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Gay Marriage Is Good For Gay Men's Health, Says Science
By
Jamie Feldmar
Published Dec 19, 2011
Modified Dec 19, 2011
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By
Jamie Feldmar
Published Dec 19, 2011
Modified Dec 19, 2011
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More good news for gay newlyweds (and even the not-so-newlyweds, too): getting married is good for your health! A new study from the American Journal of Public Health uses the power of science to prove that in states where gay marriage is legal, gay men visit doctors less and are generally happier with their lives.
The study took place in Massachusetts, the first state to legalize gay marriage, where researchers spent a year studying more than 1,200 patientes at a health clinic that treated many gay men (lesbians were not included in the study because too few of them visited the clinic to be counted). Health care visits dropped by 13 percent, and fewer men came in with blood pressure problems, depression, and adjustment disorders, which researchers believe could be the result of reduced stress. The stats remain the same whether or not the men are in stable relationships. Between this and the news that you can lose weight by drinking champagne, we'd like to propose a toast to marriage equality.
"These findings suggest that marriage equality may produce broad public health benefits by reducing the occurrence of stress-related health conditions," said lead researcher Dr. Mark Hatzenbuehler of Columbia University. Previous studies have indeed shown that banning gay marriage has a negative impact on the mental health of LGBT people.
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gay men
health
marriage equality
mental health
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Jamie Feldmar
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