Using CHIS data to Understand Lesbian, Gay and Bisexual Health

Few large state or federal surveys collect information on sexual orientation or gender of sexual partners, creating significant obstacles for researchers interested in LGBT health issues. Among the exceptions to this LGBT data scarcity is the California Health Interview Survey (CHIS), the nation's largest state health survey and the most comprehensive source of health information on Californians. Conducted every other year since 2001, CHIS data are used by policy makers, health departments, researchers, community organizations and advocacy groups throughout the country to understand and measure the health needs of California's extraordinarily diverse population. In this paper, the CHIS Director will provide an overview of current research projects that use CHIS data to examine pressing LGBT health topics. Specifically, the talk will describe how researchers at Charles Drew University and UCLA's Williams Institute are using CHIS 2001, 2003, 2005 and 2007 data to examine issues ranging from alcohol abuse among gay and bisexual men and to inter-personal violence rates among gay and bisexuals. This paper will also give an overview of research conducted by the National Coalition for LGBT Health on existing state of LGBT demographic research and outline ongoing efforts to ensure that major state and federal health surveys are fully inclusive of diversity in sexual orientation and gender identity.