They tend to experience rape, stalking, and partner-perpetrated contact sexual violence at significantly higher rates than heterosexual women.
In the United States, an estimated 1.8% of the general population identifies as bisexual, with even higher rates among younger generations (4.9%).
[3] The term bisexual describes various attractions, sexual, and relational behaviors directed towards individuals of more than one gender.
[4] Individuals who identify as bisexual may also use other additional terms to describe their sexual orientation such as, pansexual or queer.
[4] More specialized terms, such as omnisexual, polysexual, ambisexual, heteroflexible, or homoflexible may also be used to describe one's sexual orientation.
[5] Statistically, bisexuals report more negative mental health outcomes when compared to straight, lesbian, and gay individuals.
[6] These outcomes include anxiety, depression, life stressors, an unsupportive family, higher reports of childhood trauma, less societal support, and more significant financial stress.
[6] These stressors include anti-bisexual attitudes within the broader Lesbian, Gay, Bisexual, Transgender, Queer (LGBTQ+) community.
[6] Anti-bisexual stereotypes within the LGBTQ+ community contribute to more significant identity confusion and negative associations towards bisexual individuals.
[11] Out of all sub-groups within the LGBTQ+ community, bisexual women make up the largest demographic of sexual minority individuals in the United States.
[12] They are less likely to have frequent gynecological appointments, meaning that they are less often screened for breast cancer or tested for Human Papilloma Virus (HPV).
[14] They report frequent headaches, chronic pain, insomnia, hearing problems, and struggle with memory, concentration, and decision making.
[14] Bisexual women face higher rates of coercive control (i.e., threats, withholding funds, and isolation) from an intimate partner (69.7%) when compared to lesbians (60.6%) and heterosexuals (45.1%).
[14] According to the Federal Bureau of Investigation's 2019 hate crime statistics report, of the 8,812 single-bias incidents reported,1,429 were targeted based on their sexual orientation.