Studies suggest that bisexual women and men are less likely to disclose their sexuality despite experiencing far poorer mental health than gay men or lesbians, including high rates of attempted suicide. We speak with Julia Taylor, from the Australian Research Centre in Sex, Health and Society at La Trobe University, to discuss the findings of her recent patient survey.

Australian Doctor: Can you explain the importance of your study?

Julia Taylor: We conducted a cross-sectional survey of 2650 people between September 2016 and March 2017 who had bisexual attraction, identity or experience. The idea was to understand what might contribute to the relatively poor mental health in that population.

The results are in line with previous findings. We found one in three in our sample said they had attempted suicide, compared with 3% of the general population.