civil partnerships will also boost gay health: researchers

 
February 13, 2006: The spreading innovation of gay marriage will do much to boost mental and physical health among homosexuals and lesbians, according to an analysis published in a specialist journal on Tuesday.

British researchers point to evidence that, among heterosexuals, individuals who are married have generally lower rates of depression, anxiety, drug and alcohol abuse and suicide and are in better physical shape than singles.

Gay men and lesbians will similarly benefit from legal recognition of their relationship, they suggest. By easing intolerance and social stress, civil union or marriage will encourage emotional stability for gay couples and also push health services to end discriminatory access to medical treatment, the paper suggests.
"Government policies that respect the human rights of same-sex couples may have unforeseen health benefits," it says.

The first civil partnership for same-sex couples was introduced by Denmark in 1989.
Ten other members of the European Union, Argentina, Canada, Iceland and New Zealand have followed suit, as have several US states. South Africa's parliament has been ordered by the country's highest court to pass a law by December 1 to enable same-sex marriages.

The paper appears in the Journal of Epidemiology and Community Health, published by the British Medical Association.