Disability Status in LGBT Adults by Sex and Age

Aarya Suryavanshi, Jonathan H. Cantor, Megan S. Schuler

ResearchPosted on rand.org Oct 29, 2025Published in: JAMA Network Open, Volume 8, No. 7 (July 2025). DOI: 10.1001/jamanetworkopen.2025.21454

Growing evidence from US survey data suggests that lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgender, and queer (LGBTQ) individuals report higher rates of disability compared with non-LGBTQ peers. Data from the 2020 Behavioral Risk Factor Surveillance System showed that 36% of LGBTQ respondents reported a disability compared to 24% of non-LGBTQ respondents, and transgender individuals reported higher disability rates than cisgender individuals. Among the general population, women and older adults report higher rates of disability. This study examines whether sex at birth or age modifies the association of disability with LGBT status.

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Document Details

  • Copyright: Aarya Suryavanshi, Jonathan Cantor, Megan S. Schuler ; Open Access
  • Publisher: JAMA Network
  • Availability: Non-RAND
  • Year: 2025
  • Pages: 4
  • Document Number: EP-71136

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