Sexual Orientation and Health Information Technology Use: A Nationally Representative Study of U.S. Adults

The purpose of this study was to compare the prevalence and odds of participation in online health-related activities among lesbian, gay, and bisexual adults and straight adults aged 18-64.

Primary data collected in the 2013 and 2014 National Health Interview Survey, a nationally representative household health survey, were used to examine associations between sexual orientation and four measures of health information technology (HIT) use. Data were collected through face-to-face interviews (some telephone follow-up) with 54,878 adults aged 18-64.

Compared with straight men, both gay and bisexual men had higher odds of using computers to schedule appointments with healthcare providers, and using email to communicate with healthcare providers. Gay men also had significantly higher odds of seeking health information or participating in a health-related chat group on the Internet, and using computers to fill a prescription. No significant associations were observed between sexual orientation and HIT use among women in the multivariate analysis.

Gay and bisexual men make greater use of HIT than their straight counterparts. Additional research is needed to determine the causal factors behind these group differences in the use of online healthcare, as well as the health implications for each group.