Academic resources

2013, 9 pages.

Stigma operates at multiple levels, including intrapersonal appraisals (e.g., self-stigma), interpersonal events (e.g., hate crimes), and structural conditions (e.g., community norms, institutional policies). Although prior research has indicated that intrapersonal and interpersonal forms of stigma negatively affect the health of the stigmatized, few studies have addressed the health consequences of exposure to structural forms of stigma. This academic paper investigates whether structural stigma in communities with high levels of anti-gay prejudices increases the risks of premature mortality for sexual minorities. The results show that the sexual minorities living in communities with high levels of anti-gay prejudice experienced a higher hazard of mortality than those living in low-prejudice communities. This result translates into a shorter life expectancy of approximately 12 years for sexual minorities living in high-prejudice communities. Analysis of specific causes of death revealed that suicide, homicide/violence, and cardiovascular diseases were substantially elevated among sexual minorities in high-prejudice communities. These results highlight the importance of examining structural forms of stigma and prejudice as social determinants of health and longevity among minority populations.