TABLE 1—
Sexual Orientation and Rates of Viral Sexually Transmitted Diseases (STDs) Among US Women Aged 15 to 44 Years (N = 7643): National Survey of Family Growth, 2002
| Proportion of Women Who Reported Ever Having Had a Viral STD | |||
| Proportion of Women, % (SE) | % (SE) | AOR (95% CI) | |
| Category 1: Sexual orientation on the basis of sexual behavior in the past 12 months | |||
| Lesbian | 1.3 (0.2) | 6.7** (3.7) | 0.62 (0.19, 2.01) |
| Bisexual | 3.1 (0.3) | 15.0 (2.6) | 2.13* (1.31, 3.46) |
| Never had sex | 9.7 (0.4) | 0.3 (0.2) | 0.05* (0.02, 0.17) |
| Had not had sex in the past 12 months | 6.0 (0.4) | 7.2 (1.3) | 0.74 (0.49, 1.11) |
| Had male partner only in the past 12 months (Ref) | 79.9 (0.7) | 10.0 (0.7) | 1.00 |
| Category 2: Sexual orientation on the basis of sexual identity | |||
| Lesbian | 1.3 (0.2) | 2.3** (1.2) | 0.21* (0.07, 0.62) |
| Bisexual | 3.1 (0.2) | 17.2 (2.9) | 2.81* (1.85, 4.28) |
| Heterosexual/others (Ref) | 95.6 (0.4) | 8.8 (0.6) | 1.00 |
| Category 3: Sexual orientation on the basis of sexual behavior in the past 12 months and sexual identitya | |||
| Lesbian | 1.6 (0.2) | 2.6** (1.2) | 0.27* (0.10, 0.69) |
| Bisexual | 4.8 (0.4) | 16.2 (2.1) | 2.66* (1.83, 3.88) |
| Heterosexual/others (Ref) | 93.6 (0.4) | 8.7 (0.6) | 1.00 |
| Category 4: Sexual orientation on the basis of sexual behavior in the past 12 months and sexual identityb | |||
| Lesbian | 1.9 (0.2) | 5.9** (2.7) | 0.63 (0.23, 1.69) |
| Bisexual | 4.5 (0.3) | 15.8 (2.1) | 2.62* (1.78, 3.87) |
| Heterosexual/others (Ref) | 93.6 (0.4) | 8.7 (0.6) | 1.00 |
Note. AOR = adjusted odds ratio; CI = confidence interval.
aWomen were classified as lesbians if they (1) selected being homosexual by sexual identity or (2) reported having had only female partners in the past 12 months and did not select being bisexual by sexual identity. Women were classified as bisexual if they (1) selected being bisexual by sexual identity or (2) reported having had male and female partners in the past 12 months and did not select being homosexual by sexual identity.
bWomen were classified as bisexual if they (1) reported having had male and female partners in the past 12 months or (2) selected being bisexual by sexual identity and did not report having had only female partners in the past 12 months. Women were classified as lesbians if they (1) reported having had only female partners in the past 12 months or (2) selected being homosexual by sexual identity and did not report having had male and female partners in the past 12 months.
*P < .05 in logistic regression; **P < .05 in bivariate analysis.