{"status":"ok","message-type":"work","message-version":"1.0.0","message":{"indexed":{"date-parts":[[2026,10,30]],"date-time":"2026-10-30T02:47:53Z","timestamp":1793328473536,"version":"4.5.0"},"reference-count":36,"publisher":"Oxford University Press (OUP)","issue":"6","license":[{"start":{"date-parts":[[2021,5,1]],"date-time":"2021-05-01T00:00:00Z","timestamp":1619827200000},"content-version":"vor","delay-in-days":0,"URL":"https:\/\/academic.oup.com\/journals\/pages\/open_access\/funder_policies\/chorus\/standard_publication_model"},{"start":{"date-parts":[[2021,5,1]],"date-time":"2021-05-01T00:00:00Z","timestamp":1619827200000},"content-version":"tdm","delay-in-days":0,"URL":"https:\/\/www.elsevier.com\/tdm\/userlicense\/1.0\/"}],"funder":[{"DOI":"10.13039\/501100004281","name":"Narodowe Centrum Nauki","doi-asserted-by":"publisher","award":["2019\/32\/T\/NZ7\/00069"],"award-info":[{"award-number":["2019\/32\/T\/NZ7\/00069"]}],"id":[{"id":"10.13039\/501100004281","id-type":"DOI","asserted-by":"publisher"}]}],"content-domain":{"domain":["jsm.jsexmed.org","elsevier.com","sciencedirect.com"],"crossmark-restriction":true},"short-container-title":[],"published-print":{"date-parts":[[2021,6,1]]},"abstract":"<jats:title>ABSTRACT<\/jats:title><jats:sec><jats:title>Background<\/jats:title><jats:p>The subject of gay and lesbian sexual health seems to be highly understudied, at least partially due to general limitations inherent in the studies of sexuality as well as heteronormative bias and difficulties in reaching out to these populations.<\/jats:p><\/jats:sec><jats:sec><jats:title>Aim<\/jats:title><jats:p>To critically review the studies on gay and lesbian sexual health in order to identify the existing gaps and biases in the scope and general construction of the published research.<\/jats:p><\/jats:sec><jats:sec><jats:title>Methods<\/jats:title><jats:p>The dataset comprised 556 peer-reviewed articles identified through Medline search. Key studies characteristics were extracted according to the codebook developed for this study and analyzed descriptively.<\/jats:p><\/jats:sec><jats:sec><jats:title>Outcomes<\/jats:title><jats:p>The outcomes included: research methodology, study design, sampling, research topic and diversity inclusion in studied populations.<\/jats:p><\/jats:sec><jats:sec><jats:title>RESULTS<\/jats:title><jats:p>The majority of the studies were quantitative (70.5%), cross-sectional (83.6%) and used convenience sampling (83.2%). Most papers focused on HIV\/STI risk behaviors, vulnerabilities and risk navigation (26.3%). The least often found topic captured the sexual function of gay and lesbian participants in older age (0.5%). Over 68% of papers relied on male samples and studies on female-only samples comprised less than 13%. Most studies did not recruit a specific age group (77.7%) and included information about ethnicity of study participants (62%). Information about education (58.7%) or other indicators of socioeconomic status (52.8%) was less often reported.<\/jats:p><\/jats:sec><jats:sec><jats:title>Clinical Translation<\/jats:title><jats:p>The methodological limitations of prevailing study designs, sampling procedures and the composition of samples, as well as extensive areas of omission confine the clinical utility of existing research.<\/jats:p><\/jats:sec><jats:sec><jats:title>Strengths &amp; Limitations<\/jats:title><jats:p>This study offers critical insights into the most significant challenges associated with studies on gay and lesbian sexual health. Medline-only database search, the inclusion of English-written papers exclusively and limited scope (gay and lesbian sexuality only) of the review constitute the most significant limitations.<\/jats:p><\/jats:sec><jats:sec><jats:title>CONCLUSIONS<\/jats:title><jats:p>Gay and lesbian sexual health is an understudied field characterized by primary focus on HIV\/STI and paucity of higher quality research including diverse subpopulations.