and community factors that have contributed to these disparities, and suggests strategies for public health efforts to eliminate inequality in the future.

Most public health students, academics, and practitioners recognise the association between racial/ethnic minority status and the disproportionate burden of preventable disease in the USA. Much less attention has been directed, however, towards the health disparities that affect gay and bisexual men. These disparities affect the lives of an estimated 5.3-7.4 million American men, and are an important concern for public health. Until very recently, the relative invisibility of this group and a paucity of empirical data have hampered attempts to identify health disparities experienced by gay and bisexual men. This book proposes to review and synthesize evidence of health disparities among gay and bisexual men, identify individual and community factors that contribute to these disparities, and articulate strategies for public health efforts to eliminate disparities. To date, these disparities have largely been discussed in isolation in the research literature in a manner that does not permit a comprehensive examination of these problems, their underlying causes, and potential solutions. Thus, a primary emphasis of the book will be to document health disparities among gay and bisexual men while also describing public health solutions to these challenges.