Bisexual Women More Likely to Suffer Abuse Than Straight or Lesbian Females
The Center for Disease and Control (CDC) recently released results from a survey that say bisexual women are more likely to be victims of rape or sexual violence than straight or lesbian females. The study, which began in 2010, was conducted to measure the “prevalence of sexual violence, stalking and intimate partner violence” among men and women in the LGBTQ community. The research turned up disturbing findings, including that “lesbian women and gay men reported instances of intimate partner violence and sexual violence equal to or higher than those of heterosexuals.” Revelations about the female bisexual community were also surprising. Out of the 9,086 females interviewed about their experiences with sexual violence, the study showed that:
- 61 percent of bisexual women have experienced rape, violence and/or stalking in their lifetime.
- Instances of severe physical violence among bisexual women (49 percent) is more than double that of straight women (23 percent).
- Bisexual women in the study said they experienced rape twice as frequently as lesbians.
- 1 in 3 bisexual women have experienced stalking at some point in their lifetime compared to 1 in 6 heterosexual women.
- An overwhelming majority of the reported instances of rape and sexual violence were committed by male perpetrators.
This is the first national survey that has been conducted to look at prevalence estimates of intimate-partner-inflicted violence based on sexual orientation. Read the entire study in the CDC’s National Intimate Partner and Sexual Violence Survey 2010: Findings on Victimization by Sexual Orientation.
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