<\/jats:p><\/jats:sec>","DOI":"10.1016\/j.jsxm.2021.02.013","type":"journal-article","created":{"date-parts":[[2021,5,2]],"date-time":"2021-05-02T00:39:28Z","timestamp":1619915968000},"page":"1012-1023","update-policy":"https:\/\/doi.org\/10.1016\/elsevier_cm_policy","source":"Crossref","is-referenced-by-count":21,"title":["Sexual Health Studies in Gay and Lesbian People: A Critical Review of the Literature"],"prefix":"10.1093","volume":"18","author":[{"given":"Magdalena","family":"Mijas","sequence":"first","affiliation":[{"name":"Jagiellonian University, Faculty of Philosophy, Institute of Psychology , Krakow , Poland"},{"name":"Jagiellonian University Medical College, Faculty of Health Sciences, Institute of Public Health , Krakow , Poland"}],"role":[{"vocabulary":"crossref","role":"author"}]},{"given":"Bartosz","family":"Grabski","sequence":"additional","affiliation":[{"name":"Jagiellonian University Medical College, Department of Psychiatry, Sexology Lab , Krakow , Poland"}],"role":[{"vocabulary":"crossref","role":"author"}]},{"given":"Mateusz","family":"Blukacz","sequence":"additional","affiliation":[{"name":"Jagiellonian University Medical College, Faculty of Health Sciences, Institute of Public Health , Krakow , Poland"},{"name":"University of Silesia in Katowice, Institute of Psychology , Katowice , Poland"}],"role":[{"vocabulary":"crossref","role":"author"}]},{"given":"Dominic","family":"Davies","sequence":"additional","affiliation":[{"name":"Pink Therapy , London , UK"}],"role":[{"vocabulary":"crossref","role":"author"}]}],"member":"286","published-online":{"date-parts":[[2021,5,1]]},"reference":[{"key":"2023041407022833600_","first-page":"1","article-title":"A preview: The unique nature of sexuality research","author":"Wiederman","year":"2012"},{"key":"2023041407022833600_","first-page":"7","article-title":"The need to integrate sexual theory and research. In: Wiederman MW, Whitley Jr BE, editors","author":"Weis","year":"2002"},{"key":"2023041407022833600_","doi-asserted-by":"crossref","first-page":"1759","DOI":"10.1016\/S0140-6736(13)62378-8","article-title":"Framing sexual health research: Adopting a broader perspective","volume":"382","author":"Wellings","year":"2013","journal-title":"Lancet"},{"key":"2023041407022833600_","doi-asserted-by":"crossref","first-page":"135","DOI":"10.1016\/j.sxmr.2016.10.001","article-title":"The conception and evaluation of sexual health literature","volume":"5","author":"DeLay","year":"2017","journal-title":"Sex Med Rev"},{"key":"2023041407022833600_","doi-asserted-by":"crossref","first-page":"307","DOI":"10.1080\/00224499.2012.690112","article-title":"Why medicalization? Introduction to the special issue on the medicalization of sex","volume":"49","author":"Cacchioni","year":"2012","journal-title":"J Sex Res"},{"key":"2023041407022833600_","article-title":"Doing qualitative research: A practical handbook","author":"Silverman","year":"2013"},{"key":"2023041407022833600_","doi-asserted-by":"crossref","first-page":"1374","DOI":"10.1177\/0192513X17710284","article-title":"A content analysis of LGBT research in top family journals 2000-2015","volume":"39","author":"van Eeden-Moorefield","year":"2018","journal-title":"J Fam Issues"},{"key":"2023041407022833600_","first-page":"3","article-title":"Introduction: Fear of a queer planet","author":"Warner","year":"1991","journal-title":"Soc text"},{"key":"2023041407022833600_","article-title":"Heterosexism: An ethical challenge","author":"Jung","year":"1993"},{"key":"2023041407022833600_","doi-asserted-by":"crossref","first-page":"1471","DOI":"10.1080\/00918369.2019.1591789","article-title":"Gender minority stress: A critical review","volume":"67","author":"Tan","year":"2020","journal-title":"J Homosex"},{"key":"2023041407022833600_","article-title":"Whipping girl: A transsexual woman on sexism and the scapegoating of femininity","author":"Serano","year":"2016"},{"key":"2023041407022833600_","doi-asserted-by":"crossref","first-page":"95","DOI":"10.1080\/00918369.2016.1172893","article-title":"Understanding and measuring LGBTQ pathways to health: A scoping review of strengths-based health promotion approaches in LGBTQ health research","volume":"64","author":"Gahagan","year":"2017","journal-title":"J Homosex"},{"key":"2023041407022833600_","doi-asserted-by":"crossref","first-page":"781","DOI":"10.1080\/00918369.2014.870452","article-title":"A systematic review of sexual dysfunction measures for gay men: How do current measures measure up?","volume":"61","author":"McDonagh","year":"2014","journal-title":"J Homosex"},{"key":"2023041407022833600_","doi-asserted-by":"crossref","first-page":"674","DOI":"10.1037\/0033-2909.129.5.674","article-title":"Prejudice, social stress, and mental health in lesbian, gay, and bisexual populations: Conceptual issues and research evidence","volume":"129","author":"Meyer","year":"2003","journal-title":"Psychol Bull"},{"key":"2023041407022833600_","doi-asserted-by":"crossref","first-page":"495","DOI":"10.1177\/0164027518822814","article-title":"The