For better or for worse, in sickness and in health -- there's a long line of research that associates marriage with reducing unhealthy habits such as smoking, and promoting better health habits such as regular checkups. However, new research is emerging that suggests married straight couples and cohabiting gay and lesbian couples in long-term intimate relationships may pick up each other's unhealthy habits as well.

The topic of LGBT (lesbian, gay, bisexual, and transgender) health disparities isn’t an intuitive one. We’re not biologically different than others. But it turns out most of health isn’t governed by biology, but social factors.

Over the years, my fellow LGBT health researchers have been steadily documenting a myriad of ways the discrimination we face takes its toll on our health. As just a few examples: our youth are at higher risk for suicide, too many of us avoid doctors or hide being LGBT to avoid discrimination, and we smoke at much higher rates than others.

Students who report being gay, lesbian or bisexual and students who report having sexual contact only with persons of the same sex or both sexes are more likely than heterosexual students and students who report having sexual contact only with the opposite sex to engage in unhealthy risk behaviors such as tobacco use, alcohol and other drug use, sexual risk behaviors, suicidal behaviors, and violence, according to a study by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.

WASHINGTON – An Institute of Medicine (IOM) report released today shows in stunning clarity the need for more federal research and data collection on the health of LGBT people.

Citing a number of challenges in understanding the health needs of LGBT populations, the authors of the report recommend collecting data on sexual orientation and gender identity in federal health surveys and programs and call on the National Institutes of Health (NIH) to lay out a research agenda regarding LGBT health issues.