Same-sex marriage is one of the most hotly debated topics to date. Often a matter left for legislators and religious groups to mull over, a number of physicians and prestigious medical organizations such as the American Psychiatric Association, the American Psychological Association and the American Academy of Pediatrics, have also weighed in on the issue.
In an opinion piece published in today’s Inside Stanford Medicine, Stanford physician Gabriel Garcia, MD, is calling on all health-profession schools to make a commitment to support marriage equality. And he describes how permitting same-sex marriage could help eliminate health disparities that exist among lesbian, gay, bisexual, and transgender populations:
Married people live longer: As young adults, married men may have mortality rates two-and-a-half times lower than single men. Married people lead healthier lives: They have lower levels of depression, substance abuse and suicide. They earn more money and have greater rates of promotion and productivity at work. They do not have to explain their relationship to others. They do not suffer discrimination in employer benefits such as health insurance or retirement plans. Their children are healthier and better adjusted.
The piece also ran in Friday's issue of the San Jose Mercury News.