state of theory in LGBTQ aging: Implications for gerontological scholarship","volume":"41","author":"Fabbre","year":"2019","journal-title":"Res Aging"},{"key":"2023041407022833600_","doi-asserted-by":"crossref","first-page":"60","DOI":"10.1186\/s12939-016-0349-1","article-title":"The utility of resilience as a conceptual framework for understanding and measuring LGBTQ health","volume":"15","author":"Colpitts","year":"2016","journal-title":"Int J Equity Health"},{"key":"2023041407022833600_","doi-asserted-by":"crossref","first-page":"217","DOI":"10.1080\/19317611.2019.1654587","article-title":"Why pleasure matters: Its global relevance for sexual health, sexual rights and wellbeing","volume":"31","author":"Ford J","year":"2019","journal-title":"Int J Sex Heal"},{"key":"2023041407022833600_","doi-asserted-by":"crossref","first-page":"161","DOI":"10.1177\/1359105317743768","article-title":"Towards a critical epidemiology approach for applied sexual health research","volume":"23","author":"Edelman","year":"2018","journal-title":"J Health Psychol"},{"key":"2023041407022833600_","doi-asserted-by":"crossref","first-page":"1519","DOI":"10.1080\/00918369.2016.1247537","article-title":"Methods used and topics addressed in quantitative health research on gay, bisexual and other men who have sex with men: A systematic review of the literature","volume":"64","author":"Brennan","year":"2017","journal-title":"J Homosex"},{"key":"2023041407022833600_","doi-asserted-by":"crossref","first-page":"157","DOI":"10.1177\/0741713618760560","article-title":"A call for methodological plurality: Reconsidering research approaches in adult education","volume":"68","author":"Daley","year":"2018","journal-title":"Adult Educ Q"},{"key":"2023041407022833600_","doi-asserted-by":"crossref","first-page":"281","DOI":"10.1023\/A:1023962805064","article-title":"Methodological issues in research on sexual behavior with Latino gay and bisexual men","volume":"31","author":"Zea","year":"2003","journal-title":"Am J Community Psychol"},{"key":"2023041407022833600_","first-page":"1","article-title":"How interpretive qualitative research extends mixed methods research","volume":"13","author":"Creswell","year":"2006","journal-title":"Res Sch"},{"key":"2023041407022833600_","first-page":"153","article-title":"Two case examples of reaching the hard-to-reach: Low income minority and LGBT individuals","volume":"10","author":"Gatlin","year":"2017","journal-title":"J Health Dispar Res Pract"},{"key":"2023041407022833600_","doi-asserted-by":"crossref","first-page":"1491","DOI":"10.1214\/14-EJS923","article-title":"Estimating hidden population size using respondent-driven sampling data","volume":"8","author":"Handcock","year":"2014","journal-title":"Electron J Stat"},{"key":"2023041407022833600_","doi-asserted-by":"crossref","first-page":"23","DOI":"10.1037\/a0014587","article-title":"Sampling lesbian, gay, and bisexual populations","volume":"56","author":"Meyer","year":"2009","journal-title":"J Couns Psychol"},{"key":"2023041407022833600_","doi-asserted-by":"crossref","first-page":"193","DOI":"10.1111\/j.0081-1750.2004.00152.x","article-title":"Sampling and estimation in hidden populations using respondent-driven sampling","volume":"34","author":"Salganik","year":"2004","journal-title":"Sociol Methodol"},{"key":"2023041407022833600_","doi-asserted-by":"crossref","first-page":"87","DOI":"10.1177\/1557988306294609","article-title":"Methodological issues in identifying sexuality for research","volume":"1","author":"Ridner","year":"2007","journal-title":"Am J Mens Health"},{"key":"2023041407022833600_","article-title":"Methodological challenges in conducting research on lesbian health","volume-title":"Lesbian health: Current assessment and directions for the future","author":"Institute of Medicine (US) Committee on Lesbian Health Research Priorities","year":"1999"},{"key":"2023041407022833600_","doi-asserted-by":"crossref","first-page":"1144","DOI":"10.2105\/AJPH.2004.046714","article-title":"The trouble with \u201cMSM\u201d and \u201cWSW\u201d: Erasure of the sexual-minority person in public health discourse","volume":"95","author":"Young","year":"2005","journal-title":"Am J Public Health"},{"key":"2023041407022833600_","doi-asserted-by":"crossref","first-page":"e14","DOI":"10.2106\/JBJS.L.00484","article-title":"Observational studies in orthopaedic surgery: The STROBE statement as a tool for