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Title: In Sickness and in Health: Same-Sex Marriage Laws and Sexually Transmitted Infections
Citation Type: Journal Article
Publication Year: 2012
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Abstract: This paper analyzes the relationship between same-sex marriage laws and sexually transmitted infections in the United States using state-level data from 1981 to 2008. We hypothesize that same-sex marriage laws may directly affect risky homosexual behavior; may affect or mirror social attitudes toward gays, which in turn may affect homosexual behavior; and may affect or mirror attitudes toward non-marital sex, which may affect risky heterosexual behavior. Our findings may be summarized as follows. Laws banning same-sex marriage are unrelated to gonorrhea rates, which are a proxy for risky heterosexual behavior. They are more closely associated with syphilis rates, which are a proxy for risky homosexual behavior. However, these estimates are smaller and less statistically significant when we exclude California, the state with the largest gay population. Also, laws permitting same-sex marriage are unrelated to gonorrhea or syphilis, but variation in these laws is insufficient to yield precise estimates. In sum, the findings point to a modest positive associationif any at allbetween same-sex marriage bans and syphilis
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Authors: Francis, Andrew M.; Peng, Handie; Mialon, Hugo M.
Periodical (Full): Social science & medicine
Issue: 8
Volume: 75
Pages: 1329-1341
Data Collections: IPUMS CPS
Topics: Gender, Health
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