transparent reporting","volume":"95","author":"Sheffler","year":"2013","journal-title":"JBJS"},{"key":"2023041407022833600_","doi-asserted-by":"crossref","first-page":"8","DOI":"10.1007\/s11999-013-3311-1","article-title":"What are the levels of evidence on which we base decisions for surgical management of lower extremity bone tumors?","volume":"472","author":"Evaniew","year":"2014","journal-title":"Clin Orthop Relat Res"},{"key":"2023041407022833600_","doi-asserted-by":"crossref","first-page":"455","DOI":"10.1136\/sextrans-2015-052389","article-title":"Men who have sex with men in Great Britain: Comparing methods and estimates from probability and convenience sample surveys","volume":"92","author":"Prah","year":"2016","journal-title":"Sex Transm Infect"},{"key":"2023041407022833600_","doi-asserted-by":"crossref","first-page":"1267","DOI":"10.2105\/AJPH.2012.300750","article-title":"The problem with the phrase women and minorities: intersectionality\u2014An important theoretical framework for public health","volume":"102","author":"Bowleg","year":"2012","journal-title":"Am J Public Health"},{"key":"2023041407022833600_","doi-asserted-by":"crossref","first-page":"577","DOI":"10.1080\/00224499.2017.1295300","article-title":"Intersectional epistemologies of ignorance: How behavioral and social science research shapes what we know, think we know, and don\u2019t know about US Black men\u2019s sexualities","volume":"54","author":"Bowleg","year":"2017","journal-title":"J Sex Res"},{"key":"2023041407022833600_","doi-asserted-by":"crossref","first-page":"381","DOI":"10.1111\/1471-0528.14414","article-title":"Lesbian and bisexual women\u2019s gynaecological conditions: A systematic review and exploratory meta-analysis","volume":"124","author":"Robinson","year":"2017","journal-title":"BJOG"},{"key":"2023041407022833600_","doi-asserted-by":"crossref","first-page":"435","DOI":"10.1080\/00224499.2017.1387755","article-title":"Prevalence of depression and anxiety among bisexual people compared to gay, lesbian, and heterosexual individuals:A systematic review and meta-analysis.","volume":"55","author":"Ross","year":"2018","journal-title":"Journal of Sex Research"}],"container-title":["The Journal of Sexual Medicine"],"original-title":[],"language":"en","link":[{"URL":"https:\/\/api.elsevier.com\/content\/article\/PII:S1743609521002927?httpAccept=text\/xml","content-type":"text\/xml","content-version":"vor","intended-application":"text-mining"},{"URL":"https:\/\/api.elsevier.com\/content\/article\/PII:S1743609521002927?httpAccept=text\/plain","content-type":"text\/plain","content-version":"vor","intended-application":"text-mining"},{"URL":"https:\/\/academic.oup.com\/jsm\/article-pdf\/18\/6\/1012\/49887660\/jsm_18_6_1012.pdf","content-type":"application\/pdf","content-version":"vor","intended-application":"syndication"},{"URL":"https:\/\/academic.oup.com\/jsm\/article-pdf\/18\/6\/1012\/49887660\/jsm_18_6_1012.pdf","content-type":"unspecified","content-version":"vor","intended-application":"similarity-checking"}],"deposited":{"date-parts":[[2023,11,3]],"date-time":"2023-11-03T04:38:32Z","timestamp":1698986312000},"score":1,"resource":{"primary":{"URL":"https:\/\/academic.oup.com\/jsm\/article\/18\/6\/1012\/6956114"}},"subtitle":[],"short-title":[],"issued":{"date-parts":[[2021,5,1]]},"references-count":36,"journal-issue":{"issue":"6","published-online":{"date-parts":[[2021,5,1]]},"published-print":{"date-parts":[[2021,6,1]]}},"URL":"https:\/\/doi.org\/10.1016\/j.jsxm.2021.02.013","relation":{},"ISSN":["1743-6109","1743-6095"],"issn-type":[{"value":"1743-6109","type":"electronic"},{"value":"1743-6095","type":"print"}],"subject":[],"published-other":{"date-parts":[[2021,6]]},"published":{"date-parts":[[2021,5,1]]},"assertion":[{"value":"Elsevier","name":"publisher","label":"This article is maintained by"},{"value":"Sexual Health Studies in Gay and Lesbian People: A Critical Review of the Literature","name":"articletitle","label":"Article Title"},{"value":"The Journal of Sexual Medicine","name":"journaltitle","label":"Journal Title"},{"value":"https:\/\/doi.org\/10.1016\/j.jsxm.2021.02.013","name":"articlelink","label":"CrossRef DOI link to publisher maintained version"},{"value":"article","name":"content_type","label":"Content Type"},{"value":"Copyright \u00a9 2021, International Society of Sexual Medicine. Published by Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.","name":"copyright","label":"Copyright"}]}}